196 



THE AMEEICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



of the old aiim and 8ulphur«pit meu. I have two 

 stocks with Italian queens, (put in late in the fall,) 

 three hybrids, and two black stocks. Three were 

 douljled up from six light stocks. 



The past season was an extremely poor one for 

 bees iu this vicinity. Not one-fourth of this year's 

 swarms have stored honey enough to winter through ; 

 and consequently a great number have been con- 

 siirned to the sulphur pit. On account of drought, 

 breeding ceased so early that nearly all stocks have 

 gone into winter quarters very light ; and the bees 

 that survived must have been aged, so that the pros- 

 pect of wintering well is rather unfavorable. 



Success to the Bee Journal. As long as I under- 

 take to keep bees, I can hardly see how I could get 

 along without it. — J. R. P. Sanborn. 



Tuscola, III., Jan. 26. — I wish to obtain a little 

 information through the Journal. I have ten stands 

 of bees in old-fashioned box hives, anfl wish to trans- 

 fer them into movable comb hives. When is the 

 best time to transfer, before or after swarming ? The 

 hives I am making are similar to those of Mr. I. F. 

 Tillinghast, only mine are 18}/^ inches square inside, 

 and 123^ inches deep. I intend to put my honey- 

 boxes in the end or side, and would ask Mr. Tilling- 

 hast how he makes his division-board so that the 

 bees can get to the boxes, and how he makes the 

 entrances to his honey-boxes ? Will it do to put the 

 frames broadside to "the entrance? Do you have a 

 honey-board on the top of your frames during the 

 summer? The bee fever is at considerable height 

 here.— H. C. Dukborow. 



Dalton, Ohio, Jan. 24. — I have been a reader of 

 the Bee Journal for a short time, and cannot speak 

 too highly of its merits ; but as I am only a beginner 

 in bee-culture, I would say that the readers of this 

 cnrrespondence must not expect anything new. I will 

 only give some of my experience, while at the same 

 time I would like to have some comments pn ray letter 

 from some of the brethren who have more experience 

 in this line. 



My experience is limited to one summer. In the 

 sprinjj; of 1869, I bought a colony of common black 

 bees in a comcion square box. In the latter part of 

 May I formed an artificial colony on a system highly 

 recommended by Mr. Langstroth. Some time in July 

 I bought an Italian queen, and introduced her into 

 the artificial colony, which was doing very well at 

 this time. I saved the common black queen until I 

 was sure that the Italian queen was accepted by the 

 colony. I now formed a second artificial colony from 

 the first stock, giving it the queen I had saved. It did 

 very well. I assured myself that all had queens ; after 

 which I took a trip to Tennessee for two weeks. I 

 was pleased with my success thus far; but imagine' 

 my surprise when 1 came home and found my parent 

 slock infested with the bee-moth, so much th.it 1 could 

 not save it, as it was in a square box, and I conse- 

 quently had no control of the combs. I forced out 

 what few bees were left iu the second artificial colony, 

 emptied the old square box, broke up and melted 

 the comb with moth and all. Having tlius avenged 

 myself, I turned my attention to the two remaining 

 colonies, which seemed to gather a good deal of honey. 

 Several weeks later, one of my neighbors allowed 

 my Italian colony to rob one of his weak stocks, thus 

 spoiling them ; for having robbed his, they made an 

 attack "on my colony, and carried away the greater 

 portion of its stores before my discovery. I closed my 

 attacked colony for two or three days ; but upon open- 

 ing it again, the Italians renewed the attack. Its loss, 

 however, was my Italian's gain. I now have one good 

 colony of Italian bees, witFi which I propose to Ital- 

 ianize some common stocks. I intend to buy some 

 black bees, providing I can Italianize: them without 



going to the expense of buying queens for every col- 

 ony. It seems to me that I could Italianize half a 

 dozen or more from the one I now have, if I only 

 knew how. Will some one oblige a beginner by in- 

 forming him seasonably of the best mode of doing it i 

 — J. Rudy Roebi-ck. 



Shell Bluff, Yazoo River, Miss., Jan. 24.— Since 

 JanuAry 1.5th, the bees in this section have been hard 

 at work, carrying large quantities of pollen. I think 

 they gather it principally from the maples, as the 

 tops of those trees seem to be alive with bees. The 

 thermometer stands at 5 p.m. to-day at 73° F., so you 

 see the weather is quite warm. It makes one very 

 sad to see the little fellows going in with their heavy 

 loads, when we know that all their brood must perish, 

 and that they are but shortening their own lives by 

 this extra work. Ton know that I have foul brood — 

 that terrible scourge, in my apiary ; bitt I hope that 

 through the kindness of friends, I shall be able to 

 send some good news to you, Mr. Editor, before many 

 days. In the meantime, I would say to the readers 

 of the Bee Joitrnal, as we are beginning a new year, 

 let us work hard for the prosperity of this our pet ; for 

 who is there of us who does not feel that the Bee 

 JoiTRNAL is a part of his family ? Let every one of us 

 send in at least one new name. This is small, but 

 it will accomplish much for our favorite. — W. H. 

 Morgan. 



Wenham, Mass., Feb. 10.— On page 172, in the 

 February number, can be fotmd a communication 

 from Mr. D. T. Batcheldor, of Newburyport, Mass., 

 giving his experience with his first hive of bees. Mr. 

 B. says: "I took them to the county fair, and there 

 obtained the first premium of four dollars. There were 

 three orfoiirold hee-keepers present, with their experience 

 and new style of hives, and friend Alley with the rest. 

 All said that their bees did nothing this year, and we 

 must try again, and see Avho will win." Now the 

 foregoing statement is far from being correct ; and 

 any one on reading the article would suppose that 

 " friend Alley" was at the Fair and made the best show 

 that lie could in the " bee line." Well, I was present 

 at the County Fair, and had an observing hive with 

 me, merely to show the queen bee, and to do my part 

 towards amusing the people who attended the Fair. 

 My bees were not entered for a premium, nor did I 

 expect one. 



Mr. D. C. Batcheldor, of Newburyport, brother of 

 the gentleman named above, had a stock of bees on 

 exhibition, in one of my new style Langstroth hives. 

 Last season (18G9) they stored at least forty pounds 

 of honey in small boxes, besides casting ofl a large 

 swarm that filled its hive with new comb, and stored 

 honey enough to winter. Nor was this all. On the 

 first day of June one of the combs in the brood-box 

 broke down and destroyed more than two quarts of 

 the bees. This hive was exhibited with all tlie boxes 

 in it, but had the outside case removed so that the 

 boxes could be seen, and all of them (30) had more 

 or less honey in them. 



Mr. B. says that he obtained the first premium, of 

 four dollars. I do not see how he secured a premium 

 on his bees, wh6n none was offered by the society. 

 The sum of six dollars only was divided between four 

 bee-keepers ; and this was only done to partly pay 

 for the trouble of putting the bees into the hall and 

 taking theiu out again. Of the above-named sum Mr. 

 ^ D. T.^Batcheldor 'received $2 ; D. C. Batcheldor, *2 ; 

 Alfred Green, $1 ; and " friend Alley " $1. Now Mr. 

 B. you must try again before you can " win." 



I wish to say that I have received several letters to 

 which I could not reply because no name of town or 

 State was given. Two letters received last fall were 

 not answered for the same reason — one from Joseph 

 A. Brown, and the other from a Mr. Ci'ane. Corres- 

 pondents will please take the hint. — H. Alley. 



