AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



247 



county that it never had a crop failure. 

 But this year small strain will be scarcely 

 half a crop, and corn— our main crop — 

 will be almost a total failure except for 

 fodder. White clover is apparently all 

 dead, and even our native groves are 

 showing eftects of drouth. On lots of 

 the basswood trees the leaves are turn- 

 ing yellow and falling off. Nearly all 

 streams are dry, and water will soon be 

 as scarce as the proverbial "hen's 

 teeth." 



Of course it is extra hot, too — from 

 98° to 108O in the shade ever'V day. All 

 the honey I got from 12 colonies was 

 about 18 pounds a piece, from the two 

 best colonies, and they had ready-built 

 comb. Basswood yielded only two or 

 three days, and then not very liberally. 

 No increase, but colonies all in fair con- 

 dition. No prospects for a fall crop. 

 We shall rejoice, however, in the success 

 of our brethren who report through the 

 "Old Reliable," and sympathize with 

 those who, like ourselves, report a fail- 

 ure, knowing that it is only of the things 

 that perish that we are short, and that 

 of the things that endure unto eternal 

 life, we are furnished an unfailing 

 abundance. 



Denison. Iowa, July 30. 



Yellow Jasinine-Bees in llieSoiitli. 



Written for the American Bee Journal 

 aiKS. C. L. RICE. 



On page 180, Dr. Brown gives an in- 

 teresting treatise on the yellow jasmine. 

 Although the information therein is not 

 new to me, as I had occasion to read up 

 on the subject, still I was glad to learn 

 that he agreed with me, that we have no 

 cause for apprehension of evil in the 

 use of honey from our section o' the 

 country, on account of yellow jasmine, 

 as the quantity secreted by the flowers 

 is so small that it could not afifect our 

 surplus, coming so early, it all being 

 used in brood-rearing, and neither stored 

 nor sealed. 



Now, if the spring disease of bees is 

 caused by the food given at that time, 

 we cannot entirely obviate the evil ; but, 

 if on the contrary, it is caused by condi- 

 tions in the hive and surroundings, then 

 we must find a remedy. 



Admitted that the diseas*^ appears 

 and disappears with the coming and 

 going of the iJowers, we have usually 

 the same conditions in the hive at the 

 same period of the year — that is, sealed 

 honey sweating, excess of room in the 



brood-chamber, and little ventilation, 

 causing cold and dampness, which, on 

 the approach of warmer weather, are 

 ameliorated, to a certain extent, while 

 the quantity of brood and bees reared 

 from the product of the fields, occupy 

 the empty space ; increase the warmth 

 and ventilation, health is restored, and 

 all goes merrily on to the harvest time, 

 which opens in April. Such is the case 

 with us. 



What do the bees subsist on during 

 the stress of dry weather? What do 

 they do with the pollen stored ? Re- 

 member, I am seeking knowledge for the 

 benefit of bee-keepers in the South. 

 Last spring our bees were almost en- 

 tirely without stores. We began feeding 

 about the middle of February, yet there 

 were several colonies affected precisely as 

 Dr. Brown describes, and they were the 

 ones that had several frames of sealed 

 honey and extra room in the brood- 

 chamber. 



We of the South have many lessons to 

 learn before we can say, " We know it 

 all ;" and excuse me if I cross swords 

 with you, Doctor, in the statement of 

 facts. 



Ramsey, La. 



Reports from Memliers of 111. B.-K. A. 



Written ior the American Bee Journal 

 BY JAS. A. STONE. 



Tharfollowing is the July reports of 

 prospects for honey, from the members 

 of the Illinois State Bee-Keepers' Asso- 

 ciation. The questions are answered to 

 correspond in number thus : 



1st. How many colonies have you ? 



2nd. What are the prospects for a 

 honey crop? 



3rd. How much honey gathered to 

 date ? 



4th. Is the honey gathered No. 1 or 

 not? 



Thos. B. Allen, Stirrup Grove. Macoupin 

 Co. — 1. 31. 2. Poorest I ever knew. 3. 

 Not any ; have not even put on sections. 



A. B. Anthony, Coleta, Whiteside Co.— 1. 

 27. 2. No more for this unusually dry sea- 

 son. 3. 200 lbs. comb, 100 lbs. extracted. 4. 

 Basswood, and No. 1 for the kind. 



F. X. Arnold. Deer Plain. Calhoun Co.— 



1. 95. 2. Very poor. 3. About 1,100 lbs. 

 4. No. 1 of its kind (honey-dew). 



C. M. Beall. Clayton, Adams Co.— 1. 8. 



2. Some buckwheat sown, from which they 

 will probably get enough honey to winter 

 on. 3. None. I put on no supers, as the 



