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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[May, 



Amount of honey imported into the United States, 

 in the last three years, with the duty paid thereon, at 

 the rate of twenty cents per gallon. 



Year. Quantity. Value. Duty. 



1868 130,609 $71,899 90 836,121 80 



1869 140,596 78,639 85 38,119 20 



1870 113,438 68,483 30 23,487 60 



OORKESPONDENOE OP THE BEE JOUSNAL. 



Brunswick, Germany, February 2, 1871. — We have 

 had a very poor winter here for our bees. They have 

 not been able to fly out since the beginning of Decem- 

 ber, and have thus been unable to diseliaige their fajces 

 for nearly eight weeks. In January the temperature 

 was at 12 degrees below zero. In these circumstances 

 many colonies have already perished, and we are un- 

 easy as regards the fate of those yet surviving. — C. F. 

 H. Gravenuost. 



Silver Creek, Minn., j\Iarch 8.— Mr. W. H. Cutting, 

 in this town, bought one swarm of bees last spring. 

 From it he obtained one new swarm, and sixty (60) 

 pounds of honey from the old, and thirty (30) pounds 

 of box honey from the new swarm. Total, one swarm 

 and ninety pounds of honey. — S. Rowell. 



Borodino, N . T., March 11. — My bees have wintered 

 in the very best condition. They were weighed on 

 the 9tli of November, and put in winter quarters soon 

 afterwards. I set them out on the 9th of .March, and 

 found by weighing that they had consumed on an 

 average, a little less than four pounds of honey, or a 

 little Tess than a pound per month, each hive. 1 found 

 brood, (much to ray surprise, considering the amount 

 of honey they had consumed,) in three or four frames, 

 in nearly every hive, and young bees, just hatched, 

 quite plenty. The weather here is very warm for the 

 time of year, the thermometer standing at from 85 

 to 90 degrees in the sun. My pure Italians seemed 

 to be more quiet during the winter than either the 

 hybrids or blacks, and consumed less honey. I have 

 queens that produced workers which show the fourth 

 yellow band, Mr. AUsy to the contrary notwithstand- 

 ing. — G. M. DOOLITTLE. 



Le Claire, Iowa, March 15. — This is the first day 

 this spring that tlie bees worked on soft maple a 

 rye meal. — G. L. Gast. 



Beardstown, Ills., March 15. — My bees did not 

 do well last year. I wintered 175 colonies, some of 

 them weak. — J. F. Pappmeier. 



Allensville, Ky., March 15. — The Journal is in- 

 dispensable to all profitable bee raising. My bees 

 have passed the winter well, and have been carrying 

 in pollen rapidly since the 30th of February. The 

 last season was very good here, from the 20th of May 

 to the 10th of June. White cloVer is our sole depend- 

 ence for honey. True, we have fruit blossoms which 

 help us along some, but our reliance is on clover. — J. 

 H. Johnson. 



Willow Branch, Ind., March 18. — My bees are 

 all right so far, breeding finfely and doing well. I 

 can hardly wait from one month until the next for the 

 Journal. — Jonathan Smith. 



North Chili, N. T., March 18. — I have ten swarms 

 of black bees, which paid well during last season, and 

 I now propose to go in and win ; tliat is, I shall Ital- 

 ianize and use all means for success. I think one of 

 the needed appliances in such a case is the Journal. — 

 James Neel. 



Madison Station, Tenn., March 30. — The spring 

 has been very favorable for bees here, and the little fel 

 lows are having a glorious time now, gathering honey 

 from the peach, plum, pear, and red bud. If the 

 weather continues as favorable as it has been, swarms 

 will be ready to come out by the first of April. — S. 

 S. Hall. 



East Tilton, N. H., March 20. — Last season was 

 a very discouraging one for bee business in this vi- 

 cinity. A severe and protracted drouth was the cause. 

 This winter has been a very remarkably open and 

 changeable one, snow disappearing nearly two months 

 earlier than in the generality of seasons. There was 

 nothing like it within the recollection of the oldest in- 

 habitant. Bees were set out on their summer stands 

 from two to four weeks earlier than usual ; but very few 

 days have been warm enough yet for them to fly freely. 

 Taking into consideration that we shall have fully one 

 month or more, before the first blossoms will appear, 

 I apprehend a trying time for the bees this spring. 

 A year ago, 1 opened with seven stocks, increased to 

 fifteen. Did not get a pound of surplus honey, and 

 had to feed from seventy-five to one hundred pounds 

 of sugar syrup to winter through. Set out the fifteen 

 stocks about a fortnight ago. One stock has "gone 

 up " already. Bee fever very sensibly abating, though 

 still hoping for a little luck this year. I like the Jour- 

 nal, and cannot do without it, as Ions: as I try luck 

 on bees. Wish it came oftener. — J. B. R. Sanborn. 



Ghent, Ohio, March 30. — Bees came out of their 

 winter quarters in first rate condition, and we out 

 here must have the Old Reliable, if it is to be had. It 

 beats all what lots of pollen have been carried in the 

 hives for three or four days past, for this season of 

 the year, in our section of country. If the season con- 

 tinues as favorable as it has begun, we may expect 

 early swarms. — T. Pearson. 



Allen P.O., lND.,March 36. — I have seventy stands 

 of bees, all in good condition, except three or four 

 that are weak. They were wintered on their summer 

 stands. — W. A. Horton. 



CoMERSViLLE, Tenn., March 38. — My bees are do- 

 ing fine thus far this season. They commenced work 

 about the 30th of February and have worked on up 

 to tins time. I saw newly hatched bees flyim; on the 

 lOih of March. I have about eighty hive*, and have 

 lost only one since last fall, and it was queenless. — 

 J. F. Love. 



Gonzales, Texas, April 1. — My bees are doing 

 well. Say to my northern friends that my first swarm 

 came out on the 19th of March. I have had thirteen 

 new swarms, and hived them all safely. Last year 

 I had my first swarm on the 1st of April. Bees com- 

 menced storing honey on the 1st of March. I have 

 never known them to work so fast. If the season 

 continues good, I hope to make a large quantity of 

 honey. All the bees are doing well. I wish to com- 

 mence Italianizing next fall. I am working the black 

 bees, but they are very good tempered. They rarely 

 sting. My Bee Journal comes regularly, and I am 

 well pleased with it. — L. M. Cochran. 



West Trot, N. T., April 3. — Bees have wintered 

 finely in this section. Out of eighty-one (81) stocks 

 wintered on their summer stands I lost but three, 

 one of those by carelessness, and tlie other two I 

 think were queenless last fall. They have taken 

 flour for four weeks past, and seem to be breeding 

 uncommonly fast. March 31, 1 saw them carrying 

 in pollen from soft maple. If April and May should 

 prove as good as last year, I think we shall have very 

 early swarming ; but it is very seldom we have April 

 and May like last year. — W. M. Stratton. 



