T. F. Bingham-Yes, on the principle that "there's mischief for idle hands to do." When bees have nothing to do-no honey to gather-they breed rapidly and swarm.

C. I. Balch-Will not heat induce bees to swarm?

T. F. Bingham-I am not aware of it. There's no reason about bees. You can't make bees work as you tell them to; but they will follow out their instinct, which is much nearer right than man's reason.

Julius Tomlinson-Does a moderate increase of stock diminish the amount of surplus honey?

T. F. Bingham-New stocks will produce the most and best comb and honey. They are in the best possible condition for it.

Pres. Balch-Can get more honey from an apiary that is allowed to swarm.

James Heddon- So can I with small hives, but not with large ones.

T. F. Bingham-Will Mr. Benton state what effect the extreme heat of the South has upon honey secretion?

Frank Benton-Tennessee is not a good honey section. With prolific queens we got a good amount of honey in the fall.

T. F. Bingham-I always get the most honey when the nights are cool and the days are not too hot. The best honey localities in our country are where the nights are short and cool.

Frank Benton-The mountainous regions of the South are the best honey-producing localities of that section.

T. F. Bingham-We never had so warm a season as the past, and never had such an abominable poor honey season.

Secretary-How about Cuba and the islands south of Europe?

T. F. Bingham-The nights are cool, and they also have a vegetation peculiar to the latitude.

James Heddon-I got honey from white clover this season for the first time. Will acknowledge that my previous opinion was

erroneous.

H. A. Knapp-Buckwheat secreted with me this year, was a failure last year.

Dr. Southard-Sowed buckwheat early for bees, but got no honey. Some sowed later gave a very little. Think my bees gathered honey this season from corn. When bees lay out from heat, raise the hive at the bottom.

T. F. Bingham-Top ventilation does no good in the summer. Ventilate at the bottom.

Secretary-When bees lay out heavily, does it interfere with surplus honey?

T. F. Bingham -Don't think it does. They do it because they have nothing to do. The reason why Dr. Southard's bees didn't hang out was because there was honey in the fields to be gathered.

Secretary-My bees in the house apiaries would cluster over the whole sides of the building, yet they were the ones that stored the honey.

Frank Benton-Mr. Muth's bees are placed upon the top of a building where they were very warm, but they do not swarm.

T. F. Bingham-Bees do not swarm on the last end of a flow of honey. They can scent danger from afar.

H. A. Knapp-I had a swarm come out on September 14, that never gathered a pound of honey.

C. I. Balch-Have had swarms forced out by the heat in September by the quantity.

T. F. Bingham-This will work with black bees, but very seldom with Italians.

Mr. T. F. Bingham then read a paper on "Apicultural Progress," being a review of bee-culture for the past thirty years, which called out some discussion of a general character. The subject of "Humbugs" brought out many severe criticisms on Mr. A. J. Root's method of doing business, from those present, it being claimed that he had misled more people and had been the cause of more failures than any other person in America.

Adjourned until to-morrow, at 9%1⁄2 A. M. DECEMBER 21, 1876.

Convention called to order at 9.30 a. m. President Balch in the chair. The Secretary stated that he had just received a paper from Mr. J. L. Davis,-Delhi, Mich, on "Surplus Honey," which was read. He advocated the system of using section frames for comb honey, instead of boxes.

Prof. A. J. Cook.-It seems to me that frames for surplus honey should be talked up more, and boxes less. I can get bees to commence sooner in frames and they sell more readily in the Lansing market.

James Heddor-The objection to frames is that the bees do not build the combs true in them; and in selling them you will break the comb and have a sticky article to handle. Julius Tomlinson-Agreed with Mr. Heddon's views.

Dr. Southard-During the past season, have tried both boxes and frames, and give the decided preference to the former. They sell better, and can get as much honey as in frames. The bees accept the boxes readily and fill them rapidly.

Prof. A. J. Cook-What was your amount of surplus?

Dr. Southard-Fifteen hundred pounds, from 19 strong and 25 weak ones.

James Heddon--I can perform the same amount of work with boxes in one day, that requires five days with frames.

