364 



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Doing RciiiarkabI}' Well. — G. 



M. Wliitford, Arlington, Nebr., on 

 May 28, 1889, writes : 



My bees came through the winter 

 without the loss of a single colony. 

 All but 4 colonies were placed in the 

 cellar on Nov. 17, 1888, and were 

 taken out on April 9, 1889. Those 

 that were packed upon the summer 

 stands consumed less stores than those 

 in the cellar. Although the nights are 

 too cool for the secretion of nectar, the 

 bees are doing remarkably w^ell. I 

 have had two swarms, have divided 

 one colony, and have several more 

 ready to divide. 



Plenty of Rain, etc. — Geo. G 

 Scott, Wadena, Iowa, on May 28, 1889, 

 says : 



I have had several swarms so far, 

 which is very early for northern Iowa. 

 The dandelion bloom was abundant. 

 Wliite clover is beginning to bloom. 

 We are having plenty of rain, with 

 frosty nights. 



Bees Bring^ing in Hone}' Mr. 



H. A. Cunningham, McLean Co., Ills., 

 writes thus : 



Please state in the American Bee 

 ■JoDRNAL if bees show by their appear- 

 ance when they are carrying honey 

 into their hives. If so, how ? 



Prof. Cook thus answers this question 

 by our request : 



There is no way to tell or to guess, 

 only by their air of work and more 

 plump appearance. Of course pulling 

 them apart and linding a full, plump 

 honey-stomach is conclusive. — A. J. 

 ■Cook. 



Very Peculiar Swarm H. C. 



Mosely, Charleston, S. C, on May 21, 

 1889, writes : 



I would like to ask for some infor- 

 mation from the experienced corres- 

 pondents of the Bee Journal, in re- 

 gard to a colony of Italian bees that 

 swarmed on A\n\\ 2, 18 and 20, and I 

 secured all the swarms. The swarm 

 of April 20 being rather small, I put 

 it into a hive about one-third smaller 

 than the usual size ; they went to work 

 finely, and prov(Hl to be rapid workers. 

 On the eightli day after being put into 

 the hive, I noticed that they began to 

 carry in pollen, and increased rapidly 



in this deposit from day to da}-. On 

 May 19 they began tearing the young 

 bees out of the comb, by the wholesale; 

 I counted 25 in about 15 minutes that 

 they flew out of the hi\-e with. This 

 being Maj- 21, it is now three days, 

 and they are still vigorously taking 

 them out. I omitted to state that they 

 have filled the hive about half full of 

 nice, white comb honey. Will some 

 one give a cause for this strange and 

 apparent!}' unnecessary cruelty on the 

 part of the bees, to their offspring ? I 

 would like to know a remedj' for it. 

 The swarm that I allude to is the one 

 issued on April 20. 



Wiiitc Clover— Cold Weather. 



— W. H. Graves, Duncan, Ills., on May 

 28, 1889, says : 



We have an abundance of white 

 clover, but it is so cold that bees are 

 doing but little on it ; mine are just 

 beginning to swarm. If it would only 

 turn warmer, I think that we would 

 have a good flow of honej-. I have 11 

 acres of Alsike just coming into bloom. 



Killing off Drones P. Sheri- 

 dan, Perrinton, Mich., on Ma}' 27, 

 1889, says : 



My bees came through the winter 

 and spring all right. I had 11 colo- 

 nies protected on the summer stands, 

 and part of them are killing oft" the 

 drones. They worked well on fruit- 

 blossoms and spring Howers, but they 

 are doing nothing at present. I would 

 not like to do without the American 

 Bee Journal, as it is a help to any 

 person, even to those old fogies who 

 know so much about bees ! 



Severe Frosts — Wintered Well. 



— I. N. Rogers, Jackson, Mich., on 



May 27, 1889, writes : 



Upon examining my bees last Satur- 

 day, I fouiul them in a nearly starving 

 condition. In the earlj- spring they 

 built up rapidly, and I expected early 

 swarms, but a drouth setting in, and 

 high, northerly winds prevailing the 

 greater part of the time, the flowers 

 secreted nectar only in limited quanti- 

 ties ; even during apple-bloom bees 

 brought in only enough to keep up 

 brood-rearing. ,There were three quite 

 severe frosts here the past week, doing 

 some damage to vegetation, but not to 

 fruit. Raspberries are just ready to 

 blossom, and with suitable weather, 

 honey will be coming in in a few days. 

 I have heard of no swarms so far this 

 spring. Bees came through the past 

 winter with very little loss in this 

 locality. 



Flattering Prospects C. G. 



Ridout, Hutchinson, Minn., on May 25, 

 1889, says : 



We are having splendid weather 

 here now, and crops are looking well 

 — plenty of rain, but none too much. 

 We had a hard frost last Wednesday t 

 night, that killed some gai'den vegeta- 

 bles, and froze potatoes half to the 

 ground. It is warmer again now, 

 however, and I think that frost will be 

 no m.ore this spring. Bees are swarm- 

 ing, and prospects for a good honey 

 harvest are flattering. 



Bees in a Starving Condition. 



— C. Theilraann, Theilmanton, Minn., j 

 on May 25, 1889, says : (^ 



We are having cold, cloudy weather, 

 which is bad for the bees. As far as I 

 can learn, they are in a starving con- 

 dition. I have fed over 700 pounds of 

 sugar already, and there is no sign for 

 much honey to come in for 2 or 3 

 weeks vet. 



Too Cold for Honey-Secretion. 



— T. F. Kinsel, Shiloh, O., on May 26, 



1889, says : 



Colonies are ver}' strong in bees. 

 Thej' are working on locust blossoms. 

 Raspberries will soon be in blossom. 

 It has been too cold lately, but it may 

 change in a few daj's to hot enough. 

 My expectation is big, on this year's 

 prospects for surplus honey. Is it not 

 a pity — at least on some things — that 

 our "foresight" is not better ? 



Bad W^eatlier for Bees. — A. 



Sherington, Dutton, Mich., on May 27, 

 1889, writes : 



We have mixed weather for the bees. 

 It was rather cold last week, as we 

 had four frosts, and tyn the night of 

 May 21, we had a snow-storm. The 

 corn that is up is badly frozen, and 

 the garden-truck is also frozen ; but 

 white clover looks well, and com- 

 menced to bloom about one week ago. 

 There have been a few swarms here, 

 but this weather will put them back 

 again. Young colonies will starve, if 

 not fed. My bees came through the 

 winter in first-class condition. I put 

 12 colonies into winter quarters in 

 1888, and took 11 out this spiring, one 

 having died with the diarrhea. Linden 

 is full of buds, but the leaves are 

 nearly all eaten oft'. 



Catalog^ues for 1889 are on our desk 

 from— 



Horace Banks, KeisterstowD.Md.— * pages 

 —Scotch Collies. 



