THE AMERICAN. BEE JOURNAL. 



127 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



WASHINGTON, DECEMBER, 18<5!). 

 Special Premiums and Club Terms. 



THE IIORTICUr-TUUIST AND THE AMER1C;VN 

 BEE JOURNAL. 



By spcial arrangement, we offer The Horticul- 

 turist as a preniinm for Ave new subscribers to the 

 American Bke Journal; or will oflfer The Horti- 

 culturist and American Bee Journal on club terms 

 together, for So 7.5, full price being $i .30, nacli club 

 subscriber being entitled to a choice steel plate en- 

 graving. Country Life, and a copy of Adair's An- 

 nals OF Bbe Culture. 



We commend The Horticulturist to the atten- 

 tion of lovers of fruits, flowers, and rural embellish- 

 ments. Having been greatly improve.d this year, it 

 will bo found one of the best and most valualile hor- 

 ticultural journals published in the Unitei States. 



The Triangular Comb Guides. 



4®- We understand that, in various quarters, per- 

 sons are endeavoring to collect a "royalty" from 

 beekeepers Avho use the bevel edge or triangular 

 comb guide, alleging that the device is patented, and 

 that they are agents of the patentee 



jm- We have a number of communications from 

 valued correspondents, the publication of which cir- 

 cumstances beyond our control constrain us to defer 

 till next month 



Correspondence of the Bee Journal. 



Sterling, Ills., Oct. 14.— I am 

 of beekeeping, bavin-- hcvu .'nu-; 

 years, but nocliing has ailractol 

 much. I have succceiii'd toliTui 

 season, 18GS. In the spriiiH- ot t! 

 colonies, most of them purcb; 

 When I bought them they wen 

 hives, and in jjoor condition. I 

 to Lani;--lroth hives, and came 

 them, lic:MJisi'tliere was 1 hen no 

 Most oftbc^ colonics could QOt l'^ 

 which %v.Tc traiisfcnvd. Only 

 cccd.-d in ;^aliirrin- hnury .■■.. 



veil- I iiai; lovty 

 [ of a uci!^bb..{-. 

 till' oil! style of 

 isfi'vicd them in- 

 ir ;uinin;;- all of 

 cyinthcilowers. 

 rcnair the combs 

 V\v of them suc- 

 i, to carry them 

 ri'Pd,and some of 

 iuL:- of l.SoO, 1 had 



i-t 



my 1 

 part 

 labo 



L-omi 



We do not be- 

 lieve that there is any valid patent on the article, 

 and think those thus engaged in levying 'Ijlackmail" 

 are rendering themselves liable to prosecufion for 

 obtaining money under false pretences. Mr. Lang- 

 stroth, (who, we regret to learn, is again suffering 

 from an attack of the disease to which he has for 

 many years lieen subject at Intervals,) prepared a 

 full history of these comb guides shortly before thi'. 

 return of his illness, which is now in our hamls and 

 will appear in the January number of the Bee Jour- 

 nal. Meantime we advise beekeepers to be on their 

 guard, and not suffer themselves to be imposed on by 

 swindling landloupers. 



4®= In our last issue a selected article was inad 

 vertently and erroneously credited to the " Louis 

 ville {Ky.) Farm Journal," of which name there is no 

 paper in existence. Credit should have been given 

 to the "Farmers Home Journal," an excellent agricul- 

 tural and family paper, published at Lexington, Ky., 

 by James J. Miller, esq., at three dollars per annum, 

 and which well merits a liberal patronage. 



jSSf Of the two specimens of bee plants sent to us 

 from Kew Cumberland, West Virginia, the first is 

 Aster ericoides, already repeatedly noticed in the 

 Journal as furnishing excellent fall pasturage. The 

 second, or "blue blossoming" is Aster cordi folia, 

 widely diffused and common species found in groves 

 and copses, and bearing an abundance of flowers. 

