246 



Wilmington, N. C, April 2, 1880. 

 I, and I firmly believe 99 out of every 

 100 of the subscribers of the American 

 Bee Journal,, have the fullest confi- 

 dence in its editor's honor and integ- 

 rity, and his ability to properly conduct 

 the Bee Journal. And we will ever 

 be glad to see the Journal move *' on- 

 ward and upward," as it has been doing 

 ever since my acquaintance with it. 



" We have hope that the love of the truth 

 Will preside in the bosoms of all. 

 So that man, whether old or 1n youth. 

 May speak f : eely, not fearing to fall." 



Our bees are in tip-top order, and the 

 hives crammed full to overflowing with 

 bees. We will have lots of swarms by 

 the middle of this month in this lati- 

 tude. Don't you wish you were down 

 here in our bright and jolly sunny 

 clime ? Yes, I am sure you do. Let's 

 have the next year's meeting of the Na- 

 tional Association here in Wilmington. 

 R. C. Taylor. 



[The location of the National Con- 

 vention for 1881 will rest entirely with 

 those present at Cincinnati next fall. 

 If those present think it best to locate 

 the next further South, or East, or 

 West, we shall be satisfied. It should 

 be in a different State every year, we 

 think, to make it the most beneficial to 

 the great body of apiarists. We desire 

 only its permanent good, and have no 

 axe to grind or selfish purpose to serve 

 with it— Ed.] 



De Kalb Junction,N.Y.,Mar.30,1880. 

 About a year ago I promised my re- 

 port at the close of the honey season, 

 but failed to give it. We had a good 

 honey season, for a short one, no honey 

 being gathered after July 25. I began 

 the season with 116 colonies, increased 

 them to 210 by natural swarming, and 

 obtained about 8,000 lbs of comb honey, 

 mostly in prize boxes. I sold the bulk 

 of the crop for 19 cts. per lb. Bees in 

 this section are now all in cellars, and 

 will be for some time to come. I do not 

 know what condition my bees are in, 

 for I have not seen them but once since 

 they went into winter quarters, and 

 that was the last of January. They are 

 20 miles from home in a cellar, and 

 were in fine condition when last seen. 

 We are looking for a poor honey harvest, 

 here the coming season, as there has 

 been but little snow, and for the last 

 two months the ground has been bare, 

 thawing every day and freezing every 

 night, which as a rule kills nearly all 

 the white and Alsike clover, the best 

 sources of honey in this section. About 



every third year is a regular bee-killer 

 with those that do not feed their bees 

 when honey fails. Much is said of late 

 about dollar queens. I have paid $5 sev- 

 eral times for queens, yet I have never 

 got one that produced as good workers 

 as those sent me by II. Alley for a dol- 

 lar. The workers reared from the dollar 

 queens would find honey if it was to be 

 had, and store it in the boxes at once. 

 Another important point in their favor 

 was that they were small eaters while 

 in winter quarters. I do not rear queens 

 to sell at any price, but this is my ex- 

 perience. Ira Barber. 



Rice County, Minn., March 20, 1880. 



In the fall of 1876 1 bought 4 colonies 

 of bees for $40. The next fall I had 400 

 lbs. of comb honey worth $100, and 14 

 swarms worth $100, the income from 

 these being $200. 



In the fall of 1877 and the next spring 

 I had 18, and in the fall I had 1,100 lbs. 

 of comb honey, worth $220, and 26 

 swarms, with the 18 original colonies 

 making 44. The next spring they came 

 out all right, and I sold 22 of them for 

 $112, making $332 income from them, 

 and had 22 colonies left. 



In the fall of 1879 I had 750 lbs. of 

 comb honey, worth $135, and I sold $25 

 worth of bees and had 50 colonies left, 

 26 more than I had in the spring, worth 

 $100 ; the income of honey and bees be- 

 ing $260. 



Last year I ran them for honey. I 

 have not lost one colony in winter or 

 summer. Who can show a better rec- 

 ord V This was all done with the little, 

 despised, black bee, and with nothing 

 but log and box hives. Now, would you 

 advise me to get some frame hives and 

 Italian bees, so that I might lose half 

 of them every winter and gather less 

 honey Y Joseph Coeagne. 



[We should never advise a change when 

 doing so well — but where can you find 

 another that has such a regular bonanza 

 as you have ? See what a honey-pro- 

 ducing country, honey market with 

 high prices, and desirable location, with 

 industrious bees, you report I The like 

 of this can hardly be found anywhere 

 else, and you will do well if you can 

 keep it all to yourself. " Mum's the 

 word," for your benefit.— Ed.] 



Shelbyville, Tenn., April 10, 1880. 

 My 36 colonies wintered well, and are 

 now at work in surplus boxes. I had 

 drones on the 1st of April. 



J. W. Price. 



