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Lonoke, Ark., Feb. 11, 1878. 

 "I see Mr. S. IScott Hainmitt asks where 

 bee-pasturage is good and land clieap. — 

 Here in Lonoke Co., anywhere on this 

 beautiful prairie he can tind what he asks 

 for." I. D. Lee. 



Boundary City, Ind., Feb. 1, 1878. 

 "I have 9 colonies, (3 Italians and the 

 rest blacks), all but one in American hives, 

 on their summer stands, covered with hay. 

 Over the frames there is a double qnilt and 

 chaff cushion. Next season 1 shall make 

 all two-story hives. The imported queen 

 you sent me is a nice one; 1 am perfectly 

 satisfied with it." D. W. Knoll. 



Milledgeville, III., Feb. 4, 1878. 

 "I am among tlie many who are glad that 

 the American Bee Journal fell into the 

 hands of those who have no ' liobbies to 

 ride.' or ' axes to grind ' — to make money by 

 — well stealing others' inventions and sell- 

 ing without even giving credit to whom it 

 is due. I am only expressing the views of 

 many readers." F. A. Snell. 



Plainfield, Ontario, JaiL 16, 1878. 

 "I put into the cellar, one year ago last fall, 

 32 colonies; one I lost, and one was queen- 

 less in the spring; I doubled it with another, 

 leaving 30. The increase was 32, sold four, 

 have 58 in cellar in good condition. Last 

 summer was not one of the best of honey 

 seasons; bass wood honey lasted but 6 days; 

 the fall crop came in good. I sold my 

 honey at from 12 to 12)^ cts. per lb. I use 

 the 'extractor' — no boxes. The principal 

 sources of our honey are from white clover, 

 basswood, buckwheat and golden rod." 



Arcu'd Parks. 



Westfield, N. Y., Jan. 16, 1878. 

 " To winter bees with success, we must 

 give ventilation, and yet, not have a cold 

 current of air through the hive. I carry 

 them in as soon as it shows signs of cold 

 weather; open the box holes, and front 

 entrance, and put the cap on the hive; put 

 the hive where it does not freeze. 1 winter 

 in a house with a wall one foot thick, and it 

 never freezes. I winter with marked suc- 

 cess; hardly ever losing a swarm. Bees did 

 very well here, considering the dry sum- 

 mer." Franklin Hardinger. 



Carlinville, 111., Jan. 29, 1878. 

 " I commenced with two box-hives in 

 1867; got Italian queens for them; and 

 bought 3 more box hives, in 1869. I worked 

 tilong as I had time. (Have been assistant 

 postmaster for 8 years, and have not had 

 much time to devote to the bees). I raised 

 many fine queens, mostly for my own use, 

 but sold a few to persons in this and adjoin- 

 ing counties. I built a house apiary in 

 1875; last season, I got about 4000 lbs. of 

 honey, extracted and comb, in i;4 ft section 

 boxes. We now have 95 or 96 colonies in 

 the house, in good condition. We have a 

 Barnes Saw, run by horse-power, which is 



the very thing for hive-making. We have 

 used it 2 years. We have 500 section frames 

 filled with combs, ready to go in the hives; 

 also a foundation machine and all the mod- 

 ern implements for the business. I am now 

 out of the post-oftice. and shall devote all 

 my time to bee-culture. With over J.0 years 

 experience, and all my time, I have no fear 

 of the result." J. M. Valentine. 



Uniontown, Pa., Jan. 24, 1878. 

 " Having read the American Bee Jour- 

 nal from its coiinnencenient till now, I 

 will say that I think it was never managed 

 better than at present. Our honey season 

 is only about 6 weeks. Our surplus is 

 almost exclusively white clover honey. — 

 During the short season good colonies will 

 fill their hives, and from 6 to 12 boxes of 

 surplus. Last spring, 2 May swarms filled 

 6 boxes each, and swarmed in June. I pur- 

 chased Italians, 12 years ago, of Mr. Quin- 

 by. Three years ago, I got some of J. 

 Oatman & Co. They have crossed with the 

 natives, but work vigorously — though they 

 are a little cross. I find much pleasure, as 

 well as profit in the business. Our honey 

 is superior to any I have ever seen, either 

 east or west. I wish success to the Bee 

 Journal." J. T. Smith. 



Plainfield, Out., Jan. 17, 1878. 

 "I saw in the July (1877) number of your 

 excellent Journal, an article, * How to 

 Prevent Increase by Exchanging Stands.'— 

 I have tried the plan there recommended, 

 by changing seven hives in one day, and 

 find it 'works like a charm;' but feel con- 

 vinced that it is more owing to the place 

 where the hive is placed, than to the partic- 

 ular color of the liive. Bees are scarce in 

 these parts, owing to the way which people 

 will continue to keep theuL I was asked, 

 last summer, to examine some large hives, 

 of a neighbor, and found them completely 

 filled with millers and moths. The hives, I 

 should judge, would have held from 100 to 

 150 lbs. of honey, each, and the loss sus- 

 tained could not have been less than $16; 

 and yet, Mr. Editor, is it not strange that 

 people will persist in keeping bees to be 

 tormented with moths and millers, and a 

 ' brimstone pit?' Those who should receive 

 the benefit are but idle spectators; appar- 

 ently careless whether moths, millers or 

 bees gain the supremacy and inhabit the 

 hive. A neighbor of mine has kept a 

 swarm for 3 years, and has not yet received 

 one pound of honey from it. It is true, the 

 bees have swarmed many times, and made 

 large quantities of comb and honey; but as 

 yet; there has been enough for the millers 

 only, which have successfully driven out 

 each swarm from its hive." A. Parks. 



Ashmore. Ills., Feb. .5, 1878. 

 " I have 52 stands of bees, Italians and 

 blacks, in good condition, on their summer 

 stands. I like the Italians best. I have 

 been keeping bees for fifteen years, and 

 have read many bee papers and books, but 

 place The American Bee Journal 

 ahead, and don't see how I could get along 

 without it. I wish The Journal could 

 reach every energetic bee-keeper in the 

 land." W. L. Boyer. 



