In our last issue, we stated that Mons. 

 Bertrand had a yield of 59 lbs. of honey 

 from each of 8 colonies in his mountain 

 apiary. A correspondent makes the 

 following remarks concerning it: 



In your November number, page 481, 

 it is stated that a Swiss apiarist obtained 

 59 lbs. of honey per colony of 8. There 

 seems to be no reason for mentioning 

 it except as something uncommon. It 

 is nothing uncommon about here to get 

 much more than that from a series of 

 colonies. 



I removed my apiary in the fall of 

 1876 to a new place. The colonies were 

 not in good condition, but the following 

 statistics will show the product of honey 

 and swarms : 



In fall of 1877, I received 50 lbs. of 

 honey from each colony, with an in- 

 crease of 50 per cent.; in 1878, 1 got 150 

 lbs. of honey, and 66% per cent, in- 

 crease ; in 1879, I got 110 lbs. of honey, 

 and 120 per cent, increase. 



But I have yet to see how they will 

 get through the winter. Several years 

 ago one of our apiaries yielded about 

 175 lbs. per colony. I do not remember 

 the exact figures. Still I think 50 lbs. 

 per colony, with 25 per cent, increase, 

 ought to satisfy any reasonable person. 



Cincinnati, O. H. W. S. 



The incident was worthy of notice 

 only because of the general lack of the 

 honey yield in Europe, and that the 

 apiary in question was situated on on e 

 of the mountains of Switzerland, where 

 it is usually quite cold, It will never 

 do to compare the honey yield of any 

 part of Europe to our own. With the 

 immense number of our honey-produc- 

 ing trees, plants and shrubs, and our 

 usually good climate for the production 

 and gathering of honey, there can be no 

 doubt of our retaining during all "the 

 ages to come," the gratifying position 

 of being the best honey-producing 

 country in the world. 



^Mr. Perrine has had another fire 

 in his honey store in this city. Tne 

 damage was covered by insurance. 



HaTMr. J. Ansley asks how to cleanse 

 beeswax. On page 561 of this number 

 of the Journal, Mr. Scudder describes 

 his method of doing it. 



The following is a copy of the memo- 

 rial adopted by the Northeastern Wis- 

 consin Bee-Keepers' Convention, held 

 at Watertown, Wis., Sept. 2-3,1879. 



Hon. J. N. Tyneb, 1st Ass't. P. M. Gen- 

 eral :— Feeling that the ruling by you in 

 excluding queen bees and comb foundation 

 from the mail (with proper regulations in 

 regard to packing them), are both unjust 

 and oppressive, our committee have been 

 instructed to prepare a memorial to you 

 requesting your attention in regard to it. 

 Many persons live far distant from any ex- 

 press office, and are unable to obtain either 

 queen bees or foundation, except through 

 the mails ; and while we could never urge 

 that as a reason that any thing that could by 

 any possibility damage other mail matter 

 should be admitted, we feel that it is an 

 additional reason why we should urge our 

 rights as citizens. After dilligent inquiry, 

 we have faded to find that either of the 

 forbidden articles have in any manner 

 caused damage or inconvenience in the 

 mails, and you will bear in mind that when 

 the matter was brought to the attention of 

 Congress, although no vote was taken, it 

 was the expressed opinion of several Con- 

 gressmen, and the tacit opinion of others, 

 that any Postmaster ought to know that a 

 queen bee was not a live animal within the 

 intent of the law, and thus left the matter 

 in your hands. Will you not make another 

 appeal to Congress by bee-keepers unneces- 

 sary ? H. P. Sayles, 



A. A. Winslow, 



J. S. KlTTELL, 



Committee. 

 This, with several other documents 

 bearing on the subject, was read before 

 the National Convention at its late ses- 

 sion . A committee was appointed with 

 Prof. Cook as chairman, to bring the 

 matter before the Post Master General 

 and to endeavor to get his decision, ex- 

 cluding bees from the mails, reversed. 

 Prof. Cook has already started for the 

 East and will visit Washington and in- 

 terview the P. M. General before his 

 return. He has taken a new queen 

 cage, to submit to the department— one 

 that ought to be perfectly safe — meet- 

 ing all the requirements of the Postal 

 regulations. We shall report the result 

 as soon as the Professor returns. 



i^Mr. G. M. Doolittle reports, on 

 the 8th of November, 3 feet of snow 

 had fallen in Onondaga county, N. Y. 

 In Chicago up to that time we had only 

 an inch, and now the ground is bare. 