Prof. Cook-Mr. Davis has a large amount of honey in the Lansing market in small frames; they don't leak; they look beautiful and sell readily. Comb-foundation is a success with me.

James Heddon-This question of boxhoney interests me, as it bears directly upon dollars and cents. Have used wooden guides during the past season in the boxes, and they work so well that I shall discard guidecombs. Can get truer combs with less work. Julius Tomlinson-Would it not be better to wax the wooden guides?

James Heddon-Can see no benefit. Prof. Cook-We are on dangerous ground, I think. What our most experienced beekeepers can do, cannot be done by us all. Some people can do what others cannot.

Julius Tomlinson-Cut a saw-kerf in the ends of boxes, and they can be taken apart and the combs sold separately.

C. I. Balch-I will wager with any one that boxes with guide-combs will give fifty per cent more honey than boxes without.

Dr. Haskins-My experience with guidecombs has developed nothing in their favor.

Frank Benton-Have tried both methods and prefer the guide-combs to the wooden guide.

Dr. Southard-Have found it difficult to get straight combs in section frames; the queen is more liable to occupy them; and could scarcely sell them at all. Box honey sells readily.

Julius Tomlinson-People want a choice article and are willing to pay for it. Box honey secures this.

James Heddon-If I had an abundance of empty comb, I would use it; but not, if I must have the bees build it specially for the purpose.

Prof. Cook-I move that it be the sense of this meeting that wooden guides are as efficient in securing straight combs, as guides of honey comb. The vote was lost by two majority.

James Heddon-I move that it be the sense of this meeting that it is not profitable to raise comb expressly for guides to be used in surplus boxes. The motion was carried by two majority.

Prof. Cook-I would move that all white drone-comb should be used as guides in surplus boxes. Carried unanimously. Also. that as much honey can be produced in small boxes as in sectional frames. Carried by one majority.

James Heddon-A choice piece of comb nicely tapered, for a guide will induce bees to commence sooner; but a flat, ragged piece will often delay them three or four days. In such cases the wooden guide is preferable.

Prof. Cook then read an able paper on "Mistakes of Bee-Keepers, which received the closest attention. He also read a paper on the methods of preparing bees for winter at the Agricultural College, detailing the various experiments made there to ascertain the cause of our losses in winter.

Julius Tomlinson-Have had experience in burying bees in Wisconsin-succeeded well.

James Heddon-We have decided that bees will swarin, and when they all winter, then we shall have bees on every acre of land in the country.

Prof. Cook-Just what I want to see.

James Heddon-But probably never will. T. F. Bingham-According to the general laws of fertilization, Prof. Cook's bees that are manured the most heavily, will yield the largest crops.

Frank Benton read a paper on “Bee-Culture in the South." The advantages and disadvantages of the "Sunny South," were canvassed with the conclusion that with the single exception of wintering, the Northern latitudes were far preferable for beeculture. The question to be decided is, will it pay to ship bees South in the fall and return them in the Spring, in order to insure safe wintering?

Shipping bees South for the purpose of wintering is expensive. A year ago, it cost $300.00 to ship 160 colonies. This year a little less. Personal expenses must be added. Secured but little honey in fall, and when returned home in the Spring had to feed. There is also danger in shipping. It is a many sided question and needs further experience to settle its practicability.

Frank Benton- With an empty space above the frames, and an abundance of ventilation, there need be no loss in moving.

The election of officers was then taken up

with the following result: President-Prof. A. J. Cook, Lansing, Mich. Vice-President Dr. W. B. Southard, Kalamazoo, Mich. Secretary H. A. Burch, South Haven, Mich. Treasurer-James Heddon, Dowagiac, Mich.

Mr. Tomlinson's resolution was adopted, extending the warmest thanks of this Association to the people of Kalamazoo for the courtesy and hospitable treatment received at their hands; also to those who had furnished papers for this session.

The Secretary moved that we elect as honorary members all who had sent us papers, that are not already members of the Association. Carried. After the transaction of some routine business, the Convention adjourned to meet in Lansing, at the call of the Secretary.

