Beekeepers’ Convention

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Section twelve of The American Bee Journal, Volume one, number three,
March eighteen sixty one. This is the LibriVox recording. All
LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information
or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Read by

(00:20):
D Random The American Bee Journal, Volume one, number three,
March eighteen sixty one. By various bee Keeper's Convention, First
American bee Keeper's Convention. We take pleasure in placing on
record in our columns the proceedings of the First American

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bee Keeper's Convention, which met at Cleveland, Ohio, on the
fifteenth of March eighteen sixty The time is approaching when
b culture will occupy a higher position than it has
yet held in this country, and when it will be
interesting to trace back its history to those pioneer movements

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which conduce to revival and progress. From the Ohio Farmer
Beekeeper's Convention first day, on the motion of E. T. Sturtevant,
Professor J. P. Kirtland was elected Chairman and J. Kirkpatrick Secretary.
By S. C. Brown, resolved that a business committee be

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appointed by the Chairman, who announced S. C. Brown A. F. Benton,
Joel Merriman, E. T. Sturdevant, and doctor T. Garlick. The
chairman presented communications from Samuel Wagner, Esquire of York, Pennsylvania,
and T. J. Mahan of Philadelphia, referring principally to the

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Italian bee, which were rid by the Secretary. The committee
reported that it is desirable to form a Beekeeper's Association,
and also the following questions for discussion. One what is
the best mode of wintering bees? Two? Is it policy
to feed bees? If so, what constitutes the best feed? Three?

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Is natural swarming the most judicious mode of propagating bees? Four?
What is the superiority if any of the Italian bee
over our common kind? Accepted on motion, a committee of
three was appointed to draft a constitution, consisting of S. N. Sanford, E. T.

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Sturdevant and S. Miller, who reported a constitution which was
succepted and adopted. A committee consisting of W. M. Cunningham, ELI.
Bartholomew and W. A. Flanders was appointed to nominate officers
who reported. The ballot was then taken when the following
gentlemen were declared elected. Professor J. P. Kirtland, President, William M. Cunningham,

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Vice President E. T. Sturdevant, Corresponding Secretary J. Kirkpatrick, Courting
Secretary J. Gallop, Treasurer T. W. Morse, S. C. Brown,
and L. M. Cobb Executive Committee. The meeting then took
up the first question, what is the best mode of
wintering bees? Mister Sturtevant gave the history of his experience

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on this point. He said that the hive should be
tight at the bottom with an opening at the top
during winter, and also stated that he had buried hives
the past season with the best results. The bees had
increased in numbers, although many of the swarms were late
ones and not well supplied with stores. In a few

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minutes after being taken up, the bees were perfectly active.
Reverend L. L. Langstrofft stated that at one time he
deposited his hives in the deep cellar that was very
dry during the winter. The bees remained inactive and came
out well in the spring. At one time he had
an idea that it was necessary to have his hives

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with double walls and filled between with charcoal or sawdust,
but by experience found that the hive thus constructed did
not do well. Air is absolutely essential. Cold did not
kill them when in mass it is necessary to have
thorough communication between the combs. In his opinion, the thickness

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of the hive walls is non essential, but an upper
circulation must be had. Mister Merriman agreed with the previous speaker.
When a boy at the east, his hives, along with
those of others, suffered from winter killing, and the idea
struck him that it was owing to the want of air,
and bored holes in several of the hives. With an

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augur all the hives so treated did well, but those
not ventilated suffered. Every bee keeper knows that bees generally
winter well in some old hive full of cracks through
which the air can circle late freely. Doctor Metcalf asked
if hys buried in winter would not do equally well

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covered with clay as with sand. Mister Sturdophont stated that
he had covered his with sand because he had no clay,
but thought that clay would do better upward. Ventilation was, however, necessary.
Mister Merriman stated that an uncle of his buried his
bees with good success without ventilation, as ce Brown had

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lost many swarms. He did not believe that there was
such a thing as look in bee keeping. Some of
his swarms had died from an overplus of honey, the
brood combs being filled with honey, leaving no room for
new brood, and there was a consequent falling off in
the population of the hive, the queen having no empty

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cells in which to deposit her eggs. Mister Langstrop read
a quotation from Columella in corroboration of this difficulty. In
the time of that author, hives suffered from over avarice.
Missus Sturdivant said that swarms having no queen often stored
honey faster than those having won, but thought that the

