Owensville, O., April 9, 1880. 

 My bees have wintered well, and con- 

 sumed but little of their stores. The 

 weather has been cool since March 1 ; 

 freezing some nights. The bees are not 

 breeding up very fast. The prospect 

 for a good yield of honey I think is good. 

 J. B. Rapp. 



Chester, S. C, March 24, 1880. 

 My bees are doing well — the fruit is 

 beginning to bloom. Here we have no 

 spring dwindling. Bees gather no 

 honey in July and August here. I can- 

 not do without the 'assistance of the 

 Bee Journal. I think more and 

 more of it, every number I get. 



H. S. Hardin. 



Seymour, Incl,, Jan. 1, 1880. 

 According to previous arrangement, 

 I now report on my trial apiary. Last 

 spring I purchased queens of the fol- 

 lowing persons, at dates named, and 

 number them as they were received: 



1. Kev. A. Salisbury & Hays, May 7, 1879. 



2. J. M. Brooks & Bio., May 9, 1S79. 



3. A. F. Moon, June 6, 1879. 



4. W. P. Henderson, June 14, 1879. 



5. Aaron Benedict, June 24, 1879. 



They were all successfully introduced, 

 and in due time sent out their offspring, 

 and, upon examination, I found I had 

 bees of all colors, from a black to a 

 golden red. 



No. 1 was a fine queen, very prolific, 

 workers a light leather color, three 

 distinct bands; drones medium to dark. 



No. 2 was a fine queen, very prolific, 

 of a bright golden color ; drones of a 

 golden color, bands almost as well 

 marked as the workers, altogether the 

 finest drones I ever saw. 



No. 3, fine looking queen, but her off- 

 spring was from a black to a bright 

 Italian. I pronounce her a hybrid. 



No. 4, workers leather color, bands 

 distinct; drones dark. 



No. 5, received a fine queen in the 

 cool weather in May with less than a 

 dozen bees with her. She was chilled. 

 I caged her and placed her in the midst 

 of a colony of bees, but in a short time 

 she was dead. I wrote Mr. Benedict, 

 and he sent me another on June 24; 

 she lived only four weeks, and I only 

 saw her workers, which were dark 

 leather color, but had the three bands. 



In this report I have said nothing 

 about prices paid for them ; have only 

 to say that they cost me from $2.50 to 

 $5 each. 



I ordered a queen from H. A. Burch & 

 Co., but as they did not supply it till 

 late in the season I received my money 

 back. C. H. Hancock. 



Paris, 111., April 5, 1880. 

 We organized a bee-keepers' Conven- 

 tion here on the 27th ult. ; meet again 

 on May 1st. J. A. Nelson. 



Glasgow, Scotland, March 26, 1880. 



Bees have wintered remarkably well 

 all through Great Britain and Ireland. 

 Not more than 1 in 50 colonies have died. 

 Reports from all quarters state that the 

 bees are now in first class condition, 

 but will need a little spring feeding. 

 John D. Hutchinson. 



Austin, Minn., April 3, 1880. 

 My bees commenced dying last fall 

 and I have lost 15 colonies — cause, un- 

 sealed, thin, sour honey — can extract 

 easily with my hands. Bees kept dying 

 all winter until dwindled out, and will 

 continue so until the stuff is removed 

 from the combs, when health is restored. 

 The honey was gathered in a wet sea- 

 son. Symptons: Bees bloated, dragging 

 themselves around with wings in motion; 

 others bloated abdomen with shining 

 black body and shrunken head. I could 

 have prevented the loss had I had the 

 experience. I have now both loss and 

 experience. Frank A. Ticknor. 



Byron, 111., March 23, 1880. 

 I put 25 colonies into winter quarters 

 last fall, have lost one by mice. Part 

 were in the cellar, and part were 

 packed in straw ; the latter are breed- 

 ing the most rapidly now, but suffered 

 most with mice. In future I shall 

 place wire cloth above the frames to 

 prevent the entrance of mice. The 

 queen I procured from the Bee Jour- 

 nal apiary is laying vigorously, though 

 in a week colony. I am feeding about 

 a pint of syrup per day. 



W. J. Longsdon. 



New London, Ind.,' April 8, 1880. 

 I have 32 colonies of bees, in good 

 condition. I put them in the cellar 

 about Nov. 15, and took them out dur- 

 ing the warm weather in January for 

 about two weeks ; I then put them back 

 and let them stay until Feb. 28, when I 

 put them out again. On that afternoon 

 they brought in pollen, and they have 

 been at it ever since. I lost none this 

 winter ; all very strong, with very few 

 dead bees about the hives. Last winter 

 I saved 18 out of 40, and these were very 

 weak. I increased to 32, mostly by nat- 

 ural swarming, and obtained about 300 

 lbs. box honey. Things now look favora- 

 ble for a good season. The fruit trees 

 are full of buds, and we have plenty of 

 bees to gather the honey if any comes. 

 C. A. Jones. 



