6 
THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 
(Bitrarts. 
AMERICAN BEE-KEEPERS IN COUNCIL. 
Abxt ract of Proceedings of Bee-Keepers Meeting 
at Chicago, October , 188!). 
BEST SIZE OF SECTIONS. 
The gist of the discussion was that the pound 
sections were the most desirable. Less than a 
pound was preferable to more than a pound, as 
the dealer would be asked to “throw in ’’ an 
ounce or two over, while no fault would be 
found with a little lower price, as the result of 
a little less honey. All of Mr. Heddon’s comb 
honey for this year had been stored in half- 
pound sections. He secured as much honey as 
when larger-sized sections were used, and it 
enabled him to get ahead of the formers who 
brought in honey and sold it at a low price. 
His half-pound sections sold readily at 10 cents 
apiece. 
PACKAGES FOR EXTRACTED HONEY. 
Mr. Heddon — The pound sections made a 
success of the marketing of eomb honey. The 
best package for retailing honey is glass. It 
should hold about one pound. The difficulty is 
with the price. It ought not to be more than 
one cent or ten. When honey was high, it did 
not matter so much. Honey has fallen in price 
more than glass has. 
SUPERS FOR HIVES. 
S. N. Black — I am using something like the 
old style of Heddon case. It dees not exaetly 
suit me, but I have not found anything better. 
J. A. Green — No super is advisable that needs 
taking apart. I use a simple rim with tins 
nailed to the bottom of the ends to support the 
“section-holders.” I think that wide frames 
without top-bars, are preferable, as the bottom- 
bars will sag a little, which leaves a crack at the 
top in which the bees place propolis. There 
are no advantages in top-bars. 
Mr. Heddon — If separators are not used, there 
is nothing better than my old stye of super. 
With separators, the T-super is preferable. So 
far as workirig is concerned, I prefer my new 
style of case with wide frames, but the cost is 
against it, 
Mr. Gibbs — I think that wide frames may cost 
the most, but they are the cheapest in the end, 
as I do not break so much honey in removing 
the sections. I think that separators are a 
necessity. 
SURPLUS BEES. 
Mr. Gibbs wished to know wbat to do with 
bees when he had more than he wanted. 
President Miller advised uniting, and in the 
spring making stronger colonies. 
Mr. Aspinwall said that the best yield he ever 
knew was the result of such uniting. 
WHEN TO MARKET HONEY. 
Mr. Gibbs said that most of the honey was 
sent to market too soon. It becomes soiled and 
stale from standing about, before the season is 
fairly open. 
Mr. Heddon — People desire honey when the 
weather is cool — not much before. If sent to 
the market in large quantities before there is 
much demand, it aids largely in reducing the 
price. Small crates have advantages, less 
likelihood of breakage, and many are sold 
direct to consumers who would not buy a large 
crate of honey. 
WHAT HIVE WILL PREVENT SWARMING? 
J. A. Green — A large hive. 
Mr. Heddon — With my hive and management, 
I believe that I can produce extracted honey 
with so little swarming that it will not pay to 
keep a man in each apiary all the time. 
Mr. Aspinwall — I wish to mention the wooden 
combs in this connection. No bees have 
swarmed when occupying these combs. No 
drones can be reared, and I do not believe that 
the instinct -of the bees will allow them to 
swarm when they can rear no drones to mate 
with the young queens. 
THE UNFINISHED SECTIONS. 
J. A. Green — Sections filled with foundation 
are finished sooner, and look nicer than partly- 
filled sections kept over from the previous 
season. One or two such sections in the centre 
of the super will answer as a “ bait ” to start the 
bees to work, hut they will never be so fine in 
appearance ; neither does the honey keep so 
well. It is more likely to “sweat,” or ooze 
from the combs. 
J. C. Wheeler — I have seen Mr. Green’s 
honey, and these old sections really look poorer. 
Mr. Hedden — A new, naturally built comb 
will be finished and capped sooner, when nearly 
ready to cap, than will one built on foundation. 
President Miller — Perhaps Mr. Green does 
not succeed in having his sections entirely freed 
from honey the previous season. 
J. A. Green — How do you get them cleaned ? 
President Miller — I pile the supers up out-of- 
doors, and leave a small opening, large enough 
for a single bee to enter. The combs will not be 
injured if only such a small openiDg is left. 
J. A. Green — Thatis exactly the way I do. 
Mr. Heddon — Dr. Miller, do you not leach 
your bees to become robbers and “ snoops,” by 
such management i If I were writing a book 
on bee-cultnre, I should lay it down as a prin- 
ciple, that, under no circumstances, should bees 
be allowed aceess to honey outside the hives. 
I would put the sections over a colony. 
President Miller— I have never had any 
trouble in this direction. 
Mr. Black — I should think that there would 
be considerable commotion and quarrelling 
around the entrance to the stack of supers. 
President Miller — There is ; but I do not 
know that it causes any trouble. 
Chas. H. Green— I secure more honey by 
using the drawn combs. I extract them in the 
fall, and just at dusk put a case of them down 
at the entrance of a hive. The bees come out 
and clean up the sections. 
Mr. Gibbs — I get the honey out, and the 
combs cleaned up in the same way that Dr. 
