32 STATE BOAKD OF AGRICl'LTURE. 



Tin: APiAUY. 



The experiment of wintering bees by burying Ihein, did not result as favor- 

 ably as it has in the past. Half of those buried were put into the ground in 

 early October, the other half in early Novetnber. All were removed the 

 first of Ajn-il. One-half of each lot were dead. Tlie bees of the lot which 

 were buried in October that lived, came out the best of any in the Apiary. 



One of our colonies that was given much unsealed honey had the dysentery 

 very badly. All ihe others, except one in the cellar, and three out doors, 

 which were ])acked in boxes, came through the winter in fine condition. The 

 four, owing to a mistake the previous autumn, died of starvation. They had 

 abundance of honey, but it was so scattered that the bees could not reach it 

 during the long cold, and so perished. 



SPUING DWINDLING. 



During the spring I had the charge of some very Aveak colonies. These 

 were kept confined to a very small space, by use of a division-board, so that 

 they covered the combs at all times, were fed a litle daily, were kept covered 

 by warm quilts, and by May 15tli were strong colonies. I believe the above 

 course is the sure preventive of spring dwindling. 



Early in the season I invented a new feeder, the division-board feeder, which 

 we have tried the season through and find it to be very admirable. This will 

 be described and figured in the report of the secretary of the State Board of 

 Agriculture for the current year. 



We commenced the season with nine colonies. AVe have sold five colonies, 

 and now have seventeen. We have taken about four hundred lbs. of extracted 

 honey, and about fifty lbs. of comb honey. The season has been the poorest 

 I ever knew. The wiiite clover season was fair, since which time, owing to 

 the drouth, the bees have hardly gathered enough for their own supplies. I 

 have had to rely wholly upon student labor to aid in caring for the bees. This 

 requires that I give my time, during both summer vacations, almost wholly to 

 the apiary. The student who has assisted me the past summer, Mr. 0. B. 

 Charles, has been most faithful and efficient. 



OTHER WORK. 



I have acted as Superintendent of the College Sabbath School, which is un- 

 der the auspices of the Christian Union for the entire year. During the past 

 winter I took part in the Farmer's Institutes at Iloweil and Centreville, and 

 gave aid to tlie local committee in arranging for the last mentioned meeting. 

 At the December meeting of the State Pomological Society, I made a report 

 as Entomologist of the association. I also wrote a paper for tlie February 

 meeting of the same society. I gave an address before the State Bee Keepers' 

 Association at their annual meeting at Grand Kapids. I have attended, helped 

 to organize, and lectured before three district associations of bee keepers; one 

 at Carson, one at Howell, and one at Lansing. All of these societies are large 

 and active. I made an exhibit of apparatus belonging to the College Apiary, 

 at all of these meetings. 



The past winter, the first three editions of my Manual of the Apiary being 

 exhausted, I partly revised and added an appendix of twenty-five pages for the 

 fourth edition, which appeared in May. 



