where there was any signs of purity in 

 the black bees, there was a noticeable 

 lightness of stores). 



One colony of pure Italians (in New- 

 town, Conn.) gave a surplus of 25 lbs. 

 from apple bloom ; they are dark col- 

 ored ; they had 12 Quinby frames in 

 the hive ; 8 of them were quite full of 

 brood. The surplus was taken away 

 May 22 ; on May 6 they had 9 frames 

 and capped queen cells, making prepar- 

 ations to swarm, which was ended by 

 giving more combs and surplus room. 



The Italians invariably doubled the 

 blacks for strength of bees and brood, 

 wintering better and storing double the 

 amount of honey and pollen. About % 

 of the bees in box hives have died out, 

 either from starvation, worms, old 

 queens or being robbed. Of 2 colonies 

 that I tried to winter on candy, without 

 either honey, bee-bread or syrup, one 

 died about the middle of January, the 

 other one I tucked up tight, giving no 

 ventilation or escape for moisture ex- 

 cept the entrance, and it came out well. 

 The other had slight ventilation at the 

 top, through burlaps, but starved with 

 a 5-lb. candy slab on the top of the 

 frames. The candy was made by heat- 

 ing honey as hot as possible, then stir- 

 ring in all the coffee A sugar that could 

 be put in, and worked to a stiff dough 

 with wheat flour, pressing it into a 

 frame, and put on top of the frames. 

 The candy stimulated breeding exceed- 

 ingly, and_ furnished strong, healthy 

 workers. 1 used it on other hives, and 

 feel confident that it has no equal either 

 for feeding or brood stimulation. 



Woodbury, Conn., May 24, 1880. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



The Wintering of Bees in Missouri. 



by '-alsike.' 



It has been a long time since I penned 

 an article for the Bee Journal, but I 

 am now induced to do so from the sin- 

 gularity of the past winter's results to 

 bees in this section, where wintering 

 on summer stands is generally prac- 

 ticed. 



Bee-keeping is not a specialty of 

 mine, yet as an adjunct to orchards, 

 grain, grass, etc., I find it sufficiently 

 profitable and interesting to continue 

 with about 100 colonies, more or less, after 

 the •' don't fuss or muss" plan. I still 

 use such movable comb hives as I com- 

 menced with some years ago, with good 

 results. Those around me have become 

 accustomed to them, and can. from past 

 experience, manage them without much 

 help from me. 



On overhauling my hives, this spring, 



325 



I found 2 played out entirely, but all 

 the others, about 100 in number, were 

 in good condition. Last season was a 

 poor one here; we had only linden bloom 

 to rely on for honey. Late in Novem- 

 ber I weighed all my colonies, and 

 marked the net aggregate weight of 

 comb, bees and honey on each hive ; 

 those deficient in weight were duly sup- 

 plied with boxes of nice, sealed linden 

 honey to make up the deficiency, and 

 were otherwise well cared for. The 

 others being likewise cared for were 

 left to themselves, and, as above stated, 

 got through with a loss of 2 per cent. 



Reports from different places in my 

 county and immediate neighborhood 

 come to me that, from a few colonies 

 up to 100 or more, the loss has been un- 

 precedented — 50, 60, and even a greater 

 per cent. — doubtless many having died 

 from starvation. A friend, within 6 

 miles of my place, with 100 strong col- 

 onies last fall, reported before the close 

 of February 50 dead, others perishing, 

 and many have since succumbed. He 

 reports the hives with plenty of honey, 

 combs clean, and no disease discerna- 

 ble, yet the bees were dead in quantity 

 on the bottom board. He, however, no- 

 ticed this fact, that the cells in many 

 instances were filled with a thin, bitter 

 kind of honey, and mostly unsealed. 

 He is using hives similar to mine, and 

 his management has been much the 

 same. Heretofore, like myself, he had 

 excellent success. The past winter was 

 exceedingly mild for this latitude. 



I can but wish you great prosperity 

 and the increased support that your 

 course so richly merits. 



Lafayette Co., Mo., May 10, 1880. 



From the Prairie Farmer. 



Pasturage or Forage for Bees. 



MRS. L. HARRISON. 



To every owner of an apiary the most 

 important question is good pasture or 

 forage for his bees, for therein rests all 

 his hopes for profit. In the outset, I 

 shall take the ground that it will not pay 

 to raise any crop for honey alone. 



First in rank as a honey-producing 

 plant, both for quantity and quality, in 

 this latitude, is white or Dutch clover, 

 and upon dry or sandy soils, or soils of 

 a sandy loam, sown with red clover and 

 red top, it makes a quality of hay rel- 

 ished by stock, and of unsurpassed ex- 

 cellence ; and those bee-keepers who 

 may happen to own low, wet fields, or 

 fields with a damp, heavy soil may well 

 sow Alsike or Swedish' clover, as it 

 makes excellent hay. and the blossom 

 is rich in nectar; but if your land is 



