The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-04-10
BEEKEEPERS CONVENTION.
SALT LAKE CITY, April g, 81.
Editors Herald:

! ton convened at the Council House
April 4th. The meeting was called
to order by President A. Musser
and prayer offered by Mr.. Georg'
Morris.
Mr.. Horace Drake said that he
went into winter quarters witt
| thirty-siX sWarms of bees; he had
wintered on summer stands, and al
were alive and in good condition al
this time. He saw young bees
around his stands in February. He
thought one bee inspector was not
sufficient to accomplish the work OF
Salt Lake County, as there was Z
large amount of foul brood IN this
county.
Mr.. w. NJ. Egan had wintered ten
stands of bees successfully IN chafl
! hives the winter before last, and
during last summer had increased
them to twenty-eight swarms, and
had taken 800 pounds of honey, ana
had a number of full frames OF
honey on hand at this time. He
found no trouble in Wintering his
bees in chaff hives. The outside
hive or box should be about
four inches larger every way than
the inside hive and packed with
chaff. Had been troubled with foul
brood which he had destroyed by
burning, and was now free from the
contagiOn. He found the best way
to increase his colonies was to take
the queen from a good healthy i'm
proved stock of bees, and after the
queen cells are formed, just before
Matching, divide the nuclei. He
found it very necessary to have
upper ventilation, placing a piece of
cloth or carpet on the top of the
frames. In such hives he found
fewer dead bees than in others not
so protected.
President w. D. Roberts, of Provo,
Utah County, said he had nine strong
and four weak swarms last spring,
but had increased them to thirty
two swarms, had lost one colony by
foul brood, which he had destroyed
by burning, also one weak one had
died. The bees at present, are all
in good condition. He had wintered
on summer stands. The top of one
hive was knocked off and was quite
open, yet had wintered well. The
yield of honey was not as good
as last year in Utah County. He
thought some amendments were
necessary in the laws pertaining to
the inspectors Office. The future
prospects of bees in Utah County
were good, although some foul
brood was reported.
Bishop Madsen, of GunnisOn, San
pete County, informs me that the
bee inspector of MOroni Ghe same
county, had visited GunnisOn and
found all of their bees in a healthy
condition, and felt encouraged in
the bee enterprise.
Mr., John Ellison, of Davis County,
had used his influence to get three
bee inspectors appointed in that
county. Some of them had not done
their duty in districts. Ninety hives
Of bees were condemned for foul
brood and buried, as the best mode
of destroying them. 1t was deter
mined to rid their district of the
pest, as from their past experience,
without so doing there would be no
success. He had a start of ten
swaTms last spring, and now had
twenty-SiX in good condition. Bees
had done well, and the prospects
were very good for an abundant
yield Of honey this season.
Reports were read from Pleasant
Grove. Utah County; ToOele County
and Kaysville, Davis County. Pleas
ant Grove has forty beekeeperS and
2z6 stands of bees; no foul brood,
but had destroyed one foul brood
hive.
Tooele County has twenty-five
beekeepers, 125 stands of bees; no
foul brood and good prospects.
Davis County, Joseph Egbert in
spector, reports 800 swarms of bees
in his district (Kaysville) and ninety
five destroyed, having been con-
demned for foul brood. He buried
the hives as the best mode of de-
stroying them. He had about fifty
swarmS in good condition.
Edward Stevenson, Salt Lake
County, reported that eleven hives
in one of his aparieS had in
creased to twenty-five colonies, and
taken $500 pounds of honey from
them. He preferred keeping his
bees in different localities, on ac-
count of so much foul brood. He
had destroyed $3.50 in hives and
bees, although not all belonged to
himself, all of which was caused by
foul brood. In Mill Creek dis
trict he had taken over 5000
pounds of honey in 1880.
Some of this, however, was from his
neighbors' bees. His bees were in
good condition. In summer stands
he used the two story Kidder hive.
The present winter had been very
favorable and bees universally had
done well in the entire territory. He
thought it was not safe to winter
on summer stands unprotected as
we have some cold springs; then
the mortality among bees would be
very severe. Saw drones of young
bees this last February 4th, in his
Cottonwood apiary. Foul brood
was not by any means subdued in
this county, one inspector being in
sufficient.
Mr.. George Luff had taken out
1900 pounds of honey which he had
sold at 15c. wholesale and zoe. retail.
He had twelve swarms and last
spring increased them to sixteen.
He wlntered ten in chaff hives and
found less dead bees carried out of
them than those not so protected. He
should put all of his in chaff hives.
Secretary T. w. Lee, of Tooele
County, had visited most of the
bee keepers in TOOele County.
They had no bee inspector in that
county, and he knew of no foul
brood there. From one hive he had
increased TO four, and taken 112
pounds of honey. Bees had whit
cred well this open winter on sum-
mer stands.
President MUsser said that we had
enjoyed a very good and interesting
meeting. We should make our
meetings short and interesting. If
anyone could suggest anything, by
inviting or otherwise, that would
induce a better attendance he should
be pleased. If we can succeed III
overcoming foul brood we should
succeed and make Utah an excellent
bee district.
MesSrs. Egan, JUdsOn and Mckay
were elected a committee to get W
blank certificates to be distributed
to the different associations, to be
I I -