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swarms mentioned by mister Brown had never had a queen.
Being divided once, the President said he had several hives
that were so full of honey that they had no
room for brood. He had lost no swarms the past winter.
Mister A. K. Smith asked if bees would protect themselves
when without a queen. Mister Sturdivant said that this is

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often the case. Doctor Dunham asked why some divided swarms
having no queen will lie idle until a queen is
hatched out. Missus Sturdivant replied that, in his opinion, This
was owing to the small number of bees that were
often left in such hives, and gave illustrations from his
own experience. Mister Lanstrof read from Butler's work written and

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printed in the time of and dedicated to Queen Elizabeth,
in illustration of this point. The same observations were made
centuries ago. Mister Smith observed that many of his hives
had suffered from an overfilling of the combs with honey.
T s Underhill remarked that as the Association had left

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the question on which it started, he would, with its leave,
return to the original subject. He had found one great
difficulty in the burying of swarms, from the fact that
when opened, the bees would come out and get mixed
faster than the hives could be removed. He approved of
burying in dry cellars, as the bees could be easily

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and gradually removed. Bees suffer from their inability to reach
the outer combes during cold weather. They eat all the
honey within reach and then starve within a short distance
of plenty. Upper ventilation is always necessary during the winter.
Mister sturr Vielevant lost nineteen swarms in unventilated hives one winter.

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In consequence of sudden cold chilling the bees while wet s.
Sea Brown remarked that many lost swarms that were apparently
in excellent condition last fall from the combs being filled
with eggs and nearly all the honey deposited in the
upper boxes, and this removed as surplus. Second question, is

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it policy to feed bees? If so, what constitutes the
best feed? Mister Smith said he usually took up an
old hive that was of little use, destroyed the bees,
and fed the young or weak swarms with it. He
feeds by placing pieces of the comb in the upper boxes.
The safest way to save young swarms is to feed

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old honey. Mister Merriman's profits from bee keeping exceeded that
from any other kind of farm stock. Has fed good
honey to his bees. Did not approve of feeding poor
honey or any other substitute. Chestnut honey is the poorest.
He knows water mixed with bee feed does not add

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to the quantity of the feed. As Sea Brown considered
that it was not good policy to feed. Our hives
should be in such a condition that the bees do
not need to be fed. Mister Sturtivant considered that feeding
bees for the purpose of producing marketable honey is a
short road to the poor house for the bee keeper,

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and gave a short account of the period during which
honey is gathered. Strong swarms by the first of May
will always collect sufficient stores. When through improper division of
swarms at the late season, a swarm proves light it
should be fed or united with another swarm. Feeding by
placing frames filled with comb and honey is the best

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Mister Landstrop approved in general of mister S's views, with
a few exceptions, the idea that poor feed can be
turned into good honey is a stupendous swindle. Honey derived
from different sources has each its distinctive characteristics. Second Day, Friday,
March sixteenth, eighteen sixty the President, Professor J. P. Kirtland,

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in the chair. The President read an article from the
Morning Leader on the passage of a bill through the
Legislative House punishing beehive or honey stealing. This elicited considerable discussion,
all agreeing that at present there is no real law
for the punishment of bee thieves. The Committee on Business

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reported the following resolution on the subject resolved that it
is expedient for this Association to petition the Senate of
the State of Ohio to concur in the passage of
the Bill passed by the House of Representatives for the
More Efficient Protection of Beekeepers, which was adopted, and a
committee consisting of Professor J. P. Kirkland and E. T.

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Sturtevant were appointed to draw up such a petition. Moved
that the corresponding Secretary be requested to confer with the
Census Bureau at Washington in regard to the necessity of
the assessors taking an account of the number of beehives
and the amount of products in the various states. Several

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questions were presented for discussion. The question for discussion was
then taken up. Mister Merriman said that if bees were
allowed to rob, even from hives without bees, they would
soon rob all round. The President said he would feed
his bees for the purpose of a general stimulus, but
he would place the honey at a distance from the hives.

