froze them ; thelother died from cause un- 

 known. They left plenty of honey in the 

 hives. My bees dwindled badly this winter, 

 a large number dying in all of the hives and 

 they are now very weak in numbers. The 

 thermometer went as low as 19 and 24° below 

 zero this winter. My bees are bringing in 



Eollen to-day for the first-time. I am 

 othered with robber bees so that I cannot 

 handle my bees as I would like to. When I 

 attempt to open up a hive my neighbor's 

 bees come in by the thousands, and I have 

 to let my bees go till they quit coming. 

 They have plenty of honey in all of the 

 hives to last till fruit bloom. The Journal, 

 is a welcome visitor here. I would not do 

 without it for three times the cost. The 

 thermometer ranged last week from 65 to 80° 

 above zero. K. L. Aylor. 



Long Grove, Ky., March 10, 1879. 

 Went into winter quarters with 25 colo- 

 nies. Lost 7 on summer stands ; frozen ; all 

 had plenty of honey. Think I will adopt 

 some of the various plans to protect them 

 next winter. All wintered well in double- 

 walled hives. I hear that a good many own- 

 ers of bees lost all they had. I have been a 

 bee-keeper 16 years, but knew nothing about 

 the management of bees until I took the 

 American Bee Journal. No bee-keeper 

 should do without it. White clover is the 

 main honey producer in this county. It has 

 stood the winter well, and we have a good 

 prospect this season. What kind of mustard 

 is best for bees ? We have what is called 

 black mustard. Enclosed please find a twig 

 cut from a tree in my yard, that is nearly in 

 bloom, and which my bees work on very 

 early. Please state what it is called. My 

 bees commenced bringing pollen on the 7th 

 of March. I want to Italianize some of my 

 bees this summer. L. T. Mobberly. 



[Black mustard is as good as any of the 

 mustards, at least it has proved so here at 

 Lansing. The twig is that of the willow. 

 I am unable to give the species, with so 

 small a specimen. —A. J. Cook.] 



Lawton, Mich., March 10, 1879. 

 I have 50 colonies (43 in the cellar and 7 

 packed in chaff on their summer stands) all 

 wintering well. 1 had 28 colonies last spring 

 and increased to 52. I got 1500 lbs. of honey, 

 mostly comb. I sold 2 colonies. Many in 

 this section have lost their bees during the 

 past winter. J. D. Ward. 



Mai com, Iowa, March 1, 1879. 

 A few days ago I made a trip around the 

 county to see how bees have wintered. 

 Seventh-tenths of those in board hives are 

 dead, killed by frost and ice in the hives; 

 some have lost their last colony. Those in 

 double-walled hives, with chaff box on top, 

 are all in fine condition, and are now breed- 

 ing. A hive is desired that is and has been 

 proved to be a success in wintering on sum- 

 mer stands. Too many commence the busi- 

 ness with high expectations ; as for instance 

 two or three swarms from one, and a 

 100 lbs. of honey from each. A moderate 

 increase, such as doubling and 50 lbs. of 

 surplus to each hive, ought to satisfy the 

 most ambitious. Wm. Clement. 



Concordia, Mo., March 19, 1879. 

 Editor Journal :— There has been a 

 man here calling himself C. H. Kidder, who 

 represented himself here as your agent for 

 the Bee Journal, who stated to several 

 German farmers here that you published 

 the Journal in the German language, and 

 obtained a number of subscribers here who 

 paid said Kidder the price of subscription 

 for your Journal, and that is the last they 

 heard of him. I would warn all your read- 

 ers against this imposter, and hope that none 

 will be duped hereafter by said Kidder. 

 Christ Brunke. 



[This same imposter has visited other 

 localities assuming different names, offering 

 all kinds of impossible things to induce per- 

 sons to subscribe for different publications. 

 We employ no traveling agents, and no one 

 should pay money to persons they are un- 

 acquainted with ; it is always risky.— Ed.] 



Howell, Mich., March 11, 1879. 

 My 8 colonies of bees wintered out of 

 doors, packed in chaff, came through all 

 right, while some of my neighbors suffered 

 heavy losses. I gave my bees some unbolted 

 wheat flour, which the Italians work on very 

 lively, but the blacks do not touch it. 1 have 

 4 Italian and 4 black colonies. 



Edward Greenaway. 



Mt. Clemens, Mich., March 3, 1879. 

 The past winter has been one of great loss 

 to apiarists ; many having lost more than 

 one-half of their bees up to this date. I 

 cannot tell how my bees will come out, as 

 they are yet in the pit, where I intend to 

 leave them as late as I think it will do. I 

 may find them in as bad order as those win- 

 tered out of doors, but hope for the best. I 

 buried them with much care. 



Wm. P. Evritt. 



Byron, N. Y., March 10, 1879. 

 After a lone steady winter our bees have 

 had good flights for two days, having been 

 confined to the hives since December 1st. 

 We have not had extremes of temperature 

 here during the past winter. It was 90° 

 below zero once, but it has averaged from 10 

 to 26° above. The bees were flying from all 

 the hives (114) to-day and only 4 of them are 

 seemingly weak but they appear strong and 

 healthy. I never saw our bees in as good 

 condition at this date as they appear from 

 the entrance of hive. I picked a drone 

 from each of 2 hives— dead. J. E. Moore. 



Eminence, Ky., Feb. 22, 1879. 

 I have gotten up a new hive, but it is not 

 patented, nor do 1 wish it. Mr. Math named 

 it "Eureka." I have 7 different patent 

 hives in my yard, but 1 think this far 

 superior to all. I use 9 frames in the brood 

 chamber, and section honey-boxes. The 

 frames are 9xl3>£, and 1% inches wide. 

 Double entrance of ^x5 each ; 4 in. portico 

 on the side, no honey board; 2 honey boxes 

 with frames 6^x0>£, entrance from brood 

 chamber cut out of the frames for each box. 

 I have 2 division boards, use only one un- 

 less I wish to put 2 small colonies in the 

 same hive. L. E. Brown. 



