and pack for winter. They are in rows 

 about 2 feet apart on a low platform. 

 I drive stakes on the north side, 10 

 inches from the hives, and on the south 

 side about 4 inches. I make a passage 

 for the entrance through the packing, 

 and set up boards and pack with dry 

 leaves from the timber ; oak leaves are 

 the best. Pack solid all around and 

 cover with boards to protect from the 

 rain. I use leaves because they keep 

 out more cold than any other material. 

 I would rather have 4 inches of leaves 

 than 12 inches of straw. 



I wintered 12 colonies in 1877-8, with- 

 out loss ; last spring my bees came out 

 as bright as gold, not a particle of dis- 

 ease among them, there was no frost or 

 moisture in the hives during the winter. 

 My bees came out better than any in 

 this locality. 



I lost 12 out of 69, not however by bad 

 wintering : Three were small nuclei 

 and starved ; 2 were queenless colonies 

 made so when extracting, and 7 were 

 murdered and robbed by other bees, 

 by my own fault, for not contracting the 

 entrances in time. 



My method involves, considerable 

 trouble and work ; but bees packed in 

 this way are so comfortable in cold 

 weather that they do not feel the sudden 

 changes, and only fly when it is suffi- 

 ciently warm for them to return. 



Peru, 111., Dec. 15, 1879. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Notes from Missouri. 



LEE EMERICK. 



On the western border of Missouri, 

 adjoining Kansas, is situated the large 

 and fertile county of Cass, noted for its 

 rich prairies, fine timber and beautiful 

 landscapes, Dotting the prairies here 

 and there are picturesque mounds, from 

 the tops of which may be obtained 

 grand views of winding streams and 

 charming valleys, studded with neat 

 farm houses. The soil is productive 

 and produces all fruits and grains com- 

 mon to this latitude, but wheat, corn 

 and flax are the staple grain products. 

 Much attention is also paid to stock- 

 raising, principally cattle and hogs. 



Bees usually do well, and many colo- 

 nies are kept in our villages and scat- 

 tered among the farmers ; but there is 

 only one or two in the county that 

 makes apiculture a specialty. ' The 

 Langstroth hive is generally used, and 

 a good many Italian bees have been in- 

 troduced. The bee-keepers are usually 

 up with the times, and obtain the latest 

 improvements. Much credit for the 



interest felt here in apiculture is due to 

 Thos. VVharry, who tirst introduced the 

 Langstroth hive and Italian bees in this 

 region. He was an enthusiast. He 

 loved the bees, and never became tired 

 of giving information to those seeking 

 a knowledge of bee-keeping. He de- 

 served success, but his apiary was much 

 depleted by a severe winter, and soon 

 after that his wife died and he, with his 

 little boy, went to Texas. But the 

 interest he aroused still survives. 



The honey crop this year is a failure. 

 There is no surplus and many colonies 

 will perish from starvation before the 

 spring flowers bloom. The honey fail- 

 ure is contrary to the usual order of 

 Nature, as a good crop year and a good 

 honey year usually go together. But 

 this year it is an exception, as we have 

 had an extraordinary crop of wheat, 

 | flax and corn, the latter averaging from 

 50 bushels, upwards. There was less 

 bloom than usual, but what bloom there 

 was did not seem to secrete nectar. 

 Such a season as the past is certainly 

 discouraging to the apiarist who makes 

 bee-keeping a specialty. But by mixed 

 husbandry when one interest proves a 

 failure another may give an abundance, 

 and thus a competency be secured each 

 year. 



There was no honey-dew last sum- 

 mer. Old settlers state that honey-dew 

 was very abundant in past seasons, that 

 it really dripped from the leaves of the 

 trees and the prairie grass was sticky 

 with it, and the prairie chickens got so 

 gummed with it, that they could not fly. 

 This may appear an exaggerated state- 

 ment, but I know my informants are 

 men of veracity who would not make a 

 misstatement. This being true there 

 must be some other theory than that of 

 Aphis or plant lice to account for it. 

 Some years honey-dew is very abundant 

 here, and is found most on the hickory 

 and oak. I have never been able to 

 discover any Aphis at work. The 

 honey from the dew is inferior in qual- 

 ity but improves with age. 



I had 90 colonies last winter but lost 

 20 during the winter and spring. So I 

 began last spring with 70 colonies in 

 good condition. By natural and arti- 

 ficial swarming I again increased to 90 

 colonies and these are being; wintered 

 on their summer stands. The stronger 

 colonies furnished surplus honey enough 

 Ho share with the weak and I think they 

 all now have an abundance. This sum- 

 mer I succeeded in Italianizing my 

 apiary. Rearing from an Imported 

 queen which produced dark queens, 

 varying in color. My Henderson queen 

 never failed to produce large yellow 

 queens, exact duplicates of the mother. 