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Weak swarms should be fed in boxes within the hive.
Mister Lanstrof thinks that if a bee once gets into
the habit of stealing, it will always steal as long
as it has an opportunity, even until the day of
its death. Robber bees are easily known. They don't approach
the hive like honest bees, but approach and then retire

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in a suspicious manner. Mister Smith had suffered from robbers.
Some of his swarms had become robbers a year ago
and still exhibit the same bad habit. Mister Lanstroff would
recommend that whenever a swarm endeavors to rob another, it
is best to close the latter, and when the robbers

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cluster in masses on the outside, sprinkle them with cold
water and keep sprinkling them. They will go home cooled off.
Mister Flanders advocated the feeding of robbers, as in his opinion,
they needed food. Mister Lanstroff and mister Sturtivant agreed that
it is not the poor, weak swarms that become robbers,

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but the old, strong swarms that have their hives stocked
with honey. Mister s would cut down a comb and
let the honey run in the robbers hive, when they
will immediately attend to affairs at home. He also advocated
the feeding of weak swarms at night. Mister Bartholomew thought
that swarms never rob unless food cannot be obtained Otherwise,

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mister Merriman agreed with others in thinking that few hives
were robbed unless without a queen. Hives that are attempted
to be robbed should be removed to a different stand.
When a hive is fairly conquered, it is best to
let the robbers have free leave to clear the hive out,
and they will stop when the honey is exhausted. Doctor

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Garlick found the strong swarms liable to rob but found
cold water sprinkled over was a good plan to cool
them off. He has found hives rich in honey clear
of bees this spring. Mister Underhill thinks that bees from
weak swarms are the first invaders, but that in the
battle the strong ones are the victors. Queenless colonies may

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be expected to be robbed. He gives all his swarms
plenty of honey. Weak swarms should have the entrances contracted
in the spring, as by this means they can the
more easily protect themselves. Some years ago his hives had
to be fed generally in the spring owing to the
unfavorable weather during the honey season the previous summer, hindering

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them from laying up sufficient honey. That season. He suffered
more from robbers than at any previous or subsequent period.
Mister Bartholomew thought that making artificial honey for the purpose
of feeding bees is very poor business. A little feed
given early in spring will encourage breeding and thus benefit

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the swarm. Bees quit breeding when the pasturage ceases. Mister
Lanstroff considered that much fall robbing is the result of
careless handling and removing honey honey or opening hives. Care
should always be taken in this. Bees will breed when
not collecting honey. Aristotle mentions that wet seasons produce great swarms,

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dry ones much honey, and this observation was made by
many of the older riders as well as moderns. Missus
Sturdivant said that from the closest observation he had learned
that bees began to breed by the first of January
in a little spot. With the advance of the season,
this increased in size afternoon session bee bread. Missus Sturdivant

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had used unbolted rye flour as the substitute for pollen
or be bred. In one day his bees had taken
up as much as sixty pounds. His method of using
this is to take a wide board with slips about
two inches deep, nailed all round and placed in a
warm sheltered seat situation, and on that place the flower.

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Mister Langstroff said that rye flower is used to a
great extent in some parts of Europe. Breeding is sometimes
suspended in new swarms from the want of pollen. As
such swarms are usually deficient in the supply of bee bred.
In his opinion, artificial pollen is not equal to the

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genuine article. Italian bee. On motion, the character and history
of the Italian bee was taken up. Mister Langstroff stated
that mister Wagner of York, Pennsylvania endeavored to introduce the
Italian bee five years ago, but the swarm arrived dead
in consequence of the mate of the vessel stealing the honey,

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and also read from Virgil and Colamella, showing that this
bee was well known to the ancients. The claims for
this bee are that they are hardier, swarm, oftener, and
work during days when the coming bee will not work.
They also fly faster and are in all respects more
active insects than the others. It is believed that the

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tongue of this insect is longer than that of the
common species, and it is thus enabled to obtain honey
from sources incapable of being reached by a shorter tongue,
for example, the red clover. He considered that in the
hands of the mass the Italian bee would prove a failure. Some, however,

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would succeed and its good qualities be brought out. Last fall,
Messrs Wagner, Mahan and himself had imported a few stalks
of these bees, and this was prior to the importation
of mister Parsons and the patent Office. Missus Sturtivant would
do what he can to protect bee keepers and hopes

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that all will take care from whence the Italian queens
they may obtain come, and that they be not received
from regions where the disease called quote foul brood end
quote is prevalent, a disease utterly unknown in Ohio or
the West. Professor Kirtland said that if the Italian bee

