1872.] 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



61 



in as bleak a place as can be found in the country. 

 The dread disease, dysentery, has taken our 

 ■workers. Here comes in another wish that we 

 had known of Novice's idea or knowledge of 

 feeding sugar syrup in the fall. Here is where 

 a "hint" would have been very valuable. 



Now a suggestion. Mr. Duffield, on page 262, 

 vol. 7, says : " If all the hives had the same size 

 frames, &c, it would do an immense good. 

 When can the beekeepers of the country have a 

 better time to get uniformity in the size of 

 frames than now? I for one am in favor of it, 

 and am willing to adopt some standard, so that 

 we can the quicker repair the damages should 

 disaster again come upon us. What say you 

 beekeepers, shall we do it ? 



Another suggestion : It is pleasant to read re- 

 ports and doings from different ones as to 

 seasons and prospects, results, &c, and one likes 

 to read understanding^ as to latitude and longi- 

 tude, and when one reads an interesting item or 

 article that has reference to bees, it is very 

 unpleasant (to me) to have the writer's name 

 only, or name, town and State ; it is sometimes 

 very agreeable to know the part of the State, all 

 towns and post offices are not on the maps, but 

 the counties* are, and so give us the counties 

 and date in all articles, that we can form a better 

 judgment and better comparison with our own 

 localities. * * * * 



Novice, in the June number of the American 

 Bee Journal, asks his western friends a question, 

 if the bees died with the disease after they 

 begun to fly in the spring. 



Now I can answer from the book. In the 

 last week in February, we had warm, pleasant 

 wieather, and for some few days in the first of 

 March bees flew splendidly. I had then nineteen 

 stocks. I put out rye flour, and they carried in 

 soflfte. I began to feel happy in my sorrow, to 

 think I had some capital left upon which t) 

 begin business again, but I was joyous too soon. 

 We soon had a cold, wet and freezing time, that 

 made everything tight, and my little pets began 

 "passing away," some days one swarm, other 

 days two or more, until I only had but two 

 rema ning. I lost the last on the 3d of April — 

 my last Italian swarm, sorry I was, indeed, then. 

 I looked among the dead and found the royal 

 bird, and with ah unpleasant sensation I spiked 

 her with a pin, and have her now in my case. 

 One favor from you, Mr. Editor — give us the 

 Journal twice a month during the summer at 

 least. We will pay you for it. That every sub- 

 scriber may meet with success with his bees this 

 season, is the earnest wish of 



F. W. Chapman. 



Morrison, Whiteside Co., 111., June 11, 1872. 



*We thought we were over liberal in giving, when- 

 ever possible, the name of every contributor and his 

 address ; but it seems from this and another writer in 

 this month's Journal, that we have committed the sin 

 of omission. Well, we shall try to amend. Our 

 practice is contrary to that of nearly all other papers 

 who give the county, but carefully conceal the resi- 

 dence of the writer — dreading that their subscribers 

 and contributors may be enticed away by competing 

 journals, a fear which we never entertained, and 

 which experience has taught to be groundless. — Ed. 



[For the American B3e Journal.] 



Things of Real Merit. 



The Pi. R. Murphy improved extractor, is 

 hard to beat, not breaking or cracking the ten- 

 derest combs. In fact it is about as near a perfect 

 machine as can be. Next is the new honey 

 knife of J. L. Peabody, very thin, concave in 

 shape on the one side, and of course convex on 

 the other This you will readily see allows a 

 very thin blade and still prevents springing. It 

 works the best of any one yet seen in that line. 

 Mr. Peabody has only sent out a few on trial, 

 and has none for sale this season. Next is Mr. 

 Adair's beefeeder. For cheapness and efficiency 

 it is just the very best thing in that line I have 

 ever seen. Two of those fitted into my nuclei 

 hives feed four nuclei, and the cost is not over 

 2 or 3 cents each, and they take up no room in 

 the hive, as they are fitted into divisions between 

 the two nuclei. Now, Mr. Editor. I am not 

 bribed to give those things a puff, but bee- 

 keepers are inquiring- after them privately, and 

 I prefer to answer them publicly. I have Mr. 

 Adair's new idea hive on trial, and shall report 

 as soon as convenient, just what I think of it, 

 even if some of my friends should get into 

 spasms. I also built three hives of the same 

 form, containing my own combs, and have them 

 on trial. 



E. Gallup. 



Orchard, Iowa. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



FROM NORTHWESTERN OHIO. 



A Visit to Dr. San ford's Apiary. 



Wearied with professional duties, and tired of 

 confinement to the office, under the sweltering 

 heat of the first week in July, with the ther- 

 mometer at 98° in the shade, I resolved to take 

 a stroll by way of recreation, into the suburbs 

 of our pleasant village (having a population 

 now sufficient to claim city honors). After a 

 a half hour's walk, I found myself at the apiary 

 of Dr. S. Sanford, which is situated on the east 

 bank of the Ottawa river, and just without the 

 city limits. The apiary is located on ground 

 gently sloping to the eastward, and protected 

 from the west winds by the bluff at the river'a 

 edge ; making a delightful situation for an 

 apiary. My natural love for bees, together with 

 the interest always awakened by having the 

 care and management of the "little pets," im- 

 pelled me to make a tour in the apiary. I found 

 the doctor among his bees, and after a short 

 time, within which to rest and cool off, he kindly 

 showed me though his apiary, and as it may be 

 interesting to some of your readers, I will give 

 a brief detail of what I saw and learned there 

 of hit mode of keeping bees. 



The doctor put into winter quarters eighty- 

 three colonies, of which number about fifty 



