River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-02-16
Eee=Keepers' Convention.

place eD. 9th ana 9th was grand
success, about SO bee-keepers, COW
ering Pierce, St. Croix and Dunn
counties, were present and manifest
ed lively interest in the papers and
discussions relative to advanced bee
culture. The stereopticon lecture at
the assembly room of the Normal
school on the evening of Feb. S was
we'll attended by the general public
and much useful and valuable infor-
nation was impaired. n. E. France
of Platteville is without doubt the
best posted man on practical bee
topics in America. He is an inter-
esting talker and has happy faculty
of entertaining his hearers with facts
about the sweetest business in the
world. One fact brought out was
that the crop of the United States
in 1903 if loaded into freight cars of
10000 pounds capacity each, would
make train load IS miles long.
Another fact brought out was chat
the crop of honey for Wisconsin for
the same year, if placed in pound
boxes and laid side by side would
extend from River Falls to Green
Bay. There are 1000 bee keepers
in Wisconsin.
The views thrown on the screen
were largely Wisconsin scenes show
ing bee yards, winter repositories
and factories where the supplies are
made. Some California, New Eng
land, New York and Michigan bee
keepers were shown. The last
scene upon the screen was moving
picture made by showing live bees
upon the screen. The light of the
lantern is so intense that the bees in
the slide are unable to live long
under the concentrated rays Of light.
For the first time so far as is known
comb foundation was shown upon
the screen greatly magnifed by the
actual use of extra thin and brood
foundations as slides in the machine.
Comb foundation is made from pure
bees wax by the mechanical process,
and is great saving in. the produc-
ton of honey. Parts of the bees,
showing the eye of the bee, which is
composed Of large collection of
lenses, very minute, forming COM
pick eye, were shown. Also the
tongue of the lee with its several
auxilaries made a very interesting
picture. That part of the bee which
produces the wax was also shown,
and an explanation given to the eff
feet that the bees wax is the fat of
the honey bee.
At the regular sessions, which
were held in the parlors of the City
Hotel, program of interest to prac-
teal bee-keepers was carried out.
Geo. Shafer of Menomonie talked
upon why bee-keepers should hold
conventions and at the close Of the
meeting a unanimous vote was car
ried to hold another meeting at Riv-
er Falls about one year from date.
A. D. Shepard of River Falls gave
paper on Spring Management, aft
er which a general discussion occu-
pied the balance of the first session.
The question box was opened and
the important question, "Shall We
Use Separators2" was the chief topic
of discussion.
WEDNESDAY p. M, FEB. 8.
When and why to put on supers
shall we use separators and why
was ably presented by B. ]. Temp
son of Waverly. We put on supers
to get the surplus crop of honey.
We put on supers about the close
of the dandelion bloom in order to
secure all the white honey crop and
also to check the swarming impulse.
"How Comb Foundation is Made"
was presented by Fred Dittmer of
Augusta, who is his fathers main
stay in the manufacture of comb
foundation at that place. The Dit
mers operate the third largest foun-
dation factory in the United States,
the maximum capacity of which ap-
proaches 1000 pounds per day.
"Advice to Beginners" was respond
ed to by n. E. France whose ex-
tended experience enabled him to
clearly outline the path of success to
the uninitiated. "How to Control
Increase and Thereby Secure Larg-
er Crops of Honey" was answered
by A. D. Shepard. We run for ex-
tracted honey which compels a more
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