HERBERT A. BURCH, Sec'y.

Neatness in Bee Keeping.

READ BEFORE THE MICH. B. K. ASSOCIATION, DEC. 21, 1876.

Neatness in all things is to be commended. In all the walks of life, neatness gives a charm to everything we do. How much nicer a person appears who is always neat in his personal affairs, and how much more we can enjoy their society, than one who is a sloven in all he does! I do not mean to be always "dressed up;" dandyism and fopishness are not neatness, by any means. A man may be very finely dressed and make a good appearance, and yet be a sloven in his private affairs. He is neat only to "show off." This neatness we should extend to all we do in bee-keeping, neat in our persons, so that in case we have visitors, as we all do, when we are working with our bees, handling combs, extracting honey, etc., they may not go away with the feeling that they do not want any of our honey, because we are so careless in regard to clean hands, clean tools, etc. We must guard our reputation as the cream of success. Nearly all of us can get the honey, but not every one can sell it readily in these days of so many adulterations. Neatness is one point in getting and keeping a good reputation; honey neatly put up in bottles, jars, boxes, or frames, sells very much better, than the carelessly put up honey, while an article neatly and tastefully labeled adds much to its attractiveness, while all combined adds the value to our pockets. We must see to it that our extractors, tools, frames and boxes, are kept and used in clean places.

Then in regard to our hives and yards. It is but a few moment's more work to set a hive in perfect line with its fellows, and then how much more pleasant to look at. To a person with a true eye to the beauty of uniformity, it is a real annoyance to see hives looking like a hastily thrown together rail fence, facing all points of the compass in the same row, even if there has been an attempt to make a row of them; some hives tipping to the front, the next back, others endwise, this way and that, making the yard look as though the bee-keeper(?) had sailed over his yard in a balloon, sown his hives broadcast, and then tried to rake them into straight rows with the anchor. Put the hives in straight rows, even if the rows face different ways, and tip them all a little to the front to carry off water from the en

trance and to keep rain from beating in. Keep your yard clean, free from high weeds and grass, which are a sad bother to the bees, and when dry a danger, from fire.

How few Apiaries do we go into where we find the hives free and clean in this respect. I have been into yards where the poor bees had to alight on the top of the hives and crawl down the front to the entrance, the grass being so thick that they could get in no other way.

Grass and weeds are fine hiding places for mice, insects, toads, etc., where they can come forth to work on the bees and their proceeds. It also makes damp hives, moldy combs, and diseased bees.

We have our hives on legs, seven inches high, with an alighting board reaching from the ground to the entrance. Our chickens roam at will around and under the hives and woe to the bug, miller or mouse, who dares come into their domain, for their sharp eyes detect every one.

All the hives should have one good coat of paint at least once a year, which can be done on cool days when the bees do not fly, without changing the bees over to do it, and it adds to the neatness of the yard, besides preserving from the effects of the weather.

Then brother bee-keepers, let us all be neat in bee-keeping as one of the effects to bring the science up to the standard it should occupy. WILL. M. KELLOGG.

Bee Notes from Iowa.

We are located in the s. w. corner of Iowa, bounded on the west by the Big Muddy, (Mo. River), with a loose soil from 100 to 200 feet deep, so says our geologist. I have never been down that far, but have spaded 80 feet, and found it correct. Alsike and white clover do not do well here; the soil is too loose and open, in my opinion. We have two rivers running through the county, from the valley of these our bees gather considerable honey in the fall. The county is mostly prairie and newly settled, consequently not blessed with as many blooming orchards as some other sections of the county. There is considerable of basswood in the groves that yields honey some seasons. I am two miles from the nearest basswood timber, and within a radius of three miles there are more stocks of bees than there are linn trees, still my stocks gathered about 30 lbs. per colony the past season. There were several thousand pounds of honey raised this year in this county; all consumed near home, I believe. I find a good many prejudiced against extracted honey; the fact is, they believe that if it is not in the comb it is adulterated. A short time since I asked a lady to buy some extracted honey, when she informed me that she had a receipt for making honey. But whenever I get a customer to use extracted honey one season, I then have him cured of his prejudice. I have never shipped any honey. I had no success this season with box-honey; our fall honey, this season, is of superior quality, very thick and candied already. We have, what we call The Fremont Co. Bee Keepers' Association,' and because you do not see our proceedings in print you must not consider that we do or say nothing; the fact is we "keep our light under a bushel." ED. WELLINGTON. Fremont Co., Iowa, Nov. 2, 1876.

