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11 



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for the colonies during the springs and 

 falls of the former seasons. 



If I mistake not, the results of the 

 past two seasons are somewhat averse 

 to the arguments of those who so 

 strenuouslj- advocate specially in bee- 

 keeping, causing them to change the 

 bias of their opinions in regard to its 

 feasibility, as an exclusive occupation. 

 Specialty in bee-keeping, based on the 

 feudal theory of those who advocate 

 ; the proteetive-territoiy system, might 

 : meet the demands of specialtj- in some 

 '. instances, but the specialist of 50 or 

 100 colonies will need a prop, at times, 

 if he exercises the requirements of his 

 business in a more enlightened aspect. 

 But, as every evil has its correspond- 

 ing good, so do poor honej' seasons iu- 

 , fluence good prices, and quick sales 

 } for the products of the apiary. 



Tlie " Opeu-Side " Sections. 



I think that if Mr. Hambaugh should 

 r use sections open at the sides, in a case 

 ; with the T rest as supports, and sep- 

 ' arators so constructed as to allow the 

 bees a free range, " fore and aft," as 

 , well as up and down, he would ex- 

 perience less reason for complaint in 

 regard to " the size" of the one pound 

 sections "appearing contrary to the 

 laws governing the household economj- 

 of the bee," as stated on page 795 of 

 the Bee Jodrnal for 1888. 



I have used the open-side section in 

 lases (with the tin T for supports), 

 constructed so as to allow the sections 

 In be placed en masse with separators 

 having openings to match those in the 

 sections. This method allows a free 

 range for the bees, and a.ssures a much 

 lii'tter filling of the sides with comb 

 and honey, than when close-side sec- 

 tions are used. 



In mj' experience, when close-side 

 Mctions are used with close-end sep- 

 arators, the combs in the sections will 

 be rounded oft" with two or three rows 

 of short, uncapped, and often emptj' 

 nils on each side of the box, especially 

 when a scanty flow of nectar prompts 

 the bees to curtail their work ; leaving 

 the sections lank in appearance, and 

 light in weight — in reality, reducing 

 the hone)', however good, to a second 

 L:rade article, in the estimation of the 

 1 Dusumer. A section tilled chock-full 

 has a much better appearance, and 

 ■<ells much more readily than one more 

 wt'ightv, if in an unfinished condition. 

 Cumberland, Me., Dec. 12, 1888. 



A Favorable Word from any of our 

 readers, who speak from experience, has 

 more weight with their friends than any- 

 thing we might say. Every one of our 

 ri-aders can lend us a helping hand, in this 

 way, without much trouble, and at the same 

 time help to scatter apicultural knowledge 

 and promote the welfare of our pursuit. 



COIVVENTION DIRECTORY. 



1889. Time and Place of MeeUriQ. 



Jan. 8, 9.— Ontario, at Owen Souutl, Ont. 



W. Cousu. Sec, StreetsTiUe, Ont. 



Jan. 9-11.— Nebraska State, at Lincoln, Nebr. 



J. N. Ueiiler, Sec, Columbus, Nebr. 



Jan. 15.— Vermont State, at MIdrtlobury. Vt, 



Marcia A. Uoiiu'laa, Sec, Sbureliam, Vt. 



Jan. 15, 16.— N. W. 111. & S. W. Wis,, at ISoclitord, Uls. 

 D. A. Kullcr, Sec, Clicrrj- Valley, Ills. 



Jan. 16.— Indiana State, at Indianapolis. Ind. 



(Jeo. C. Thompson, Sec, Southport, Ind. 



May 4.— Susquehanna r<mnty. at Montrose, Pa. 



H. M. Seetey, Sec, Harford, Pa. 



tW In order to have this table complete. Secre- 

 taries are requested to forward full particulars of 

 time and place of future meetiusrs.— Bd. 



sii&M'^Mm>M 



Report tor lNi§8.— Louis Gerhart, 

 Lyle, Minn., on Dee. 10, 1S88, writes : 



I had 4 colonies in the spring of 1888, in- 

 creased them to 8, and took 100 pounds of 

 honey. I worked my bees on the tierlng- 

 up system this season, which was generally 

 thought best for a year of this kind. 



Stands at the Head.— Mr. G. E. T. 



Kyber, Green Bay, Wis., on Dec. 31, 1888, 

 says : 



The American Bee Journal stands at 

 the head of bee-literature, and the informa- 

 tion obtained therefrom is far in advance of 

 the remuneration thei'efor. Compliments 

 of the season. 



Uniting Colonies, etc. — Mr. Geo. 

