THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



61 



©xxr %tiUx 3ox. 



Wenham. Mass., Dec, 27, 1876.— "Our bees 

 have not had a chance to fly for 6 weeks. 

 They are wintering nicely. We have two 

 feet of snow and splendid sleighing." 



H. Alley. 



Hamilton. Ont., Jan. 1, 1877.— "Bees did 

 well in this section last season. I got near- 

 ly 100 lbs. per hive, besides increasing two 

 to one, with tlie aid of comb foundation, 

 which I shall use as long as 1 can get it." 

 J. A. Watekhouse. 



Santa Clara Co., Cal.— " One of the best 

 and handiest smokers is a piece of decayed 

 wood, sawed about li^ inches square, with 

 a K inch hole bored lengthways. It can be 

 held between the teeth." 



S. S. BUTLEB, M. D. 



Lenawee Co., Mich., Dec. 26, 1876,— "Bees 

 did well the tirst part of last season, but 

 after the middle of August they made no 

 surplus. I commenced in the spring with 

 1.5 colonies in good condition, increased to 

 43, and have taken 1,600 lbs. of box honey 

 and 300 lbs. of extracted. My bees are all 

 in the cellar, and 1 keep the temperature at 

 35 deg." R. FoKSTTH. 



Henry CO., O., Jan. 1, 1877,—" I have 75 

 stands of bees. I have kept bees for 27 

 years. They are ray delight. I expect to 

 keep them as long as I live. I am much in- 

 terested in those essays in the December 

 number. 1 have read them, and intend to 

 put in practice many valuable hints that I 

 got from them." D. Clifton. 



Pottawattamie Co., Kansas, Dec. 29, 1876. 

 — "Last spring I had 36 good colonies, be- 

 sides a few weak ones; I increased to 60. 

 Although the 'hoppers devoured the buck- 

 wheat, I got 1,300 lbs. comb and .500 lbs. 

 extracted honey, which I sold at from 20c. 

 to 25c. per lb. California honey interfered 

 with the sale some, but I will let them 

 know that in Kansas we can produce su- 

 perior honey as well as fruits, and supply 

 them as cheaply as they dare. We shall 

 make it lively for them soon." 



Jacob Emmons. 



A Chip from Sweet Home.— Dec. 21, 1876. 

 —"I have 172 hives in my cellar; for several 

 days one hive has been making consider- 

 able noise, and this morning much worse. 

 Upon examination I found that they could 

 not get any fresh air; it was closed top and 

 bottom; upon opening, they rushed out as 

 in summer, but soon returned and are now 

 quiet. No smell of any disease as yet. 

 Could have sold a thousand pounds more 

 'slung' honey at 15c. if I had had it." 



D. D. Palmer. 



Northumberland, Pa., Dec. 26, 1876.— "I 

 had 15 stands in the spring; 5, in good con- 

 dition, went off, leaving from 30 to 40 lbs. of 

 honey in each hive. The other 10 did well 

 till July, but gave no surplus after that. I 

 had to feed them; a thing I never had to do 

 before. I had some in the cellar and some 

 out-of-doors, but as the winter is severe, I 

 expect to loose them. My great trouble is 

 in springing." W. H. Garihan. 



Buffalo, N. y., Dec. 26, 1876.— "My bees 

 have done nobby the past season, both in 

 colonies and honey, and I am more than 

 ever attached to them. Success to the A. 

 B. J." Mrs. Wm. Harris. 



Sanilac Co., Mich., Dec. 28, 1876.— " A 

 neighbor purchased a few stocks of bees, 

 but as the weather was cold, and they 

 could not fly out after removal, he made a 

 frame 33^x4 ft., covered it with mosquito 

 bar, placed a hive in it, in a warm room, 

 and sent for me to assist him. In this way 

 they all had a nice fly and settled back 

 quietly in their hives. The past season was 

 a poor one for honey. I have 60 colonies 

 on their summer stands." J. Anderson. 



Cass Co., Mo., Dec. 29, 1876.— "Last spring 

 I had 72 stands, all wintered safely. I use 

 the Langstroth hive. The bees swarmed 

 considerable in June, and did not store 

 much honey till August 1st. Then they 

 sttjred honey fast till frost. I got 5,672 lbs. 

 of extracted, 2.323 lbs. of box, and 1,0.55 lbs. 

 of honey in frames; total, 9,0.50 lbs. From 

 72 colonies in the spring, I have now 120. I 

 am wintering 54 on their summer stands. I 

 drove stakes in the ground and packed flax 

 around them in the sides and back, leaving 

 the front open. The balance are in a cave 

 or clamp, and are doing well." 



Paul Dunken. 



Shelby Co., Iowa, Nov. 3, 1876.—" Think- 

 ing that a report from this section might be 

 acceptable, 1 inclose the following: Started 

 in the spring of 1876 with 53 stands, mostly 

 Italians. The season was good until the 

 middle of August, at that time we had 2 or 3 

 cold days, followed by wet, rainy weather, 

 which stopped work in boxes, and as the 

 weather continued unfavorable until nearly 

 the last of September, our fall harvest was 

 almost a total failure. Still we feel that we 

 ought not to complain at the season's result. 

 We have taken over 1.600 lbs. of extracted 

 and 1,100 fts. of comb honey, and increased 

 to 78 stands. Net proceeds, $10 per stand. 

 Our principal resources for honey are: — 

 linden, sumach, wolf-berry, hearts'-ease, 

 golden-rod and asters. We sell our honey 

 at home, at 15c. per lb. for extracted, and 

 25c. per lb. for comb honey. Have kept 

 bees here for 4 years; have never lost any 

 by disease of any kind. We winter in a 

 frost-proof cave. Success to the Journal." 

 Mrs. Eunice Truman. 



Knoxville, Iowa, Jan. 3, 1877.— "This has 

 been a good season, but my bees have not 

 done very well. Last season I wintered six 

 on their summer stands, and now have ten 

 wintering in the same way. I use a mov- 

 able comb hive of my own "get up." I 

 have had 62 lbs. of comb hoiiey. They 

 would not work well in boxes, and if I had 

 an extractor I could have taken more honey 

 from them. I have black bees but shall 

 Italianize next year." 



J. W. BiTTENBENDER. 



Erie Co., Pa., Jan. 3, 1877.— "One year ago 

 I wintered 44 colonies of bees on their sum- 

 mer stands, protected by boxing in chaff. 

 The past summer I sold one ton of box 

 honey, averaging 20 cts. per lb. I have in- 

 creased to 87 strong stocks, and am winter- 

 ing all on their summer stands. I never 

 ' lost one by this method. I use the Ameri- 



