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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



How the Bees have wintered is a 

 matter of much interest to bee-keepers 

 just now. Gleanings has sent out ques- 

 tions to many apiarists all over the 

 country, asking, among them, about the 

 condition of the bees at present. Here 

 is what the editor says concerning the 

 replies, in Gleanings for April 15 : 



In response to our call for reports as 

 to how bees are wintering throughout 

 the country, about 200 bee-keepers 

 have, up to date, April 12 responded. 

 The reports show that bees, with very 

 few exceptions, have wintered excep- 

 tionally well. About a third of the 

 number report no loss, and the remain- 

 ing two-thirds show from 95 to 98 per 

 cent, as the number that have wintered. 

 There are only three or four who report 

 below 60 per cent. The losses, where 

 they have occurred, have been princi- 

 pally in Iowa, Western Illinois, and 

 Northern Michigan. 



In answer to the second question, 

 " How does their condition compare with 

 former years ?" most of them report 

 •' much better." 



Kind "Words seldom are unappre- 

 ciated. Ever since the Editor mentioned 

 his contemplated vacation for rest and 

 recuperation of tired nerves and wasted 

 energies, expressions of kindly sympathy 

 have been received, both from bee-keep- 

 ers and the bee-publishers. Those who 

 have thus so pleasantly and sincerely 

 written, may feel assured that their 

 kind words will be much appreciated, 

 and will help to encourage the recipient 

 to renewed efforts, and inspire him with 

 fresh zeal in the cause for which he has 

 so long battled. We wish here to record 

 some of the many words of sympathy 

 and esteem that have been uttered. 



The first, from Prof. A. J. Cook, of 

 the Michigan Agricultural College, is as 

 follows: 



I am pained to hear that you are ill. 

 I hope the rest, which is surely needed 

 and earned, will wholly restore you. I 

 wish you could go to California. You 

 would find many friends, and a very 

 hearty greeting. 



Yours with full sympathy, 



A. J. Cook. 



The following, addressed to Mr. Alfred 

 H. Newman, junior member and Busi- 

 ness Manager of the firm, came from 

 Messrs. Chas. Dadant & Son., the well- 

 know manufacturers of comb-founda- 

 tion : 



We are very sorry to read in the Bee 

 Journal, of your father's condition of 

 health. He has all our sympathy. We 

 have been so long acquainted with him 

 and you, and the old American Bee 

 Journal is so much " one of the family," 

 that we take a deep interest in all that 

 concerns the firm of Thomas G. Newman 

 & Son. 



Wishing him better health, and your- 

 self a busy season, we remain, 

 Yours truly, 



Chas. Dadant & Son. 



Mr. R. F. Holtermann, of Brantford, 

 Ont., Canada, says : 



I am very sorry to learn about the 

 state of your health. The American 

 Bee Journal fills a place in the apicul- 

 tural world no other periodical does, and 

 a very necessary place. 



Mr. J. W. Tefft, of Buffalo, N. Y., 

 wi-ote thus : 



You have ray heartfelt sympathies in 



your affliction I trust your vacation 



will restore you to vigorous health. 



In the Apiary Department of the 

 Wisconsin Farmer for April 9, Dr. J. W. 

 Vance, the able apicultural editor of 

 that paper, says : 



We learn that the senior editor of the 

 American Bee Journal, Mr. Thomas 

 G. Newman, is contemplating indulging 

 in a rest— a " short vacation." We con- 

 gratulate him upon the opportunity to 

 break away from his post of duty, which 

 he has so long, so ably, and so faithfully 

 filled. 



Bro. Root, in Gleanings for April 1, 

 expresses his regret and sympathy in 

 this much-appreciated editorial item : 



We regret to learn that Bro. Newman, 

 of the American Bee Journal, has 

 been quite unwell of late, as a result of 

 the grippe, and that it will be absolutely 

 necessary for him to take a vacation of 

 a month or six weeks. In the meantime, 

 an old employe, Mr. G. W. York, will 

 take charge of the Bee Journal. Glean- 

 ings sincerely hopes that the much- 

 needed rest will restore him to health. 



