weather cut it short for about 8 clays. About 

 the 11th of July bees struck basswood in 

 full bloom about sunrise, and bee-keepers 

 know how excited the bees become. We 

 find ourselves with an abundance of honey, 

 and have had one of the best of seasons. I 

 report from my small apiary of 39 colonies 

 the 1st of June, all told, 41 young swarms, 

 and 2,000 lbs, of surplus honey. The price 

 of honey in this section, I think, will be 

 about 12%c. per lb. by the 100 lbs. 



James Baird. 



Farragut, Iowa, August 18, 1879. 

 I send you a branch of weed that I would 

 like the name of in the next Journal, ; I 

 thought it might be pepper tree, but do not 

 know. I never saw but one stalk in this 

 country, and cannot imagine how it came 

 here. It is in my apiary, and has been in 

 bloom over a month ; is always covered with 

 bees. Bees have not done very well here 

 this year, being a poor summer. Last win- 

 ter about 30 per cent. died. I wintered 20 

 colonies successfully in the cellar. They 

 are doing well now. E. J. Rockefellow. 



[This is Serophularia nodosa or Figwort. 

 For figure see Manual of Apiary, page 238. 

 It is a common plant in the northern states, 

 and is often referred to in Mr. A. I. Root's 

 paper and book as Simpson's honey plant. 

 —A. J. Cook.J 



Pawnee City, Neb., Aug. 9, 1879. 

 I must say that I am very much pleased 

 with the American Bee Journal ; I am 

 also a lover of the "blessed bees." Last 

 year I commenced with 1 colony : increased 

 that year to 7, and got $10 to $12 worth of 

 honey. Through the winter a goodly num- 

 ber of bees died, and 1 came out queenless, 

 but finally all recruited up again. This 

 season, as far as 1 can find out, in this local- 

 ity bees are doing very poorly, but very few 

 have swarmed naturally. I increased mine 

 to 12. Surplus we have none to expect, if 

 they gather enough for their own use, we 

 will say well done. P. Billing. 



Brandywine Summit, Pa., Aug. 18, 1879. 



My apiary house and about 2,000 lbs. comb 

 honey were burned on the 11th inst. No 

 clue to the incendiary has been found. Bees 

 have fared the worst this season we ever 

 knew. All the time the white clover was in 

 bloom the nights were cold enough for Octo- 

 ber, and we could not get the bees to stay in 

 the boxes over night ; they would return to 

 the brood combs. We took 3,000 lbs. from 200 

 colonies, all comb honey. They are work- 

 ing nicely now on buckwheat ; if they con- 

 tinue another week, our crop from buck- 

 wheat will exceed that from white clover. 

 1 saw that the bees deserted white clover 

 and worked very freely on red clover, some- 

 thing I never saw before. We would have 

 lost our entire crop of honey by the fire, but, 

 fortunately, had over 1,000 lbs. stored in an- 

 other building. About 8 colonies of bees 

 were ruined by the flames. Another apiary 

 in the neighborhood was entirely destroyed 

 by the building being set on fire, together 

 with 25 colonies of bees adjoining. The 

 apiary belonged to Marshall Fell, at Mar- 



shalltown, Pa. It was well cared for, and 

 had been much admired for its beauty. 

 When the wax got on fire in the hives, per- 

 sons could not get any where near to remove 

 the adjoining hives. J. T. Williamson. 



Eminence, Ky., August 17, 1879. 

 Enclosed I send you a sprig of a plant 

 that I have been watching for 2 years. 

 Please tell me the name of it (the common 

 name also) ; it stays in bloom about 7 weeks 

 and is constantly covered with bees from 

 morn till night, even in time of white clover 

 bloom. It commences to bloom about the 

 middle of June, grows in bunches like sage ; 

 grows mostly in low, wet ground; but I 

 have some under cultivation in the garden 

 with same results. 1 send you a few seeds. 

 I set out plants ; have never tried the seed. 

 It surely is a fine honey plant. Answer in 

 Bee Journal. W. T. Stewart. 



[The sprig and seeds you send are mother- 

 wort.— Ed.] 



West Branch, Iowa, Aug. 19, 1879. 

 Has there been any arrangement made 

 with the C, R. I. & P. R. R., for reduced 

 fare to the North American Bee-Keepers' 

 Convention, to be held Oct. 21, in Chicago ? 

 If not, please see if anything can be done, 

 as there will probably be a considerable 

 number who will wish to go over that road 

 to attend. Please answer through the Jour- 

 nal. Bees have been doing poorly for the 

 past month in this locality. The honey har- 

 vest was of very short duration, and will 

 not be more than half of last year's crop in 

 amount. Colonies are generally stronger 

 than last year at this time, on account of not 

 swarming so much. Last season the bees 

 had a general swarming mania. 



C. T. Penrose. 



[No special arrangement can be made with 

 the above named road. When ten or more 

 persons wish tickets at one time, from the 

 same station to Chicago and return, over 

 that, and nearly all other roads, they can be 

 obtained in Chicago at excursion rates, 

 which are one and one-fifth fares — that is, a 

 reduction of four-fifths on the return tick- 

 ets. The Journal, in its July number, p. 

 294, gave a list of all the roads with which 

 the Executive Committee could make special 

 rates.— Ed.] 



Bloomington, 111., Aug. 14, 1879. 

 Bees at present are at a stand-still. 1 have 

 now in a fair condition 53 colonies, and my 

 son has 73. We have some hopes of more 

 honey in the fall. Plenty of rain, and an 

 abundance of heartsease coming into bloom. 

 J. L. Wolcott. 



Callicoon, N. Y., Aug. 19, 1879. 

 My estimate last month of honey crop 

 should be reduced at least one-half, as we 

 shall not get 25 per cent, of usual quantity. 

 Buckwheat is now in full bloom, but the 

 bees cannot get at it on account of unfavor- 

 able weather. A. E. Wenzel. 



