after April 6th, 1879 ; then in 3 weeks I 

 lost 16 colonies on account of old age of 

 the bees, as the spring was very late. I . 

 used the same hives and most of the 

 combs, after cleaning thoroughly. I 

 built up again to 24 colonies, which are 

 in good condition at the present time. 

 I also obtained 400 lbs. of comb honey, 

 which at 15c. per lb., amounted to $60, 

 and 200 lbs. of extracted honey, which 

 I fed back in September. I purchased 

 1,000 feet lumber for packing, etc., at 

 $10.00, leaving a profit of $50.00 for 1879. 



I use the movable comb hive, and in- 

 crease by dividing. I began on a small 

 scale, but am going in on a larger one. 

 The Bee Journal improves each year. 



Carlton, Mich., Jan. 10, 1S80. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Ladies and the National Convention. 



MRS. D. C. SPENCER. 



I sincerly regret that any of our lady 

 bee-keepers felt disposed to complain of 

 the courtesies extended to them at the 

 National Convention. 



I was satisfied that all of the gentle- 

 men (especially our President) seemed 

 disposed to do all in their power, to 

 make the occasion one of pleasure and 

 profit to all. I for one, can say that I 

 was much pleased with the proceedings 

 of the Convention, and consider myself 

 much benefitted by the knowledge there 

 obtained, and hope that I may have tfte 

 pleasure of attending many more such. 



Augusta, Wis. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



The Season, Honey Plants, &c. 



J. E. BREED. 



The last season was not half an 

 average for honey ; but increase was 

 good. We had too many frosts and too 

 much dry wether. The bees are % in 

 chaff houses (dog houses, some call 

 them), out of doors and all the weak 

 and late swarms are nicely fixed in the 

 cellar, in a room all by themselves, and 

 are quiet and doing well. 



Last fall, the season. was a very poor 

 one, and though I commenced very 

 early, getting fixed for winter, I had so 

 much to do that the early cold weather 

 caught me behind somewhat. 



I have tried many bee plants in this 

 locality. Cleome and motherwort are 

 seldom visited ; on the sunflower I never 

 saw a bee, before this year. Catnip 

 and melilot are good enough. Alsike 

 and white clover are my stand-by. 

 Raspberry is fair. I never saw a honey 



bee on blackberries, though there are a 

 plenty here. Golden rod this year was 

 good. The asters are always good. 

 Basswood is good, most years. Mustard 

 is always famous. I never believed 

 that bees worked on tamarack until I 

 saw them, this year. They do and no 

 mistake. Willow herb is plenty and 

 good for honey, as are the maples. 



To-day the out-door bees are having 

 a splendid fly, the first for a long time, 

 and I am home again. Their music 

 beats all the organs ever made. They 

 enjoy the fly, and I do so, too, to hear 

 and see them. They all seem to be do- 

 ing well. I do not disturb them after 

 putting them up for winter, and I never 

 disturb the brood-nest unless something 

 is wrong. 1 know that chaff houses 

 (my kind), with 1 foot of chaff all over 

 the hive, is the sort for this latitude. 



Foundation is a grand thing ; in fact, 

 indispensable, if we would succeed. 

 Mrs. Dunham makes the right kind ; it 

 does not sag or break down, and they 

 work it out days ahead of other kinds. 



Waupaca Co., Wis., Jan. 4, 1880. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



My Experience with a Native Colony. 



R. L. AYLOR. 



My bees had a good fly on Jan. 3d and 

 4th." One colony of blacks swarmed 

 out on the 3d. As they were so vicious 

 I put them up to starve. They killed 

 4 or 5 Italian queens that I introduced, 

 and when I gave them Italian brood to 

 rear one from, they reared one, but 

 when she was just ready to come out of 

 the cell, they pulled her out and killed 

 her. They served 4 or 5 ripe Italian 

 queen-cells in the same manner. I 

 finely gave them a frame of native 

 brood, and they reared a queen. When 

 returning from her bridal trip, she went 

 into an Italian colony standing about 3 

 feet from her own hive and killed its 

 nice Italian queen and was accepted by 

 that colony, so instead of one native 

 colony I had two of them. Being dis- 

 gusted with them, I determined to let 

 them die out. The drones and queen 

 were small and I could not find the lat- 

 ter, so I took the frames about 50 steps 

 away and shook off the bees, but they 

 all went back to the hive. This I re- 

 peated several times but it was of no 

 avail, and when I put up my bees for 

 winter, I left them to their fate ; on 

 Jan. 3d they came out and started for 

 parts unknown, to my entire satisfac- 

 tion. I could not do without the Bee 

 Journal, and wish it much success. 



Waterloo, Ky.. Jan. 5, 18S0. 



