284 



THE AMEEICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[June, 



nice as here, and that the white mustard was to 

 honey producers there what the ck)ver ishere. 



Mr. Joseph Cook lost ten swarms out of 44. 

 He considered the past winter a haid one for 

 the bees. This was tlie first lost in winterinff 

 he had met with, but he attributed it in great 

 measure to his failure to properly care for tliem. 



Mr. Henry Whilford lost eicjht swarms out of 

 29. Gave too much ujiward ventilation. He 

 thought it a good plan to put something inside 

 the iiive for the bees to fall on, so they could 

 return to the cluster. In response to a question, 

 he stated that combs moulded in this climate 

 long before the bees perished. He favored win- 

 tering bees in a house built for the purpose. The 

 winter was a severe one for beekeepers. 



Mr. Beebe stated that he had obtained 21 G 

 lbs. of box honey, and a new swarm from one 

 old one, in a single season. He oifered to wager 

 that he could in any season make more lut pfo- 

 fit fvoiii fifty suarms of bees, than could be made 

 inthemmei-eufiinfrom thirty cotes. He favored 

 Italians to the native black bets. He preferred 

 artificial swaiming where increases of stock 

 was desired. Thought natural swarms produced 

 the most honey. 



Mr. Campbell had taken 104 lbs. from one 

 swarm, leaving them enough for winter. 



]Mr. Grout obtained o5 lbs. a week from each 

 hive from each swarm by using the mel-extrac- 

 tor. 



Mr E H. Jenner had invested |75 in bees, 

 but had never realized $5 worth of honey. 

 Used the box hive, but should do so no longer. 

 In reply to a question, Mv. Beebe said he would 

 prefer to transfer swarms now, or else wait till 

 21 days after swarming, because there was less 

 brood at these two seasons. If now, make the 

 transfer in a warm room. Th.ere was consider- 

 able interest in improved hives, several leading 

 kinds were represented. The Beebe hive was 

 unanimously considered to be the very best hive 

 now before the public. The past winter had 

 firmly established the fact, that it was unequalled 

 for safe wintering bees upon their summer stands. 

 The simple yet efficient arrangement of the 

 comb frames received commendation. Cheap- 

 ness of construction, perfect adaptation to the 

 wants of the beekeepers, combined with com- 

 plete control secured over the bees are a few of 

 the superior merits of the bee hive. 



After listening with interest to an address by 



I\Ir. Albert M. Cook on the History and Use of 



the Honey Bee, the association adjourned to 



meet at Mayville, Tviesday, treptember 3d, 1872. 



Herbekt a. Bukch. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Dr, Eohrer's Trip to Europe. 



Mr. Editok. — Inasmuch as it was announced 

 in the columns of your .Journal for April, that I 

 was going to Italy for the purpose of importing 

 Italian queens, and as it is now evident I can- 

 not go, I deem it but justice to such as contem- 

 plated obtaining imported queens through me, 

 as well as to myself, to explain why I am not 

 going this season. 



On the morning of the 1.3th of the present 

 month I was about to complete my arrangements 

 for tlie trip, when the cry of fire attracted my 

 attention in the direction of my dwelling. It 

 was on fire, and was, together with much of my 

 household goods, consumed. This, of course, 

 turned my family into the street, and compelled 

 me to remain at home and rebuild. But if the 

 beekeepers of the country desire it, and will send 

 me their orders by the time the North American 

 Beekeepers' Association meets at Indianapolis, 

 in December next, I will start to Europe about 

 the first of April, 1873, so as to get back to this 

 country by the first of June. I ihink I can de- 

 liver the queens in New York in good order, 

 and send them from there to the end of their 

 journey for §12 each, which is much lower than 

 imported cjueens usually cost, as they are badly 

 packed, kept long on the route, and are roughly 

 handled, owing to which a large majority of 

 them perish on the way. Aside from this, many 

 of them fall far below the recognized standard 

 of purity, and consequently cannot give breeders 

 or their patrons satisfaction. These difficulties, 

 which are so exceedingly annoying to beekeep- 

 ers, I propose to remedy, if it is possible to clo 

 so, by selecting foreign ciucens in person, and 

 taking charge of them on their journey as far as 

 New York, at which point they will not be de- 

 tained but a few hours, as they will be so packed 

 as to be forwarded to their destination without 

 'repacking, but will remain in the original pack- 

 ages. The reason why I wi.sh to have the mat- 

 ter determined by the 10th of December i.s, that 

 it may be announced, and all rest assured that 

 the trip will be made. I wish at least one hun- 

 dred orders. G. Boerer. 

 Alexandria, Ind., April 21, 1872. 



I hope to get up a club for your paper, alid 

 the above names are of parties who will be likely 

 to want it. Our county is quite newly settled, 

 but my own and my neighbor's bees did well last 

 season, and I think there is a growing interest 

 in the culture which I should like to see en- 

 couraged. 



I sowed twelve acres of alsike this spring, and 

 though the old fogies' cry "can't raise it" has 

 been sounded in my ears on all sides, I have the 

 satisfaction of seeing a good stand and the wea- 

 ther most favorable for its growth. I have no 

 doubt that with the addition of this pasturage 

 to that of the wild flowers they will store plenty 

 of honey. N. H. S. 



West Point, Neb., May 13, 1872. 



[For the American Bee Journal. ] 

 I promised to report this spring how my bees 

 wintered. It nearly makes me sick to think of 

 the fatality of the past winter among bees in this 

 country. Out of forty-seven strong stocks and 

 one weak one I have but ten left, and some of 

 them very weak. Bee cholera the cause. But 

 I do not feel like giving it up yet, so I have 

 dought some more and am going to try again, 

 and dp what 1 can this season in making up my 

 loss. * * * I ^as truly sorry to hear of the 

 beath of our editor. Jonathan Smith. 



Willow B^-anch, Ind., April 24, 1872. 