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was a distinct species, it would be easily retained, but
if only a variety, it would take a great deal
of care to keep them distinct in places where the
common species was abundant in consequence of interbreeding. Mister Landstroft
said native queens fertilized by the coming drone would produce

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hybrid workers and queens, but poor Italian drones, so that
the next generation would be more Italian than common, and
future generations will prove still poorer. Mister Underhill described the
appearance of quote foul brood end quote at the beginning
of the disease, the cap of the cells turns dark

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in consequence of the death of the larvae. At first
it appears yellowish. After a year or two, all the
combs will be affected, and the stench is great from
the decomposed matter. Honey from such hives fit to other
swarms will infect such swarms, increasing the disease. A queen
taken from an infected hive will lay eggs that do

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not produce disease brood. It seems to be confined to
pine regions and is not known in the places where
such trees do not grow. Boiling infected honey and skimming
it deprives it of its noxious qualities. If we find
a hive slightly affected, we drive the swarm out and

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place them in the new hive. Hives clear of disease
in summer will often prove infected in the fall, an
infected hive should not be allowed to remain in the
apiary in spring. On motion, it was resolved that our
representative in Congress, mister Wade, be requested by this Associate Ciation,

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to procure from the Patent Office for the use of
this Society a colony of Italian bees, and if he succeeds,
the colony be entrusted to the care of the President
of the Society together with two other members viz. Mister W. A.
Flanders and E. T. Sturtevant. Natural versus artificial swarming? The

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next question for discussion being quote is natural swarming the
most judicious mode of propagating bees? End quote? Mister Sturdivant
observed that he would rather that some other person would
speak on the subject. It is conceded at this time
that hives can be artificially swarmed. He considered artificial superior

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to natural swarming, as the former have more time to
collect stores and there is no loss from swarms leaving,
which is a great drawback to keykeeping. Mister Langstroff said
that for ignorant persons, natural swarming is the best, but
in the hands of intelligent beekeepers, artificial swarming is preferable

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the watching for the swarming of bees is avoided. In
the latter case, it is far more profitable even with
a common box hive. Swarms seldom leave large apiaries, and
it is seldom that a swarm can pass over such
without Mister l explained his method of dividing swarms. Mister

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Underhill said that if apierians in his section of country
would depend on natural swarming, there would be but small increase.
If a rapid sure increase is desired, artificial swarming must
be resorted to. It is also much cheaper, for it
requires less attention and labor. Bee houses question, is it

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a fact that bees will not prosper in a well
constructed bee house, or what are the advantages and disadvantages
of such an apiary. Mister Langstroff considered that bee houses
were not the best for the benefit of the apiarian,
principally from the loss of the young queens when they
leave the hive for the purpose of meeting the drones,

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as they are apt on their return to enter the
wrong hive and be there killed, and the consequent decay
of the queenless swarm, giving a great number of instances
of this being the case, he would say to all
scatter your bees. Place one hive under this tree and
another under that, but scatter the hives. A scientific bee

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keeper may succeed in using a bee house. Mister Flanders
indorse the opinion of mister Langstroff, and also found that
hives scattered about the orchard have done the best. It
cannot be expected that bees will succeed well in a
covered bee house. Missus Sturtivant uses a large bee house,

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but does not allow the bees in it to swarm,
but always divides his swarms, taking the queenless swarm away
from the apiary, and if desirable, returning it to the
house after the queen is fecundated. He would use out
of the house or in a bee house the common
hive with frames the Langstrof hive manufactured by Ransom cob

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and Company. Cleveland hives must not be placed on a
common level where they can run from one to another.
His bees had laid up an immense quantity of honey
the last season. The house is airy and cool, built
of brick. Hives should face in different directions. The President
stated that if a buffalo robe, bundle of straw or

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other unusual object be placed on the old stand from
whence a hive has been carried. The bees will, when
they return to the old stand, immediately leave for the hive.
Mister Merriman moves his bees wherever it is desirable and
never has any difficulty. Mister Underhill thought that hives, when moved,

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should be stirred up agitated. They will then look out
when they issue in search of food. He did not
approve of bee houses. Adjourned sinee DA J. P. Kirkland, President, J. Kirkpatrick, Secretary,
end of Section twelve