302 



do not cluster outside. As 1 partly filled 

 the upper frames with thick foundation, t hat 

 may account for it. They drew it out beau- 

 tifully in 24 hours, malting the septum so 

 thin as to be transparent, and raising the 

 cell walls half way. This is my first ex- 

 periment with foundation, and you may 

 count my vote in its favor for brood and ex- 

 tracting frames. Wm. Camm. 



Hoi ley, N. Y., June 9, 1879. 

 I purchased 3 colonies of bees in the 

 spring, transferred to the Doolittle hive 

 about the middle of May, and used cord to 

 tie combs in the frames. When I looked 

 them over a week later, 1 found some had 

 fallen out of place, but most of it was in 

 good order. One colony being very strong 

 in bees, I took off 2 surplus boxes June 1st. 

 The weather was cold and wet during the 

 past week, so that they could not go out 

 much. This to me is new work, but I did not 

 get a sting while working with the bees ; 

 but a week ago, while passing out of the 

 yard, one stung my ear, resulting in great 

 swelling. What can be used to check it, 

 when ammonia or saleratus will not doit? 

 I fed the honey, obtained from pieces of old 

 combat night, in tin feeders, made for the 

 purpose, and placed in front of the entrance; 

 they filled the brood chamber rapidly. While 

 the cherries were in bloom, they began to 

 work in the boxes. In helping a neighbor 

 transfer, we used thin strips of wood to 

 brace the combs, and all were right. In 

 transferring I followed the instructions of 

 Prof. Cook's Manual and the American 

 Bee Journal. The Bingham smoker is a 

 treasure. Any one wishing the aid of a 

 young woman as book-keeper, and capable 

 of aiding in their correspondence, who 

 could teach her bee-culture as a business, 

 for the compensation, are requested to cor- 

 respond with me. Mrs. A. S. Keys. 



[A tomato leaf crushed and rubbed upon 

 the flesh, after removing the sting, is a very 

 good remedy.— Ed.] 



Indianapolis, Ind., June 8, 1879. 

 I wish to address the bee-keepers of 

 Indiana and urge upon them the benefit of 

 visiting neighboring bee yards in obtaining 

 practical information and observing the rel- 

 ative conditions, etc. 1 am satisfied that 

 valuable articles are not appreciated as they 

 would be, if we were an eye-witness to the 

 facts spoken of. We could converse indi- 

 vidually and personally with those having 

 made the experiments. I am in favor of 

 National and State organizations, for if we 

 wish to master our profession, under such 

 conditions only can success be expected. 

 We must take interest enough, not only to 

 read what is printed upon the subject, but 

 we must advance in knowledge by individ- 

 ual and organized efforts. I have just vis- 

 ited some bee-keepers, and found much 

 distress "all along the line." While being 

 well paid for my time and expense, by the 

 information and conversation of experinced 

 bee-men, I have found them unanimously 

 in favor of holding a State Convention, and 

 I would ask all to state their views, in the 



American Bee Journal, in regard to or- 

 ganizing one. United action will result in 

 good to ourselves, and satisfy the desires of 

 consumers in general. By the distribution 

 of the pamphlet, "Honey as Food and 

 Medicine," and in various ways we can cre- 

 ate an interest and demand for honey. 

 Many are as yet in darkness concerning the 

 cause of the death of our bees, therefore, in 

 my judgment, we could make it very profit- 

 able to meet sometime this summer, say in 

 August, aud converse on the best way to 

 preserve our bees the coming winter. Al- 

 though many of us have practiced bee-keep- 

 ing for years, yet a close observer can 

 hardly visit an apiary or converse, with an 

 intelligent bee-man without gaining valu- 

 able thoughts. I have gained many valu- 

 able ideas from my visits and conversations 

 this season. All bee-keepers, while stop- 

 ping in Indianapolis, are respectfully in- 

 vited to visit either my uncle's, M. A. 

 Sehofield, or my own yard, or call on me at 

 No. 11 Bates Block. C. S. Schofield. 



[See letter, on page 300, from the Vice 

 President of your State.— Ed.] 



Nodaway Mills, Iowa, May 29, 1879. 

 I send you a sample of a plant that grows 

 wild in the hazle brush here. It seems to 

 be a favorite with the bees, and blooms 

 about 2 weeks. Can you tell what it is, and 

 state its value as a honey plant ? My bees 

 are doing well. I lost but 3 out of 25 during 

 winter. My location affords both timber 

 and prairie range. The river bottom in the 

 fall is a sea of flowers. R. C. Aikin. 



[This is the smooth water leaf (Hydro- 

 phyllum canadense). They would be val- 

 uable, if sufficiently numerous, as honey 

 plants. Many flowers, like the above, are 

 generally too scattering to be of much value 

 unless cultivated.— A. J. Cook.] 



Battle Creek, Mich., June 14, 1879. 

 Peter James asks for information in the 

 June number of American Bee Journal, 

 page 251, how to clarify wax. I put lumps 

 of charcoal in the pan of water under my 

 extractor, and my wax comes out a hand- 

 some canary color. B. Salisbury. 



Shelby ville, Tenn., June 7, 1879. 

 I have tested smoker and foundation sent 

 me in April. The Bingham smoker is good; 

 I could not do without it. The foundation 

 is an invention which no successful bee- 

 keeper should do without. 1 have used it 

 in the brood chamber and as starters in 

 small frames for suplus honey, and the bees 

 so thinned it, that was it not for the yellow 

 appearance, 1 could not tell the difference in 

 it and natural comb. Bees are not doing 

 well in this county ; it has been a hard 

 time for them ; the frost killed all the early 

 bloom and the dry weather has injured 

 white clover, so that the bees have stored 

 no surplus honey as yet ; from 27 colonies I 

 have extracted 71 lbs. only. I have had but 

 6 swarms. J. W. Price. 



