THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



273 



GLEANINGS FROM CORRE- 

 SPONDENCE. 



Mulberry, Pa. 

 Am. Apicultukist : 



Our honey flow was short and sweet. 

 Last winter two-thirds of all the bees 

 in old gums and boxes were killed by 

 cold. The spring was late, but my 

 bees were in fair trim for the fruit 

 blossom which amounts to some sec- 

 tion honey with us by proper manage- 

 ment and good weather. The fruit 

 blossom came and was immense ; every 

 twig was loaded with blossoms and 

 filled with nectar. Bees worked at it 

 about two good days and tilled the 

 brood-chamber, when it began to rain 

 until the fruit and fruit blossoms were 

 all ruined. No fruit now. Next came 

 the locust and full of nectar too, but 

 the bees hardly got started when the 

 cold rain began again and continued 

 nearly two weeks. By this time, the 

 fields were covered with white clover, 

 but it was too cold for the honey to 

 secrete. After the rain was over and it 

 grew warmer, we had seven days on the 

 white clover and such a white clover 

 honey shower I never witnessed in 

 this part of Pennsylvania before. Then 

 the white clover was at an end and the 

 bees have hard work to keep even ever 

 since. During that short honey flow 

 I doubled stock and secured twenty- 

 five pounds of honey per colony. We 

 may get a good fall flow from the as- 

 ters, boneset, etc. Honey is begin- 

 ning to come now from catnip, horse- 

 mint and various other flowers. Most 

 persons who did not encourage their 

 bees in. the spring, by stimulative feed- 

 ing and protection, secured no surplus 

 whatever. We had very little of the 

 great drought of the west but still the 

 season was very unfavorable for the 

 bees. 



L. W. LiGHTY. 



Lake George, N. Y. 



Mr. Alley 



The queen I got from you last year 

 was the best one out of all I bought of 

 other dealers. They are very gentle, 

 and the best houey gatherers I have 

 yet had. 



Yours, 



F. A. LOCKHAKT. 



Fine Plains, N. Y., Aug. 17, 1887. 

 Dear Sir : 



The honey crop in this section is 

 almost an entire failure on account of 

 the extreme drought. In June, clover 

 yielded but very little honey, and notv 

 we are having so much rainy weather, 

 together with cool nights, that we shall 

 get no surplus from buckwheat. Poor- 

 est season I ever saw. 



Yours respectfully, 

 G. H. Knickerbocker. 



Bidgewa]!, Ont. 

 The honey season of '87 was like 

 some young men of the present day : 

 promised well, but did'nt pay worth a 

 cent. The drought which wns general 

 from Hudson Bay to the Gulf of Mex- 

 ico cut short what would have other- 

 wise been a splendid crop. Abundant 

 rains, however, for the last few weeks 

 will insure a fair supply of fall forage, 

 perhaps enough for winter stores. 

 G. F. Dunn. 



Dundee, Mich. 



Friend Alley ; The queen I received 

 from you came through all riylit and 

 she isa daisy and you may expect my 

 orders for next season's queens. 



The queen and drone trap is perfect 

 inall the points for which it is designed. 

 Go on, Brother Alley, and help on the 

 cause of apiculture. 



Respectfully, 



D. C. Buck. 



Fort Wayne, hid. 

 Henry Alley. 

 Dear Sir : 



Please send me a sample copy 

 of the " American Apiculturist " and 

 oblige. The honey crop is a failure in 

 this section and there are lots of bees 

 that will have to be fed or they will 

 starve the coming winter. This is my 

 first season and I feel a little discour- 

 aged. 



E. A. Miller. 



Corning, Iowa. 

 Mr. Alley. 

 Dear Sir: 



Received queen all right. I in- 

 troduced her and she is laying. She is 

 the first queen I ever saw. Have also 

 received Api. 



Yours respectfully, 



Jas. a. Russell. 



