ICxttev 3Qva\u.ci\ 



Hokah, Minn., May 7, 1SS0. 

 My bees are doing splendidly, having 

 wintered without loss, while others here 

 have lost on an average one-third. They 

 have been building comb since May 1, 

 and I have 1 colony working in boxes. 

 W. Lossing. 



Callicoon, 1ST. Y., May 5, 1880. 

 Apple blossoms are opening. My 80 

 odd colonies reveal 5 starved or queen- 

 less ; others are all well, and breeding 

 finely; no disease exists anywhere in 

 my apiary ; all wintered on summer 

 stands; I think I am safe in saying 

 " I'm out of the woods " for 1880. 



A. E. Wenzel. 



Lincoln, Neb., April 17, 1880. 

 Bees in most parts of Nebraska have 

 not wintered well, owing to the poor 

 honey harvest last fall, and the weather 

 during winter being so pleasant, they 

 consumed more stores than usual, 

 Those who have wintered in good cel- 

 lars have met with but little loss. A 

 number of bee-keepers here are using 

 the one-piece sections. They are very 

 nice and strong when put together, and 

 are cheap. Geo. M. Haw'ley. 



Kichmond, Iowa, April 19, 1880. 

 There are a good many bee-keepers in 

 this section, but many let Providence 

 care for them through the winter sea- 

 son. I have learned that many of them 

 have lost the most of their bees. There 

 are not very many Italian bees here 

 yet. I saw in the Bee-Keepers 1 Magazine 

 a plan for wintering bees ; my neighbor 

 and myself tried it this winter, and we 

 both wintered successfully, not losing a 

 colony, and the bees are good and 

 strong. It is Mr. Hosmer, first and last, 

 by Mr. King's plan. J. O. Todd. 



Houston, Minn., April 29, 1880. 

 From the 1st of last August until the 

 time of going into winter quarters, bees 

 reared but little brood, and from the 1st 

 of October I do not think there was an 

 average of a half lb. of brood to the col- 

 ony anywhere in the southern part of 

 Minnesota. From the middle of Octo- 

 ber till the time mine were put into the 

 cellar, about the middle of November, 

 I think there was not 1 pound of brood 

 in my whole apiary of 50 colonies, but 

 there were large quantities of old bees. 

 This spring when I put them on their 

 summer stands, I found! colonies dead, 

 and some weak and queenless, and, after 

 looking them over and putting them in 



as good condition as I could by doubling, 

 I lost about 20 per cent, of colonies, and 

 I should think about 50 per cent, of 

 bees. Some, however, are now strong 

 in bees, with plenty of honey, while 

 others are weak and will have to he fed. 

 l have heard from nearly every apiary 

 within 20 miles and talked with many 

 apiarists ; they have lost on an average 

 about three-fourths of their entire stock 

 of bees. Nelson Perkins. 



Stockbridge, Wis., April 26, 1880. 

 I put 45 colonies into the cellar last 

 fall ; I lost 4, the rest are in good con- 

 dition. The season has been rather cold 

 and backward. J. II. DAVIS. 



Ovid, N. Y., May 1,1880. 

 I commenced the season of 1879 with 

 three weak colonies, and worked them 

 on the Hosmer plan, feeding in the 

 spring until honey was abundant, and 

 using double hives until 3,500 cubic 

 inches were filled with brood. In this 

 way I increased to 16, and obtained 500 

 lbs. of extracted honey. I wintered in 

 the cellar, putting in 13 good colonies 

 (5 blacks and 8 Italians). The Italians 

 came out strong in numbers, but the 

 blacks all died but one. Z. D. Scott. 



Middlecreek, Pa., May 5, 1880. 

 I transferred a colony of bees from a 

 large pine tree with unexpected suc- 

 cess. Having cut the tree down, I 

 stopped up the hole or entrance, then 1 

 smoked them, after which I cut it open 

 and took out the combs, putting them 

 into frames ; then I drove the bees into 

 the hive by smoking them, and they are 

 working very finely. I noticed that the 

 bees in one of my box hives, after a wet 

 day, rolled out of the hive, tossing 

 about, not able to fly, and in a short 

 time died. I did not know the cause 

 of all this ; so transferred, and found no 

 honey but plenty of brood ; there were 

 only about a gill of bees left. I placed 

 some honey in the hive, but was unfor- 

 tunate in losing the queen, and the re- 

 maining few bees died. The same day 

 I tried another: drove the bees into a 

 box, took the hive with comb into a 

 room and transferred the comb, but 

 when I came to getting the bees in I 

 found that they were all getting into a 

 neighboring hive, outside of which, on 

 the next morning, I found the queen 

 dead. I now have that strong or double 

 colony in a movable comb hive, busy at 

 work. I also transferred -J. other colo- 

 nies successfully, according to your 

 plan. I am pleased with your little honk 

 " Bee Culture;" also with "Cook's 

 Manual." II. Wilson Ulsh. 