 Eidemiller, McGregor, Iowa, on Dec. 17, 

 1888, writes : 



My increase this year, from 5 colonies, 

 spring count, was IT by natural swarming. 

 1 kept uniting according to time and the 

 strength of the colonies, and by so doing it 

 left me 12 good colonies ; from 7 of them I 

 took 6.50 pounds of comb honey. Extracted 

 honey sells at 10 cents, and comb at 18 

 cents. I winter my bees in the cellar under 

 the house, and they weigh from 40 to 00 

 pounds per colony. 



I>'ot a Pound of Honey.— Mr. A. C. 



Balch, Kalamazoo, Mich., on Dec. 24, 1888, 



wrote thus : 



I have had no honey this year, and have 

 had to feed many of my colonies ot bees, to 

 keep from starving. I have not taken one 

 pound of honey from them this year. 



Bce-Keeplng: in Alabama.— I. J. 



Heaton, Pratt Mines, Ala., on; Dec. 24, 1888, 



says : 



I began in the spring of 188S with 41 colo- 

 nies, some being very weak. I have .sold 

 $170 worth of honey, most of it extracted, at 

 13' . and 15 cents per pound. I now have -53 

 colonies packed in cotton-seed, with plenty 

 of honey to winter on, I think. There is no 

 clover in my bee-range, and but little bass- 

 wood. There is plenty of sour-wood, and 1 

 have a good market. 1 contemplate sowing 

 .5 or 6 acres in lucerne clover the coming 

 spring. My greatest pleasure is with my 



bees. I am well pleased with the Ameri- 

 can Bee Journal, and think it well worth 

 twice its subscription price. I wish its ed- 

 itor and contributors a Happy New Tear. I 

 do not feel discouraged so long as 1 have 

 such noble leaders. Let us all remember 

 the watchword. 



Bee-Cellar Ventilators, etc.— C. 



Theilmann, Theiliuantou, Minn., on Dec. 



31, 18S8, writes : 



So far the weather has been very fine. 

 We have no snow as yet. My bees are very 

 quiet at 43°, with the ventilators all open in 

 the bee-cellar. 1 am sure that my bee-cellar 

 would be too warm tor the bees, if 1 had uo 

 ventilators in it. They are very valuable in 

 such weather. 



I send my membership fee for the Bee- 

 Keepers' Union. The change o( time for 

 paying the fee suits me better than before, 

 as we have more leisure at this time of the 

 year to attend to such matters, than in the 

 height ot the honey season. 



Oood Prospects tor 1S89 — W. U. 



Graves, Duncan, Ills.,onDec. 19. 1888, says: 



My honey crop this year was next to a 

 failure, and two years in succession makes 

 it somewhat discouraging. I have been 

 used to bees all my life, and expect to keep 

 them as long as I live. They are in good 

 condition for winter. I have just been put- 

 ting them in the cellar. I have 58 colonies. 

 1 never saw white clover so thick every- 

 where as it is here. I think that we have 

 good prospects for a fine crop for next year. 



Prospect for IVUite Clover.- Geo. 

 Shafer, Neoga, Ills., on Dec. 19, 1888, says : 



The past season has been very poor, but 

 some better than last year. From 34 colo- 

 nies the yield was only 1,000 pounds. Bees 

 are in good condition for winter, and the 

 prospect for white clover is good. 



Rcsnlts of tlie Season.— Wm. C. 



Wolcott, Eldorado, Wis., on Dec. 17, 1888, 

 writes : 



It has been a poor season here for bees. 

 I started last spring with 43 colonies, and 

 many of them spring dwindled down to very 

 small colonies. I increased them to 71 col- 

 onies, which are in good condition. I put 

 them into the cellar on Nov. 15. I only had 

 1,300 pounds of honey, and 1,000 pounds ot 

 that was extracted. The comb honey I sold 

 for 15 cents per pound, and the extracted at 

 10 cents per pound. I intend to take the 

 American Bee Journal as long as 1 live 

 and keep bees. 



Fine Meatiier for Bees.— W. T. 



Zink, Nicholas, Mo., on Dec. 14, 1888, says : 



We are having fine weather. Bees were 

 fiying yesterday, and there were no signs of 

 diarrhea. Mv bees gave me a surplus of 

 abouc 8 pounds per colony, spring count, 

 with plenty left to winter on. The last two 

 seasons have cooled the ardor of a few bee- 

 keepers here, but I still hope for a rich 

 harvest. 



Fine Fall for Bees.— N. W. Affler- 

 baugh, Cameron, Nebr., on Dec. 17, 1888, 

 writes : 



My bees are well supplied with stores 

 sufficient to last them until honey comes 



