Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-05-15
From the Eddyville Advertiser.
BEE MEETING,

From the Eddyvine Advertiser.
BEE MEETING.
The Southern Iowa Bee Keepers
Association met in sanctum OF the Id
certtser office on Wednesday, the It'll
inst. President II. B. Sission in the
chair.
The meeting being called to order
and its object stated by the President
on motion Of John b. Gray, w. L.
Palmer was elected Secretary pro tenn,
in the absence of the Secretary.
The President stated that it would |
be in order to hear something in re-
gard to wintering bees.
( Mr.. Gray being called for stated in
brief that in long experience in bee
keeping he never lost a swarm save by
moth or while young, until two years
ago, when he lost by what he thought
was cholera 81 out of 1l3. He built
fodder house for them that winter
lie had wintered bees in his barn base
ment the winter before, and lost but
one hive out Of thirty-two. Put his in
the barn last winter, and before Janu-
airy two-thirds of them were dead
Did not freeze to death, as it hardly
would have frozen vegetables where
they were. Had two queens and per-
haps quart of bees left out Oft hives
Thought they died of disease, as by
inquiry he had learned that bees in his
county in all kinds of circumstances,
had persisted, while years previous,
under the same regime, they had been
prosperous.
| President Sisson did not be-
lieve In the bee cholera. Said he
was an enthusiast in regard to winter
ing bees. Had not lost but one swarm
this winter out of fifty, and he thought
they starved to death. He felt willing
to guarantee the wintering of bees
successfully. His plan is all COM
prised in s'proper ventilation" Should
give the bees every attention. Win
tered in cellar. Heating room aboye.
Ventilation pipe and flue from cellar.
Got up in the night when bees were
noisy and opened cellar shutters to
| give them air. Would become quiet
after that. When away his wife at.
tended to them. Fire continually in
heating room. Placed the hives three
feet from cellar floor. Could winter
J them in tight room above ground just
as well. Put his bees out in warm
February day, and did not put them
back again. Would not advise that
they be put out SO early and kept out
I Mr.. Shafer wintered bees in . cellar
proper ventilation-and took out al
: that were not in proper condition t.
winter.
Ii d. N. Hamilton didn't believe The
bees died of disease but old age. Sta
ted his reasons at considerable length
> and verified his remarks by his las
Il winters experience. Wintered out o
, doors-covered nicely with straw, ani
J snow having fallen left very mic,
covering. On the 9Th of February
thermometer at As deg. above zero
took the covering from south of tn
( hives, and found all of them 81 in mum
: ber--all right. Everybody reporte,
their bees all right the latter part 0
9 February, and assured his neighbor
9 that his were all right. In Marcl
: heard that his neighbors bees had per
!, ished, and congratulated himself o.
: his success. Upon examination foun,
s but Ii hives alive. Plenty of honey il
: boxes. No breed during the winter
d Was satisfied that their natural life
J. time had expired. Were not befouled
n Believed that if bees could be man
8 aged SO as to breed during the winter
h would not make SO much differenc
Q how they wintered. Cited a neigh
{, boris case. who left his bees out thi
/, winter in an old vineyard = plenty Q
y brood and came out all right.
IS Mr.. Gray said his bees had bre
j. when put away. and two-thirds wer
dead in January. Plenty of brood.
g Mr.. Sisson thought Mr.. Gray's bee
l. went through the sweating and fire,
= zing process.
1T Mr.. Hamilton made a scientific e,
1t PLANTATION of the sweating and freezin
" of bees, and their manner of befou
g. ment, which was received with fave
1t by the meeting.
10 Mr.. Gray could not account for thel
1t being such universal slaughter anon
il bees this winter, under all circun
d stances, save on the principle of ai
&c case. $500
l. Mr.. Sisson drew attention to the IA
le that the two last winters had been a
" most necessarily cold, with scarcely
e. warm day, whereas for thirty yea
le previous there had been times of thav
'e ing during the winter, when bees coul
t. be taken out and recuperated. Not {
l. the two past years.
Mr.. Crosson's bees were wintere
out of doors, and were dead the fir
le warm day, when he looked at them.
d ID. N. Hamilton drew attention
ID the fact that most Of the bees had die
e after the middle of February, as
d proof that they did not freeze.
70 Mr.. Sisson after putting his bees OF
a in February, where they remained Il
s. balance of the winter, gave them pc
feet ventilation.
j. After other remarks the presidel
/; appointed D. L. Hamilton Secretar
Y, until the Association should elect
is II. B. SISSON, Fres.
[y w. l.. PALMER, Sec'y pro. tenn.
t.