1882 



GLKAKINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



565 



husks. I have read your tobacco accounts, and 

 have studied about it, but I thought I was too old, 

 and could never quit, and that it would be useless to 

 try, for I have but a few in ire years yet to live any 

 way, and I might as well gratify my appetite. Last 

 April I gave the matter a serious consideration, and 

 I determined to make an effort to quit it, and I have 

 proved faithful so far, and, by the grace of God, 1 

 hope I shall never bo tempted to use it again. Some- 

 times, however, I get pretty "bad off," and will then 

 get some oak leaves and chew them up, and that 

 satisfies me. Now, I am not telling this for you to 

 send me a smoker, for I don't think I ought to be 

 paid for doing right; but I relate it so that others 

 may see what can be done, even in old age. My for- 

 mer weight was about 1G5, now between 190 and 200. 



Oct. 13 (evening). Holj'-Land queen not laying yet. 

 1 have been to a neighbor's to-day; his, of the same 

 lot, is not laying yet. I can not say whether the oth- 

 er three are laying or not, for I have not seen the 

 parties. Is It not unusual? S. C. Fox. 



Maysfleld, Milam Co., Tex., Oct. 11, 1882. 



To be sure, I will let you unload, friend 

 Tox, every time you come with as many val- 

 uable facts and good ideas as you have this 

 time. The disease you describe is one that 

 is nearly allied to the nameless one I de- 

 scribe in the A B C. We have also had sev- 

 eral reports quite similar to yours, but most 

 of the affected colonies have, after a time,' 

 I'ecovered just as yours did. — Your experi- 

 ence in introducing is like that of many oth- 

 ers. Even though we have not had a fail- 

 ure for 8 years, it hardly justifies us in say- 

 ing our plan will never fail. — Vour statement 

 of the queen mating the second time exactly 

 agrees with the experience we have had in 

 our own apiary. I am now well satisfied 

 that laying queens do, sometimes at least, 

 go out and get fertilized a second time, after 

 having had a rather long shipment. With- 

 out doubt, this very thing has been the cause 

 of unkind tlioughts and uncharitable words 

 more than once. It will very likely account 

 for friend Ileddon's suggestion, that a pure 

 queen might turn out a hybrid, after a trip 

 through the mails, for no doubt they do some- 

 times, but it is because of this second mat- 

 ing. I know the queens sent out by friend 

 Good were laying queens, just as well as if I 

 had myielf seen them laying. Laying queens 

 do sometimes, in the fall of the year, after 

 they have ceased rearing brood, look to me 

 almost exactly like virgin queens ; but whe- 

 ther such do ever take another flight is more 

 than I can say ; but I am inclined to think it 

 very seldom indeed, unless they have passed 

 through the mail, been caged, or had some 

 unusual experience.— I presume your closing 

 remarks should be pat in the Tobacco Col- 

 umn ; but it seems too bad to break the 

 thread of your story by dividing it, and so it 

 all goes in together. " JNIay God be praised, 

 that good fruit still continues to be borne as 

 the result of that little simple idea of giving 

 the boys a smoker for dropping tobacco! I 

 thank you, too, friend F., for your kind and 

 encouraging words. If it is not too late 

 when this reaches you, feed your colonv, 

 and, if you can. give them some unsealed 

 brood from another hive, and I think yon 

 will find the Holy-Land queens all laying all 

 right. 



■fjf' AM a beginner in the bee business, but have ex- 

 jj| perimentod considerably this summer, and also 

 watched my bees verj' closely, and have taken 

 100 lbs. of nice honey from each of my young 

 swarms that came out first. I had but one swarm 

 apiece from my old stands. S. Shodp. 



Coloma, Mich., Oct. 11, 1882. 



My bees have gathered enough from aster to win- 



ter. 

 Oxford, Pa., Sept.. 28, 1882. 



S. W. Morrison. 



Honey crop is light; Ifl lbs. per hive, average, 

 spring count; 100 hives. Chas. H. Rue. 



Manalapan, N. J., Oct. 12, 1882. 



FI^ORIDA. 



Bees are swarming and honey is coming in fast. 

 No winter here. G. de Lono. 



Key West, Fla., Sept. 23, 1882. 



Bees have done well; over 4 tons from 51 colonies, 

 spring count. Increased to only 60 now. 



John A. JeNsen. 

 Chamalion, Will Co , 111 , Oct. 12, 1882. 



I now have 150 colonies of Italians and hybrids. 

 They made about 4000 lbs. of honey from horsemint; 

 are now working on aster and goldenrod. 



Bonham, Tex., Oct. 3, 1882. A. W. Evans. 



I started in the spring with 5 swarms in box hives; 

 have sold 4; gave one away, and have 10 left, nicely 

 quartered in Simplicity hives. I have taken about 

 250 lbs. of honey, most of it from sections in upper 

 half-stories, leaving frames below well filled. 



Chas. W. Kirk. 



Grand River, Indian Territory, Oct. 13, 1882. 



I am a beginner in the bee business. I started 

 this spring with 4 old colonies; have increased to 15; 

 got about 200 lbs. of comb honey. This has been a 

 splendid season for bees. There was plenty of hon- 

 ey-dew here. It was on the hickory and oak. The 

 honey is very dark colored. J. E. Davis. 



Mill Creek, Wis., Oct. 9, 1882. 



I started in the spring with two colonies, and now 

 have 8 in good condition, and received over 200 lbs. 

 of nice comb honey. Was not that good, and not an 

 acre of clover in range, or less than 15 miles? I in- 

 tend to keep most of my honey till about Christmas, 

 for I think I can get a little better price then. 



S. C. Frederick. 



Coal Vale, Cramford Co., Kan., Oct. 7, 188.2. 



SMOKER FUEL, ROW TO MAKE. 



Take 2 lbs. sawdust, 3 ounces saltpeter, 2 ounces 

 common glue, each dissolved in 1 quart of warm wa- 

 ter, then mix it and put in the sawdust while warm, 

 and work it well. I then fill paper tubes a little 

 smaller than my smoker; and if well dried, I find it 

 good fuel. Louis Hofstatter. 



Louisville, Ky., Oct. Li, 1882. 



