AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



423 



leaving my wife and me confined to the 

 house for five vs^eeks, and still not vigor- 

 ous, while my bees are all alive, and 

 apparently doing well, although many 

 of the old-fashioned, " know it all " bee- 

 keepers have lost large numbers of their 

 bees. I hope for and expect a good sea- 

 son this year. There appears to be 

 plenty of clover coming on, and our 

 basswood having failed two seasons, we 

 hope for " a good time coming." 



T. C. Kelley. 

 Slippery Rock, Pa., March 14, 1892. 



Planting Basswood Trees. 



In reply to J. E. Cady (page 358), 

 what kind of basswood, or linden, trees 

 to plant in Minnesota, I would say that 

 I have no knowledge of any kinds except 

 those native to our State. In an experi- 

 ence of 15 years, they have not failed to 

 secrete nectar in this locality. They are 

 in bloom from 14 to 21 days. The honey 

 from them cannot be surpassed for 

 quality and delicious aromatic flavor, 

 that suits the taste of every lover of 

 honey. The principal crop is from lin- 

 den. N. P. ASPINWALL. 



Harrison, Minn., March 13, 1892. 



Twelve-Swarm Colony — La Grippe. 



Some time ago I wrote concerning the 

 number of times a 12-frame colony of 

 bees had swarmed — 12 times in 11 days. 

 I was expecting that some one would 

 call me to account on the bee-question 

 (see Bee Journal for March 5, 1891). 

 It is clear enough when I explain it. 

 They commenced swarming about June 

 4 or 6, and we hived them all right, but 

 during the afternoon they went back to 

 the parent hive ; they kept that up, and 

 swarmed twice some days. They cast 

 good swarms, and went back 8 times. 

 Out of the 12 swarms we got 4 good 

 ones, that have all filled their hives and 

 stored some in the sections. The old 

 colony will fill 2 or 23^ cases of 36 sec- 

 tions ; so this will explain the 12-swarm 

 question, and answer Mr. A. C. Babb's 

 question, whether they were pint or 

 gallon swarms. They were neither pint 

 nor gallon, but about 3-quart swarms. 

 I had 17 colonies, Spring count, and 

 they increased by swarming to 53 colo- 

 nies, but I lost 3 10-frame colonies by 

 my neighbor's bees robbing them. 



The only thing that I can compare the 

 La Orippe to, is the great electric devil- 

 fish, or octopus, that sails through the 

 air, and reaches out its everlasting claws 

 and lays a withering grasp upon its 



victims. Its touch fills the whole sys- 

 tem of the person with a shower of 

 poisonous electricity, until it seems as 

 though it was breaking every bone in 

 the body, and the head is filled with a 

 pressure of 160 pounds to the square 

 inch. By this time the person is down 

 on the broad of the back in bed, for a 

 two or three weeks' siege of it. The 

 monster has had its nippers on the 

 writer at one time, hence he can speak 

 from experience. I use tincture of cam- 

 phor 3 drops once an hour on sugar, }i 

 drop of aconite once in 3 hours in water, 

 belladona once in 6 hours, and do not 

 eat but little, and that light food. Keep 

 warm. Mark D. Judkins. 



Osakis, Minn. 



Poor Seasons — Frozen Bees. 



The past three years here have been 

 poor honey seasons. Many colonies of 

 bees gathered barely enough honey to 

 live on. All my bees, except one colony, 

 are wintering well. This colony, during 

 a few warm days became uneasy, and I 

 put it in the open air, covering the hive 

 with some carpet. The weather turned 

 very cold for a few days, and when I 

 examined them, they were dead, to all 

 appearances ; they were frozen so hard 

 that they would break in two in trying 

 to bend them. I thawed them out, and 

 fed them sugar syrup, as they were 

 nearly starved. About one-third of 

 them are living to-day, and doing well. 

 W. S. Hale. 



Buckley, Ills., March 14, 1892. 



Wavelets ol News. 



Order Supplies Early. 



It is a good time now to plan the next 

 season's work, and order what supplies 

 will likely be wanted. If you will get 

 everything ready now, you will be sur- 

 prised next Summer how easy it will be 

 to care for a few colonies of bees. — 

 Western Plowman. 



Water for Bees. 



On warm days when bees come out at 

 this season do not allow them to venture 

 far away in search of water. The 

 weather is liable to suddenly turn cold, 

 and the bees perish. Keep fresh water 

 near the hives. — Excha/nge. 