We will sell single copies for 20 cents each.

Specimen copies and canvassing documents, sent free, upon application.

Additions to clubs once formed may be made at any time, at club rates, without regard to the number sent.

No special authority is needed for a All that is necesperson to form clubs." sary is to secure the names and remit the money.

Subscribers wishing to change their post-office address, should mention their old address, as well as the one to which they wish it changed.

Remit, for safety to all, by post office money order, registered letters, bank draft, made payable to Thomas G. Newman, so that if the remittance be lost, it can be recovered.

JOURNALS are forwarded until an explicit order is received by the publisher for their discontinuance, and until pay. ment of all arrearages is made as required by law.

Please write names and post-office address very plain. Very often men forget to give their post-office, and quite often a man dates his letter from the place where he lives, when the paper is to be sent to some other office.

BARLOW & CHURCHWELL, have sent us a postal card on business, but failing to give their address, we must wait for that essential element before we can attend to it. Will they please write again, and state their Post-Office, County and State, and it shall receive attention.

Winter is the time to "read up" on bee-culture, and all who expect to be successful should spend the time to profit, by studying the subject to the best of their ability.

Those who wish Demorests' Monthly Magazine with the AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL for 1877 can get both for the small sum of $4.00; thereby saving one dollar.

The only safe way to send money by mail is to get the letter registered, or procure a money order or draft. We cannot be responsible for money lost, unless these precautions are taken. Then it is at our risk, and if lost we will make it good to the sender, but not otherwise.

The proceedings of the Ky. B. K. Association was duly received from the Secretary, but by an oversight was put into a pigeon-hole and overlooked till this issue was too full to admit them. Will appear in next number.

We employ no traveling agents, depending entirely upon local club agents and our volunteer friends generally, to keep up our circulation.

Any of our subscribers who wish to present a copy of the AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL to a friend for the year 1877, can do so by sending us one dollar and the name and address.

Read our list of Premiums for getting up clubs. We have extended the time to January 31, 1877-in order to encourage agents to work for the best premiums.

The Ohio and Texas Land Co. turns out to be a "swindle;" at least so says the P. M. at Mineral City, Texas. The adv't. was sent us by a advertising agent in Cincinnati, and we supposed it all right or would not have published it.

We do our readers a favor by directing their attention to that most valuable practical journal, the American Agriculturist, which is just now entering upon its 36th year. It is packed full of useful information, that cannot fail to be very helpful to every family, and to every man whatever his calling, and whether residing in City, Village or Country. We supply it and THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL for 1877 for $3.15.

Our Premiums for Clubs.

A. G. Hill has sent us one of his Gas Pipe Extractors to be presented to the person sending in the largest club of new subscribers to THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL before January 31, 1877. The Extractor is light and extremely simple. We will pay the express charges, so that it shall be "without charge" to the recipient.

D. A. Pike will present one of his beautiful Albino Queens-whose progeny will be one-half Italians and one-half Albinos-to the getter up of the second largest club of subscribers. The Albino will be sent, postpaid, May 1, 1877.

We will add the following:

For the third largest list, we will send a tested Italian queen in May, 1877.

For the fourth largest list, we will send 500 young tulip trees (4 to 8 inches high) in April or May, 1877.

For the fifth largest list, we will give a copy of THE AMERICAN BEE JOLRNAL for 1877, post-paid.

For the sixth largest list we will send, post-paid, a copy of Vol. I. of THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, bound.

See our club rates on page 35 of this issue. Names and money can be sent in as received, mentioning that you wish to compete for the prizes, and we will open an account accordingly. Work should be commenced at once.

