168 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



of bees as any man can be who knows 

 a honey-bee tVom a bumble-I)ee, and 

 has read soniethinp; of their habits. I 

 received tliem very hvte in May, after 

 all tiie fruit blossoms were gone, and 

 the honey yield was not very f^ood in 

 this part of the country. We had 

 enough for ourselves, and a few pounds 

 to sell, but no very great quantity. 

 The winter was a very hard one here 

 for bees — one man not -far from me 

 lost forty-eight swarms out of fifty — 

 but mine wintered splendidly. On the 

 first day of May, they tlirew oft' a large 

 swarm, but one could almost fancy 

 they know I had no hive ready for them 

 for they returned home in about an 

 hour, only to come out stronger next 

 day, when I was prepared for them. 

 On the 11th, I got another large swarm, 

 and on the 12tii and 13th smaller ones, 

 which latter I ututed with some 

 wealier colonies, which I bought this 

 spring. I bought two swarms of Ital- 

 ians, and two of hybrids, all of which 

 are working nol%, but none of them 

 equal to the two front my own hive. 

 The swarm of May 2 has filled all 

 the brood combs, and nearly filled one 

 case of surplus boxes, while the one 

 of May 11 is but little behind it. The 

 original colony remains very large, 

 bntnot quite so energetic as the new 

 ones. I think, with an extractor, I 

 could secure at least one hundred 

 pounds of honey from my seven hives, 

 and the white clover season is butjust 

 beginning. I have so little time to 

 spare for them from my other busi- 

 ness, that it seems more profitable to 

 me to work for comb honey, than for 

 extracted. Now, for this late cold 

 spring, and in benighted New Jersey, 

 do not you think I may croio? I wish 

 some other perfect novice would give 

 me his experience, and see if it beats 

 mine. " Crow, brothers, crow," and 

 let us find out wlio is making the best 

 beginning. 



We take your magazine in the family 

 and like it better than any other we 

 have seen. 



E. A. Fletcheu. 



Santa Dominrjo City, W. L,3f<uj, 1884. 



Dkau Sir, 

 As I am a subscriber of yours, and 

 wish to make known my sentiments 

 towards your monthly, "The American 

 Apiculturist," I beg leave to repeat the 

 very same style of expression, which 

 you have quoted in this month's nnm- 

 ber, and taken from Mr. G. H. Knick- 



erbocker's (of Pine Plains, New York) 

 circular, by stating that "The Ameri- 

 ican Apiculturist" should be in the 

 hands of every beekeeper in the West 

 India Islands and in fact all over the 

 world, wliere beekeepers are ac- 

 quainted with, and can read, the Eng- 

 lish language, and especiaH;/ so, among 

 beginners, who must certainly profit a 

 great deal from tlie "questions" put 

 by you, and others, as also by the an- 

 swers from so many reliable sources, 

 which alone are worth the year's sub- 

 scription, not mentioning the great 

 many good, reliable articles otherwise 

 f<)Uiid in each number, put forward by 

 the very best and practical beekeepers 

 of "America;" especially as we can all 

 clearly see that your chief object in 

 view is tlie welfare of apiculture in all 

 its branches. I tiierefore, for one, 

 sincerely trust that you will be gener- 

 ally supported in your task, by the 

 beekeeping world, and that your en- 

 deavors to put before us the best bee- 

 lore will be crowned with success, and 

 you justly rewarded. I shall soon be 

 sending you a report from these apia- 

 ries, in which I shall give you a few 

 hints on beekeeping in the AVest In- 

 dies. 



Lorenzo I. r>t Soijothkh. 

 "ia Fe" and ''La Esperanza" Apiaries. 



Welborn, Fla., June 2. 



Your card was received May 30, and 

 your "Apiculturists" for Feb., March, 

 April and May, came to hand next 

 evening. Have only had time to read 

 proceedings of the Northeastern Bee- 

 keepers' Association, and think your 

 report of the same worth the price of 

 your paper. 



Yours truly, 



S. S. White. 



Orangeville, June 11, 1884. 



Friend Locke: 



Bees have commenced on white 

 clover in good earnest, and clover 

 looks better than it has for two or 

 three years; the bees liave wintered 

 better the past winter than they have 

 for several years. 



May the " Api " ever prosper ! 



There are several articles in the June 

 number that are worth more than the 

 price of the Journal for a whole year. 



W.J. Apthorp. 



