126 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Wayne Co., Ind., March 18. 1877.—" Bees 

 did splendidly last season, and so far have 

 wintered well and without loss. I have 25 

 colonies in Langstroth hives wintered on 

 their sunnner stands, with straw on the top 

 of the hive." Wm. Kitson. 



Barren Co., Ky., March 13, 1877.— "I went 

 into winter quarters with 10 colonies in the 

 Lan^stroth hive, upon their sunnner stands, 

 with no protection. exce])t tlie upper story 

 of the hive being tilled with straw. I have 

 lost but two stocks, whicli I consider doing 

 remarkably well, considering the excessive 

 cold weather we have had. Bees commenc- 

 ed bringing in pollen about Feb. 10." 



E. G. Martin. 



Springfield, O., Mar. 6, 1877.— "I have 3.5 

 colonies in good condition. They have 

 been in a damp cellar during the winter,but 

 I set them out a few days since, the 

 weather being tine. 1 visited seve al 

 apiaries last week, and mo.st of the colonies 

 are as yet in pretty good shape, but the 

 weatlier is so changable here, that we can- 

 not tell what a few weeks may do for our 

 pets." A. B. Mason. 



Leaman Place, Pa., March 12, 1877.-"The 

 past season was rather a poor one for 

 honey, and nearly all the bees in this neigh- 

 borhood luxve died of starvation. In Dec. 

 and Jan.it was very cold; bees consumed 

 all their stores and became weak. Feb. 

 then coming in almost like spring, the few 

 that were left connuenced to breed very 

 rapidly, to make up the loss and consumed 

 what little honey was left. My bees are in 

 good condition, and strong in numbers; I 

 lost but one out of 34 stands, and that one 

 became queenless. I united it with another. 

 I wintered on summer stands." 



Elias Hershey. 



Hadley, 111., March 19. 1877.— "I have 160 

 stands, mostly pure Italians, in good condi- 

 tion, so far. Tiiey did well during the past 

 season. I want to say to friend Alley, 

 through the JourNxVL, that if he does not 

 breed better queens than those he seJit me, 

 if he wishes, I will make him a present of 

 one that will improve his stock. One of 

 those that he sent me was dead, and the 

 others raised nothing but droues of the 

 blackest kind." F. Seakles. 



Barren Co., Ky., Mar. 10, 1877.— "My bees 

 seem to be doiiig well, considering the un- 

 favorable cireuuistances in which they 

 were wintered — out on their sunnner stands 

 without any protection whatever from the 

 cold, whicli has been very severe. The 

 mercury fell as low as 20 deg. below zero at 

 one tiuie. That was, I think on .Ian. 0. I 

 am nuuiipniating 15 colonies; and I think 

 for a nuin to undertake to manage bees 

 without the assistance of the A. B. J., 

 would be like a man traveliug in the dark, 

 he would be likely to fail at every move he 

 made. We sometiimes meet with men who 

 are trying to manage bees with but little 

 knowledge of the business, who refuse to 

 take the .Iouknal. relying entirely upon 

 their own judgment. 



"I rlilnk Ihtr-y'd better quit in time, 

 RaisiiiH- bees jtnd lioney : 



Pitch their tent in auotiit-r clime 

 Here they make no money." 



N. H. Holman. 



Henry Co., O., March 17, 1877.— "This has 

 bet n a hard month on bees— alternate gales 

 of wind nd snow. This morning the ther- 

 mometer is 4 deg. below zero, with 18 in. of 

 snow on the ground. Three-fourths of the 

 bees on summer stands are dead, and there 

 is a loss of 3 to 5 per cent, of those in cellars 

 from starvation." D. Kepler. 



Newton Lower Falls, Mass., Feb. 28, 1877. 

 — "I have 10 colonies in box-hives, and are 

 doing well. I intend to transfer them to 

 movable-frame hives this summer. I pur- 

 chased some of Mr. Coe, at the Centennial. 

 The tirst I ever saw. Please give the best 

 way of transferring them? How can I tell 

 if any are queenless, and how can I find the 

 queeiis ?" G. J. Longfellow. 



[ Our friend should get Cook's Manual of 

 the Apiary, or some other guide or text- 

 book, where he will find the information he 

 desires. We have so often given it, that we 

 cannot find room for a repetition.— Ed.] 



Boone Co., Ky., March 23, 1877.—" Bees 

 never wintered better in this county than 

 during the past winter. Stocks are healthy 

 and strong, even in the old box hives that 

 received no attention. The people are 

 waking np to the importance of managing 

 bees on intelligent plans. I know of more 

 than a dozen men who are commencing the 

 spring with tiie Langstroth hive, many of 

 whom never saw a movable-comb hive until 

 last summer. They are convinced that by 

 having the Italian bee and good movable- 

 comb hives and good management, bee- 

 keeping does pay." J. T. CONNLEY. 



Atchinson, Kan.. March 22, 1877.— "In the 

 spring of 1876 I had 38 colonies; increased 

 to 68. Extracted 4100 lbs. and got .500 lbs. of 

 comb honey; making a little over 131 lbs. 

 per hive. The honey was gathered from 

 basswood and heart's-ease. The yield com- 

 menced the latter part of June and lasted 

 about 6 weeks. My bees are in the cellar in 

 excellent condition." C. W. Stokes. 



Lawrence, III., March 13, 1877.— "I have 

 83 colonies in my cellar; they are in fine 

 condition, with but few dead bees. There 

 is not a particle of mouldy comb or a 

 mouldy bee to be seen. I put them in the 

 cellar on Dec. 1st. The thermometer at one 

 time went down to 33 deg. at the bottom of 

 cellar, and 36 deg. in the top. So I put in a 

 ventilator made of 3 in. water conductors, 

 running it from the centre of the bottom of 

 cellar up to the floor, then through a parti- 

 tion into another cellar, then up the stove 

 pipe. In 30 hours after I put it in I raised 

 the temperature 4 deg., the weather outside 

 being very cold. The thermometer to-day 

 is at 40 deg., and everything lovely. I al- 

 ways winter in cellar, and think there is no- 

 place like it. We have a foot of snow now, 

 and still it is snowing. Some of my neigh- 

 bors put their bees on their summer stands 

 in Feb , and they are there yet, I pity the 

 bees." J. Lee Anderson. 



■ We can supply Comb Foundation, or 

 machines to make it, early tested Queens or 

 Colonies, all kinds of Smokers, Hives or 

 Extractors, Seeds or anything wanted by- 

 bee-keepers at the lowest prices* 