 The writer (who neglected giving us his name) says 

 of this latter plant—" I never saw it here till this 

 fall. It is growing all along the river hills, among 

 the rocks, and on the poorest land we have. It com- 

 menced blooming about the 20th of September, and 

 Is in bloom yet (Nov. 8). It grows about as tall as 

 buckwheat. Early frosts hurt it very little." 



loi- coinlillon. ISiit 1 I'nl thnn and did all in 

 ■IT 11, krcji thcin alive. The siniiiii- and fore- 

 t lie ■^uiinniT were viT\- unfavorable. My bees 

 , un:|'.T rviTv ill-advantage, my place being 

 il aftoi--iim- ii'i) iirotielion. Wh'en the apple 

 ■ clci-ry li.-cs wen- in lilossom, the Ijees were 

 led to remain in their hive-, on account of 

 prevalent cold v.iud- and rain. I i)ei ame very much 

 diseouragcd, but during the months of July and 

 \mfust, things began to assume a more favorable 

 asiiect. , . ^ 



My colonies are mostly Italians, and in Langstroth 

 hives. 1 use two kinds of hives, the shallow chamlier 

 and the deep ; and prefer the former, believing that 

 the bees will store nion; snii)Uis honey when kept in 

 the shallow chamber hi'.es, 1 ueiieridiy remove the 

 houev boanban.l have mv honey Mox-s >o tl'.at three 

 will cover the whole surface of the traiues. By so 

 doing, bee.s will work up quicker and store more 

 honey. . , -, , 



I have increased my stock from nineteen old colo- 

 nies to thirty-eight; and if I had desired it, I might 

 have increased them more. The swarming propen- 

 silie- of bees were greater this year, than I have ever 

 known it to lie be'fore. I was constantly guarding 

 against ovcr-iwarniiiig. If 1 had nor Iiad sucli bad 

 siicce^s las1 year, I should probably have allowed my 

 bees toswaian a- mueli as they weie inel iiied lodo, 

 and would undoubtedly liave ealled it givat >ueeess. 

 !<'!-oin 1 iuhteen old i.-olonies and int-rease, 1 took 

 lliirteen hundred and seventy-nve (l,;i7a) ))Ounils of 

 surplus honey. One old colony gave me a swanii and 

 one hundred'and idglit (lOS) i)Oands surplus honey ; 

 and the young swarm gave me nine-ty (Ou) pounds, 

 six yfiung swarms average seventy-live (7.5) pounds lo 

 the hive. 1 hail one luitural swarm (second swarm) 

 on the .'id of August, that filled its hive below, and 

 stored forty-seveu (47) pounds of surplus honey. 



We have "not had much frost yet, and on the 9tli of 

 October my bees were still depositing honey in the 

 boxes. 



Enclosed find two dollars for your valuable and 

 interesting Journal. I have read every volume since 

 its publication, and am convinced that no beekeeper 

 can succeed without it. — George Mohler. 



Fair Dale, Oswego Co , N. Y., Oct. 20.— Bees in this 

 section have done but little up to the first of Septem- 

 ber, onlv securing provision enough to supply present 

 necessities. But when the liackwheat began to blos- 

 som, the weather became fine, and bees gathered 

 honey and bee-bread verv fast, so that one-quarter 

 to one-half the stocks will winter. I will have to feed 

 two or three black colouii^s. to cany them through. 

 The Italian bees have proved their superiority with 

 us this season. I have just commenced Italianizing.— 

 M. a. Dumass. 



Fbiopbricktown, Mo., Oct. 

 couraged, but have dom- w 

 moved last spring carrying 

 sold four, and now have t 



10.— 1 was somewhat dis- 

 ell, consalering 1 re- 

 eight hives with nic. I 

 ty-six in good condition 



for winter. Inclosed find two ilollars lor the Ameri- 

 can Bee Journal, which welcome visitor I still want. 

 I remain a friend to all beekeepers, and particularly 

 to the Journal.— J. B. Dinks. 



