1871.] 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



83 



lOth of March, I commenced operations with ten 

 Italian stocks. About the IStli I added to 

 these three blaclc colonies, and toward the latter 

 part of May, two more black stocks. The black 

 queens in these, and their drone brood, were im- 

 mediately removed, and Italian queens given 

 them. From the ten original stocks, and the five 

 additional, I now have in my apiary forty-six 

 full sized strong stocks, and twelve half-sized 

 stocks. The small stocks I keep employed rais- 

 ing queens for my own use ; but they, each, con- 

 tain five full sized Langstroth frames, nearly all 

 of whicli are full of comb honey, and bi'ood, with 

 abundance of bees that seem to feel perfectly at 

 home. I think they will all be strong enough to 

 winter well. In addition to this increase of 

 stocks, I have taken with the extractor consider- 

 ably over five hundred (500) pounds of liquid 

 honey. I am taking honey neaily every day ; 

 and from present appearances will yet get several 

 hundred pounds more, and make I don't know 

 how many more stocks. 



In concluding my too tedious communi<!ation, 

 I will say that I am satisfied with the jirofits of 

 this season, but expect to do better in another. 



M. C. Hester. 



Charlestoion, Ind., June 30, 1871. 



tt^ We are pleased to receive so gratifying a re- 

 port from one who was not so discouraged by the dis- 

 astrous bee cholera of 1868, as to be unwilliug to " try 

 again." That there will be seasons of faihn-e in bee 

 culture occasionally, just as there are crop failures 

 and fruit failures, must be looked for as among the 

 probable contiugencies of human events ; but their 

 actual occurrence should serve rather to stimulate 

 than dishearten. 



The heavy losses incurred by many in 1868, were 

 certainly discouraging, and that some were thereby de- 

 terred from further prosecuting bee-culture, is by no 

 means surprising ; but in most instances, where the 

 business was taken up with renewed zeal and energy, 

 eminent success has crowned the effort. " Years of 

 failure," says the German adage " are years of in- 

 struction to the iutelligeut bee-keeper " — the truth of 

 which saying is well illustrated by such cases as the 

 foregoing. — [Ed. 



[For the Amoiican Bee Journal.] 



Letter from West Virginia. 



Mr. Editor : — As it is seldom you receive a 

 communication from this section of the country, 

 I have concluded to send you a short one, if only 

 to let you know that there are a few bee-keepers 

 in our community, who take an interest in, and 

 are trying to keep pace with all the improvements 

 in that most fascinating of all pirrsuits — apicul- 

 ture. 



As I am but a, novice, comparatively, you nor 

 your readers will not expect any new ideas or sug- 

 gestions from me. There is a common interest 

 and sympathy, which I believe is felt by every 

 lover of bee-culture, which forms, in a certain 

 sense, a bond of union among them, and mani- 

 fests itself in the desire to learn the success or 

 failure of the others, and also in a generous feel- 

 ing that prompts those whose knowledge and 

 exj^erience fits them as teachers to instruct their 



less skilful and less informed brethren. I think 

 no profession, calling, or class can lay claim to 

 more generous impulses. The rivalry whicli 

 sometimes exists, is for the most part a generous 

 rivalry, or rather emulation, as to who will best 

 succeed, and most advance the cause. I ought 

 possibly to make some exceptions as to this rule ; 

 one of which I think may be found in certain 

 parties "avIio run a machine" in New York. 



Having read so many instructive articles from 

 your numerous contributors, I feel as if we were 

 old acquaintances. Novice, in the last volume, 

 in "giving in liis experience" in regard to the 

 pleasure with which the Bee Journal is received, 

 has given mine. The mails bring me nothing 

 that is received with a more hearty welcome. 

 By the way, if Novice's attachment to that name 

 is not too strongly rooted, I think it is time he 

 would resign it to some one else. I would sug- 

 gest " Adept " as a better name for him. 



It is only within the last few years that even 

 a few bee-keepers in this part of the country 

 have manifested any interest in advanced bee-cul- 

 ture. It is often quite amusing to hear many of 

 the foolish and superstitious notions that are 

 believed and asserted as facts, even by those who 

 have kept bees nearly all their lives. 



This, I think, generally speaking, is a fine 

 country for bees. It abounds in fruit trees of 

 various kinds, besides locusts, poplars, &c., as 

 well as an abundance of white clover, raspberry, 

 and many other honey-producing flowers ; and 

 in the fall, the Aster, in full supply, comes in, in 

 time to save many late swarms. 



But this season, so far, has been the most un- 

 favorable I have known here. The fruit trees 

 bloomed early in April, and some strong stocks 

 swarmed in the latter part of that month and the 

 first few days in May ; at whicli time a cold wet 

 spell of weather set in, lasting for about two 

 weeks, followed by very dry weather up to the 

 present time. Although white clover has bloomed 

 in profusion, it affords no honey, the bees scarcely 

 visiting it. This is our season for storing sur- 

 plus honey, yet hardly a single stock is working 

 in boxes. 



Bees here are always wintered on their summer 

 stands. We do not have the trouble and expense 

 of bee-houses. We, however, find it very diffi- 

 cult to keep Italian bees pure here, on account 

 of the great number of black bees in the country. 

 I hope the time will soon come when the fertili- 

 zation of the queen can be controlled, and thit 

 by some simple process that any intelligent api- 

 arian can understand and adopt. The m.ui who 

 will perfect this discovery, will rank with Lang- 

 stroth and Hruschka, and will "attain unto the 

 first three " among the mighty men in the bee- 

 keeping kingdom. 



Some of us find it difficult to procure Italian 

 queens. I sent an order to Mr. Alley, accom- 

 panied with the money, nearly a year ago, and I 

 have not yet received my queens. I wrote to him 

 on the subject last fall, and again this spring. 

 In his last letter he promised to send them by 

 the last of May or the first of June ; but they 

 have not yet arrived. I am somewhat surprised 

 at this, as he is spoken of in the Journal as a 

 reliable dealer. If he treats many othei's so, I 



