New Orleans, La., Jan. 13, 1879. 

 1 send a cluster of some flowers of the 

 Japan plum taken from a tree yesterday 

 afternoon. On the 4th, 5th and 6th we had 

 a freeze and sleet that coverer everything 

 quickly with a coat of ice, which remained 

 on the trees for three days. Since that the 

 weather has been alternately thawing and 

 freezing. There are yet on them a quantity 

 of buds and fresh bloom like those sent. 

 The young fruit is not injured by the cold. 

 The endurance of the tree is certainly 

 extraordinary. I think we shall have 

 abundant fruit in February or early March. 

 Jno. M. Putnam. 



[This is indeed an extraordinary tree. 

 The sweetness, strength and persistence of 

 the odor is also remarkable. — A. J. Cook.] 



San Diego, Cal., Dec. 28, 1878. 

 I am shipping extracted honey for myself 

 and others direct to a house in Hamburg, 

 Germany, and draw on them for advances 

 equal to the selling price here. I have ship- 

 ped 500 barrels of 300 lbs each, already, and 

 shall probably send considerable more this 

 winter. Any one who thus advances the 

 price to producers, encourages the business 

 of bee-keeping and benefits the community. 

 Chas. J. Fox. 



Lawson, Mo., Dec. 27, 1878. 

 I commenced the season with 150 colonies, 

 iu fair condition. The spring opened one 

 month earlier than common, and bees did 

 well up to about May 12th, when we had 8 

 days of very cold weather. Bees killed off 

 all their drones and destroyed all queen 

 cells. But they commenced swarming about 

 June 1st, and my 150 colonies increased to 

 305 and 1 got 8,000 lbs. of white clover honey. 

 I got no fall honey on account of severe 

 drouth. J. L. Smith. 



Millersville, 111., Dec. 7, 1878. 

 1 have a plant which grows from 4 to 6 

 feet high known as the spider plant, we had 

 about one-tenth of an acre of it this season 

 for bee pasturage. The plants should be set 

 about 2x3 feet apart, in good soil to give a 

 rank growth. It blooms from June until 

 frost. Ours commenced to bloom in June, 

 and I found bees on it the 18th of October, 

 it was killed that night. We expect to plant 

 several acres of it next season, and give it a 

 good trial. Mrs. Mollie O. Large. 



Wayne, Mich., Jan. 5, 1879. 

 Things trifling at first appearance may be 

 of importance sometimes. When we dis- 

 cover a swarm of bees on the wing, it is of 

 much importance to know from what hive 

 they issued. Nine times out of ten it may 

 be determined by viewing the ground in 

 front and near each hive, for some little 

 time after the swarm issues more or less 

 young bees, too young to fly, will be found 

 crawing thereon. It made be desirable to 

 know when combs need pruning in con- 

 sequence of age and the filling up with the 

 cocoons and other matter, which prevents 

 the possibility of the brood raised therein 

 being of full size and perfect; notwithstand- 

 ing, some have stated that they can be used 



indefinitely, as the old bees cleaned out the 

 cocoons. One remarks, that if the cells are 

 small and the bees are small when they 

 issue, they will soon grow to usual size. 

 Not being a believer in either of these asser- 

 tions, I examine my hives, in breeding time, 

 after the colony has been confined a day or 

 two by stress of weather and the young are 

 sporting as it is called, and when in front 

 of hives with very old combs I find many 

 young bees, mere drawfs, some deficient in 

 wing, imperfect and unable to fly, &c, I ex- 

 amine the hive, and if I find comb, that the 

 bees have forgotten to clean out, some cells 

 full, others half full, &c, I prune them. 

 This may be done in the fall after breeding 

 is over. E. Rood. 



Sandwich, 111., Jan. 20, 1879. 

 I have been interested in bees for several 

 years and have closely watched all the 

 plants visited by bees, growing in this part 

 of Illinois, and I will say that the common 

 hemp stands far ahead of anything I ever 

 saw. Bees literally swarm on it, from early 

 daylight till dark. It is a wonder that others 

 have not noticed it and made it known. It 

 is easy cultivated, growing so strong and 

 rank as to take care of itself, if once started. 

 I shall sow about % of an acre, and I would 

 be pleased to hear from others. What is 

 your opinion in regard to the honey market 

 for 1879? I have contracted all this year's 

 crop at 10 cents per lb.; the purchaser to 

 furnish barrels. It will be mostly extracted. 

 Alex. Wilder. 



[You did well. No man living can more 

 than guess about the future— and one can 

 do that as well as another. If you can make 

 such a contract for next your, we should 

 say, it could not be disadvantageous.— Ed.] 



Carrollton, Mo., Dec. 12, 1878. 

 This is one of the best counties in the 

 State for bees and honey. G. W. Kennedy, 

 a young man from Ohio began bee-keeping 

 here in 1871 with 2 colonies of native bees, 

 that season increased to 8 ; the winter being 

 very bad he lost them all, so in the spring 

 of 1873 he bought 2 more and took a new 

 start. That year (1873) he only increased to 

 4, paying but little attention to his bees 

 until 1875, when he increased to 7 colonies, 

 which produced 700 lbs. of comb honey. 

 This season he has 86 colonies of Italians. 

 They produced 4,500 lbs. of comb honey and 

 sold it at an average price of 14 cents per lb. 

 During those years from 1873 to 1878 he has 

 sold 50 colonies of bees and 65 Italian queens. 

 He uses Langstroth and American hives but 

 likes the Langstroth best for securing honey. 

 Dr. Bolen, of Carrollton, is the bee king 

 of this State. And Mr. Kennedy knows 

 more of scientific apiculture than any other 

 man. Dr. Bolon began bee-keeping here in 

 in 1871 with 7 colonies of bees ; to-day he 

 has 300 colonies of bees, all Italians, in 

 American hives, and sold 7,000 lbs. of honey. 

 This year he increases by division on K. C. 

 Kidder's improved plan. To this he attri- 

 butes his success. Uses Root's extractor. 

 His market is Kansas City, Mo. The Dr. 

 is one of the solid men of Carroll Co., and a 

 reader of the Bee Journal. Cosmo. 



