Louis, in 1873, and took the highest pre- 

 miums. I received a beautiful diploma. 

 During the warm spell a short time ago, I 

 fed my bees abundantly with partly ground 

 rye flour ; they consumed large quantities of 

 it. It certainly keeps bees from robbing. 

 E. C. Jordan. 



Garland, Pa., Dec. 9, 1878. 

 I wintered 51 colonies but really began the 

 season of 1878 witli but 50, for one of the 

 strongest came outqueenless and was united 

 with another. I think I killed the queen 

 while changing the combs from one hive to 

 another, late last fall. The yield of honey 

 was not large, and I have to credit the 

 raspberry and clover witli all we have ; the 

 basswood failed to bloom this season, as it 

 does each alternate year. I am experiment- 

 ing in wintering on summer stands, some in 

 chaff and others partly in chaff, with a glass 

 window in the front of the large box to 

 allow the sun to shine directly on the front 

 of the hive. Jno. F. Eggleston. 



Westfield, N. Y., Jan. 21, 1879. 



1. What is the reason of bees not going 

 into boxes to work when the hive is full and 

 there is a plenty of honey and bees ? 



2. How can 1 get my bees to build worker 

 comb without the use of foundation ? I 

 have too much drone comb in some of my 

 hives ; if I take it out they will build drone 

 comb as before. 



3. Will it pay to raise queens where 

 natural swarming is allowed ? 



4. Would you advise rearing queens from 

 worker larva? ? F. Hardinger. 



[1. If honey is plenty in the flowers, bees 

 will generally work in the boxes readily, 

 unless they have too much honey below. In 

 that case, contract the brood chamber by 

 using division boards, taking out some of the 

 frames of honey. 



2. The best combs are built by colonies 

 not too large, and at times when the honey 

 flow is not too abundant. 



3. No ; unless you wish to change the 

 blood of your colonies. If you do, then 

 change capped queen cells. 



4. We prefer to start with the egg ; if 

 larvse, the very youngest.— Ed.] 



Richmond, Tex., Jan. 28, 1879. 

 We have no trouble packing bees in chaff 

 or carrying them in cellars, in winter here. 

 They are only confined to their hive by cold 

 weather a few days at a time. Mine were 

 kept in 3 weeks at one time this winter, but 

 are now working lively on the wild peach 

 that grows in our bayou bottoms. What a 

 pleasure it is to the bee-keeper to see his 

 bees come in loaded with pollen especially 

 as early as January 24. Last season was a 

 poor one with us. We had no honey of any 

 consequence till golden rod and smart weed 

 came in, of which there is an abundance 

 in the bottoms. I had 70 colonies last fall, 

 and lost but one, and that by robbers ; all 

 Italians. 1 tried comb foundation last sea- 

 son ; I like the 1 lb. sections. I use the 



Langstroth hive. Bee culture in our state 

 is yet in its infancy, but ere long bids fair 

 to compete with some of the older states ; 

 especially those so far north where the bees 

 are housed 6 or 8 months out of the year ; 

 ours work 10 months. J. W. Eckman. 



Lincoln, Neb., Feb. 18, 1879. 

 Much has been said in praise of plants for 

 their good honey producing qualities, when 

 that is the only quality for which they 

 deserve merit. The plants that will be 

 most profitable to the average bee-keeper 

 are those that are worthy of cultivation re- 

 gardless of bees. Among these are buck- 

 wheat, mustard and rape, the latter of which 

 is raised in large quantities in the western 

 part of this state. In Buffalo co. it is re- 

 corded that 21 acres averaged 45 bushels of 

 seed per acre. The price quoted in the Chi- 

 cago papers was 2 cents per pound. Those 

 who had raised it claimed it a better crop 

 than corn or wheat as it brought a better 

 price. Have not yet seen any of the depre- 

 dations of the black flea upon it here. It se- 

 cretes honey during wet seasons, comes in 

 bloom soon after sowing, and can be sown 

 from early spring until fall with good re- 

 sults. It is especially adapted to the West- 

 ern countries where clovers and fruits have 

 not become general, to obviate the spring 

 dearth of honey plants and better prepare 

 our colonies for the fall harvest. Last sea- 

 son its bloom seemed much fresher than 

 that of Chinese mustard, and the bees sought 

 it more eagerly, at the same time they took 

 no notice of an acre of mignonette, which on 

 account of wet weather secreted no honey. 

 Buckwheat here is usually neglected by the 

 bees, for during its bloom they find abetter 

 harvest from heartsease (Polnqonum persi- 

 cari), golden rod, wild sunflower, and a 

 number of other good honey-producing 

 plants. Geo. M. Hawley. 



Henry and Wood Counties, 0., Feb. 18, '79. 

 So far as 1 can learn from personal exam- 

 inations and inquiry, about 50 per cent, of 

 the bees are dead that were left out of doors. 

 All right in cellars, so far. 



Daniel Kepler. 



Butlerville, Ind., Feb. 20, 1879. 

 Bees have died at a fearful rate in this 

 locality, in most of the hives where the 

 bees died, they left plenty of honey. 

 Dysentery was the main cause. 1 for one 

 am opposed to upward ventilation, and here 

 is my reason. I find that those having up- 

 ward ventilation are in bad condition, while 

 those having no upward ventilation are in 

 good condition. With the upward ventilation 

 the heat of the bees passes off and cola air 

 takes the place of the warm, and protracted 

 cold brings on disease. Upward ventilation 

 may do in warm cellars, where frost never 

 enters. My hives were packed in boxes 

 with dry leaves and straw. If this winter 

 kills all of my black bees and those of my 

 neighbors, I shall clean up the yard and 

 commence with Italians. I esteem the Bee 

 Journal above all the bee papers I read.— 

 All bee-keepers I have talked with are well 

 pleased with it. I don't see how they could 

 be displeased with it. W. Martin. 



