Borodino, X. Y., Feb. 10, 1878. 

 ■' 1 intended, at tlie beginning of the pres- 

 ent year, to write an article each month, for 

 all three of the bee papers, and, also, to 

 answer all correspondence, but I am unable 

 to do so, on account of a severe attack of 

 the rheumatism. My correspondence has 

 grown so large as to occupy from 2 to 3 

 hours every day, and, although it is pleas- 

 ant to answer all questions pertaining to 

 bee matters, yet my time and health will 

 not permit. Therefore, 1 shall have to say 

 "good bye " to our much loved Bee papers, 

 and correspondents, for the present.'' 



G. M. DoOI>ITTI-E. 



[ We are sorry to hear of friend Doolittle's 

 indisposition, and trust it may be of short 

 duration. — En.] 



Naperville. 111., Feb. 18, 1878. 

 " I put 108 swarms of bees in the cellar, 

 last fall; they have not been as quiet as in 

 colder winters. I worked .50 swarms with 

 tin separators between the sections, without 

 guides, last summer; and found if 1 had not 

 guides or starters 2 inches long, they were 

 apt to build from one separator to the other, 

 running the combs just the way we don't 

 want them; and, of course, always attach 

 them to the separators." C. Kendig. 



[Of course, guides are quite essential; a 

 strip of wood, a little wax run along the 

 centre of the top bar, or a small piece of 

 foundation will be advantageous in any 

 surplus arrangement.— Ed.] 



Fond du Lac, Wis., Feb. 9, 1878, 

 " Last spring, 1 bought ii swarms, in box 

 hives; transfeiTed them into movable frame 

 liives, of my own make, — double boxes, 

 with frames 12x13 in. Transferring was 

 done carelessly, and it set them back con- 

 siderable. I lost 2 swarms, leaving 4 in all. 

 I made, during the season, by using comb 

 foundation, 14 good swarms, which are on 

 the summer stands, surrounded with boxes, 

 and packed with tine shavings. On the 3d 

 inst. bees came flying out thickly, on 

 account of the fine weather. I examined 

 some of the hives and found them in good 

 condition, with plenty of honey. The sur- 

 plus honey, made during the past season, 

 was about 300 lbs." C Olm. 



Byron, N. Y., Feb. 9, 1878. 

 "I see, by the February number of the 

 Journal,, that to 'accommodate all,' you 

 conclude to call the Section Box, the 

 * Phelps - Wheeler - Betsinger - Barker and 

 Dicer Sectional Box.' I agree with you 

 that 'for short' it should be called the 

 'Prize Honey Box.' By refering to my 

 article, (Sundry Items)," page 84, in the 

 Journal of Oct., 187.3, you will find the 

 following paragraph: 'Last season, 1 had 

 a hive arranged with section boxes, for 

 trial.' This refers to tlie season of 1872.— 

 During the fall of 1871, I applied for a pat- 

 ent on a bee hive, (granted Feb. 20, 1872), 

 and sent with model of same, section boxes, 

 arranged on both sides of the brood cham- 

 ber. This would bring me in ahead of 

 some of the names mentioned above, on the 



sectional box business. I use these sectional 

 boxes, a case on each side of the brood 

 chamber, holding 1 doz. sections; also, one 

 directly over same, with 1.5. Size, .5x6. I 

 glass up, after taking otf. Our bees (82 

 colonies) are wintering well on summer 

 stands." J. E. Moore, Sup't. 



[We cheerfully add friend Moore's name 

 to the list. It grows astonishingly.— Ed,] 



Woodville, Miss., Feb. 6, 1878. 

 " I have succeeded in cleaning up the 

 ground about my hives. Almost all my col- 

 onies are heavy with honey. As soon as the 

 bees commence to fly I shall feed them some 

 dark honey I have on hand. On the '2d inst. 

 the spring huckleberry commenced to 

 bloom, and the elm and maple look as if 

 they would bloom in a few days." 



Anna Saunders. 



Ft. Atkinson, AVis., Feb. 11, 1878. 



" I put .57 colonies into winter quarters, 

 the last of November, and with one excep- 

 tion they are doing well. I put 40 of Dr. S. 

 J. Sawyer's colonies into my house, and 

 there is '28 or '29 of them dead already, and it 

 is doubtfuf about the rest. I think the 

 honey was taken from them so late that 

 they stopped breeding too early, and so 

 died of old age. They were kept on shares 

 last summer by G. W. Merryatt, formerly of 

 Milton, Wis. I winter in a house, made 

 anti-freezing with tan bark walls, sides and 

 top." L. M. Roberts. 



[ Reference was made to G. W. Merryatt, 

 on page 60 of our last issue. It appears that 

 he acted quite dishonorably with Dr. Saw- 

 yer's bees.— Ed.] 



Lamont, Mich., Feb. 7, 1878. 

 " I have put '20 colonies out for a fly. It 

 has been 60' fahr. for several days. I have 

 lost 7, probably through being too warm and 

 uneasy. The colonies are very strong." 



M. W. GOODNO. 



Garden Plain, III.. Feb. 15, 1878. 

 "In looking over the reports in the back 

 numbers, this winter, I find some winter 

 with only a very few dead bees to the hive. 

 I have wintered in the cellar; for the last 4 

 years, have wintered in a bee house, but 

 cannot winter with so few dead bees. I 

 have, this winter, swept out at least a 

 bushel of dead bees from 110 swarms; all 

 that was strong, last fall, are in nearly 

 every space between the combs, but it may 

 be they did not count what Avas on the 

 floor. I have a number of hives with, prob- 

 ably, not half a handful of dead bees in the 

 hive; but they have been carried out and 

 dropped on the floor, and some of the old 

 or diseased bees flew out and died. So far 

 as I can see, at present, my bees are winter- 

 ing splendidly, except 2 swarms, and from 

 some cause they begin to show signs of 

 dysentery, it has been hard to keep the 

 temperature low enough this winter, and I 

 have had to leave the door open at night a 

 great deal of the time, and, if the weather 

 continues mild, will have to put a part of 

 them out soon; even if I have to carry theni 

 in again." R. R. Murphy. 