Three Numbers Free!

By an arrangement with the manufacturers of the ABBOTT POCKET MICROSCOPE we are able to make the following remarkable offer to new subscribers:

To give those who are unacquainted with the merits of our paper an opportunity to try it before becoming regular subscribers, we propose to send three numbers of THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL "on trial" and THE ABBOTT POCKET MICROSCOPE, description of which will be found in our advertising columns, for $1.50, the PRICE OF THE MICROSCOPE ALONE, and thus get the JOURNAL for three months practically free. The Microscope alluded to is the most complete thing of the kind we ever saw, and can be made valuable in many ways, besides being a constant source of amusement and instruction. Send in your orders.

We will present 100 tulip trees to any person sending one or more new subscribers for 1877. See Club Rates on page 35. The trees will be from 4 to 8 inches high, and will be sent in November or May, as desired. Those desiring these trees must mention them when sending in subscriptions.

VOL. XIII.

Honey Producers and their Interests.

THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, ever on the alert to advance the interests of honeyproducers, would inquire, Why they should not combine for mutual protection and the enlargement of their business?

The many letters in this and other issues of the JOURNAL from those of the smaller producers who have sold large quantities of honey in their home markets, prove that local demands may be largely increasedthat a trade for the "concentrated sweetness," sealed up in the honey-comb, can be developed in almost every village and hamlet all over the broad acres of this landeast, west, north and south! Local meetings of the bee-keepers in each township or county would greatly assist in this matter, by bringing the subject under discussionand by the adoption of a systematic plan of action.

The larger apiaries, with their increased yields of nectar, demand larger and wider fields of operation. Why should not the proprietors of these form combinations similar to the California organization, that we briefly alluded to in the October number of the BEE JOURNAL for last year, on page 252? Such associations should take special interest in the packing, shipping and salé of honey from designated Districts or States. This would greatly assist bee-keepers and protect their interests generally.

The many very interesting essays read before the Michigan Bee-Keepers' Convention, which we present to our readers in this issue, proves that there is talent enough in the line of theory, and experience enough in the line of wintering, springing, how to produce the best-selling honey, and plenty of it. Now why should not all this knowledge and experience be turned to sound business account? Why not make it tell in the line of a combination to dispose of the surplus after supplying the home markets?

The San Diego Bee-Keepers' Association received honey from their members, repacked, assorted and graded it, ready for shipment. They then sent their agent, Mr. C. J. Fox, to the Eastern and Southern cities

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No. 2.

to receive orders for it by the car load. He contracted about a dozen car loads and returned home as the Association, we are told, had no more to sell! "Now, if they have done these things in the green tree, what may they not do in the dry?" To take off the figure: If, with the thousands of intervening miles between California and the great commercial centres of the East and South, they have been able to sell honey in such large quantities and at good figures, why may not the apiarists of the Eastern, Western, Southern and Middle States, almost within hailing distance of the great centres of commerce-nay more, having these very marts of commerce in their midst-organize such associations and sell thousands of tons of honey annually, that now run to waste, for the lack of bees to gather, apiarists to husband, and wide-awake organizations to handle it? Their magic hand could turn it into gold to scatter among the apiarists, by which they may bless their families with food and raiment, necessaries and luxuries, that would gladden their hearts and decorate their homes!

Again we ask: Why not organize?

The Season of 1876-7.

The universal verdict is that the present season has been one of the most rigorous within the memory of that venerable personage the oldest inhabitant! From the Atlantic to the Rocky Mountains-from the Canadas to the Gulf-all over this vast country Jack Frost has waved his icebound sceptre, and held every living thing beneath his unyielding grasp! For nearly two months has his sway been undisputed by Old Sol's rays of light and heat-but it is consoling to know that ere many days the spell will be broken, and Earth will again be decked in her beautious garb of verdure, and lovely flowers will bloom, inviting the bees to their daily labor with busy hum! But just at present the world at large presents a varied picture.

A letter from the Pacific Slope, received just as we were going to press with this issue, states that "the sun is shining glorious