Mayesville, S. 0., Dec. 14, 1878. 

 Your reduction in price of the Journal, 

 is a practical evidence of success, which 

 your numerous subscribers will appreciate. 

 This done, coupled with the fact that it has 

 been much enlarged, gives assurance that 

 you are determined to continue to make it, 

 what it already is, the best and cheapest of all 

 the bee papers. I congratulate its publishers 

 upon their success, and hope the future of 

 the American Bee Journal, may be even 

 more successful and prosperous than its 

 brilliant record of the past. 



J. W. Hudson, M. D. 



Columbus, Ind., Dec. 10, 1878. 

 I shall contend that a queen, to be strictly 

 pure must produce uniform 3 banded drones 

 just like the workers. It seems that my 

 articles on standard of purity are not under- 

 stood by some, while others apparently do 

 not want to discuss the subject at all. Let 

 us have a standard for American-bred Ital- 

 ians. We surely have as pure stock, if not 

 better than we can get in Italy. Why not 

 improve what we have and exchange queens 

 with one another to prevent in-and-in breed- 

 ing ? It seems to me that if we conclude on 

 -a standard in this country and live up to it, 

 that our brother breeders in Italy will breed 

 to it, if they expect to sell to us. 



Jos. M. Brooks. 



Malcom, Iowa, Dec. 2, 1878. 

 Some 5 years ago Mrs. Lizzie Cotton pro- 

 posed tnat I send her a colony of bees, pre- 

 paying all charges and she would send me 

 •one of her hives and her directions for 

 managing bees in order to obtain large 

 yields of honey. I did send her the bees 

 and after a long time she sent me one of 

 the worst-looking, meanest-constructed and 

 cumbersome boxes I ever saw, but no 

 instructions about management. I repeat- 

 edly wrote to her for them, but could never 

 get a word from her. A neighbor of mine 

 also sent her $10.00 for a hive and her sys- 

 tem of management as she advertises, but 

 never received anything in return. She 

 ought to be exposed. Wm. Clements. 



Charlottesville, Va„ Dec. 14, 1878. 



Conversing recently with an intelligent 

 gentleman who has a few colonies in box 

 hives, he mentioned something that I do not 

 remember seeing in print and which in any 

 event appears to be worthy of notice. He 

 said he never cut off branches of trees to 

 get down natural swarms. Being entirely 

 fearless, and I iudge oblivious to bee stings ; 

 tor he says helms had 20 on his head at once. 

 His plan was to hold one hand above and 

 into the cluster and the other just below, 

 gently agitating them. They would climb 

 up on his hand, or by holding or fastening a 

 twig above, climb lip on that and then lie 

 would carry them to the hive. He says too, 

 that he has no difficulty in catching queens 

 that way, for the bees climb up and she is 

 the most reluctant to leave and is easily seen 

 at the bottom of the cluster. A gentle, 

 persistent movement at the bottom will 

 drive without irritating them. 



I was recently called upon to see a colony 

 in a neighbor's apiary which had, late in the 



season, built combs outside and underneath 

 the bottom board. It was supposed, to be a 

 case of over-crowding, as the supers had 

 been taken off in July, and here was sealed 

 comb and bees out of doors the 1st day of 

 December. I tried to lift the cover, but had 

 to pry it off ; all the frames were thoroughly 

 fastened and a net-work of cocoons in every 

 available space ; of course there was not a 

 bee, nor an inch of comb. The bees had 

 been driven out. Such cases are rare I 

 judge, for I never saw one before. 



J. W. Porter. 



De Vall's Bluff, Ark., Nov. 10, 1878. 

 In looking over the late proceedings of 

 the National Bee-keepers' Association, I 

 see my name among those who were elected 

 Vice Presidents for the ensuing year. Ow- 

 ing to the great distance and consequent 

 expense 1 have found it impracticable to 

 attend your meetings ; but have nevertheless 

 been interested in your labors for the gen- 

 ral good, and have long desired to see the 

 bee-keeping interests of this country united 

 in National Conventions— with State and 

 district Societies as auxiliaries ; in this way 

 to advance scientific bee-culture. I am 

 willing to serve the Association to the best 

 of my ability. Desiring to become a full 

 member of the Association, I enclose my 

 initiation fee of $1.00. And permit me here 

 to suggest that it would bean excellent idea 

 for all those who have been similiarly hon- 

 ored, to show their interest in the welfare of 

 the Association. It would materially 

 strengthen the Association, especially if the 

 practice were followed up from year to 

 year. W. W. Hipolite, M. D. 



[We well knew that Dr. Hipolite's profes- 

 sional duties tilled up his time, but he will 

 make an able and energetic representative in 

 Arkansas, of the National Association, and 

 hence the wisdom of the selection. His 

 idea of membership is a good one. We 

 ought to have 1,000 members, at least, who 

 would send $1.00 to the general fund.— Ed.] 



Morrison, 111., Nov. 25, 1878. 

 One night last week, some one took ad- 

 vantage of the darkness and went through 

 my bee-yard, and carried off and destroyed 

 several hives of bees. I had fixed for win- 

 ter and they had but little honey, so the 

 value of honey taken was small, compared 

 to damage by carrying off colonies and 

 overturning others. Will some of your 

 thousands of readers tell me the cheapest and 

 best way to protect my colonies from human 

 robbers, while on their summer stands ? I 

 have an idea that each hive can be connected 

 by an eiectric wire to an alarm, that will 

 give notice when they are disturbed, or 

 attatched to a gun that will shoot — but I am 

 not electrician enough to put the idea into 

 practical shape for use. My hives are set in 

 a hexagonal shape, 6 feet apart each way, 

 and not more than 50 feet from my bed 

 room. I will make a handsome present to 

 the person that will give me the best plan 

 for protecting 100 colonies. 



F. W. Chapman. 



