410 



AMERICAN BEE JOURMAL. 



stands, and now it makes my heart glad to 

 walk out through the yard and hear the 

 hum of the little bees again, as I did not 

 have any pleasure with them last season. 



I got an average of 15 pounds, spring- 

 count; I have 36 colonies, and have not lost 

 any so far this winter. We are having 

 very nice, warm weather now. By the way 

 vegetation is shooting out, we will have an 

 early spring. Pkancis R. Manning. 



Reynolds, Ills., March 19. 



Good Results in Wintering'. 



I winter my bees on the summer stands, 

 with very good results. This winter I had 

 them packed in forest leaves, and never 

 had bees winter any better. Plenty of 

 honey, plenty of bees, and but little loss or 

 shrinkage in bees during winter. 



They commenced gathering pollen on 

 March 8th, and have gathered every day 

 since then, in abundance. White clover 

 looks well, and the spring is at least one 

 month earlier than usual. 



Lee Powelson. 



Batavia, Iowa, March 17. 



Wintered Better Last Year. 



I have just looked over my bees. I have 

 only 22 colonies, and all are alive, but they 

 did not winter as well as they did last year, 

 on account of the poor season. They were 

 light in stores ; I estimated that they had 

 from 10 to 35 pounds of partly sealed or 

 capped honey, mostly dark buckwheat; be- 

 sides, they had stored a good deal of fine 

 pollen mostly from rag-weed, and some 

 dark stuff that resembled pitch — I think it 

 came from sunflowers. That, I think, did 

 the harm. My lightest colony has plenty 

 of honey to last them until the middle of 

 April, then I will have to resort to sugar — 

 "open kettle," if I can get it here. This is 

 no bee-country, but a No. 1 farming coun- 

 try. J. C. Niemoller. 



Tarnov, Nebr., March 10. 



Lost Only Two Colonies, 



Bees are doing weU. and have been gath- 

 ering pollen for the last week. I lost 2 

 colonies out of 59, by the queens dying. 

 Mrs. a. a. Simpson. 



Swarts, Pa., March 16. 



California Rainfall and Honey Crop. 



Prof. Cook's information (page 296) may 

 be misleading as to the amount of rain 

 necessary to produce a good crop of honey. 

 Fifteen inches is probably about right for 

 his locality, but there are localities and 

 localities. I am situated about iJO miles 

 northwest of him, and averaged 226 pounds 

 of extracted honey per colony with 12}.2 

 inches. There are bee-keepers within 20 

 miles of me who would starve to death on 

 15 Inches of rain, while there are others 



closer than that who are assured of a fair 

 crop, or even 8 or 10 inches. 



Much depends upon the nature of the 

 range as to what amount of rainfall is 

 necessary. A buckwheat range is about 

 worthless with less than 15 to 20 inches, 

 while a sage range may produce a fair sur- 

 plus on less than 10 inches, provided the 

 rain is properly distributed over the season. 



With me. the rainfall so far this season is 

 less than 6 inches, and I don't look for 

 much more. So you see prospects are not 

 very bright. C. H. Clayton. 



Lang. Calif., March 12. 



Gathering' Honey and Pollen. 



The spring is about a month earlier than 

 common. My bees are bringing in some 

 pollen, and a little honey from the sap of 

 the box-elder. " O. H. Stevens. 



Elk Point, S. Dak., March 15. 



Looks for a Big Honey Year. 



Bees came out extra strong, and are 

 breeding fast. I put 126 colonies into win- 

 ter quarters, and have 119 strong ones now. 

 I am looking for a big year for honey. 



J. R. Bellamy. 



Black Bank, Ont., March 17. 



Bees Seem to be All Right. 



My bees mostly died last spring — I saved 

 only one colony out of 11, and I bought one 

 more, and now I have 5 good colonies. 

 They seem to be all right at this time, as I 

 let them have a good flight for 3 or 4 days. 

 J. A. White. 



Pewaukee, Wis., March 16. 



Everything Appears Encouraging. 



My bees have wintered extra well this 

 winter. I put in 32 colonies last fall, and 

 put them out on March 12th, all in good 

 condition, without exception. 1 winter my 

 bees in the cellar. I did not get much sur- 

 plus honey last year, on account of drouth. 

 I hope we will have a good season this year. 

 White clover looks fine, and everything 

 appears to be encouraging. 



W. P. Odendahl. 



Moline, Ills., March 14. 



Learned Many Useful Lessons. 



My husband and I read the Bee Journal 

 carefully each week. We have two strong 

 colonies of hybrids, and 1 have just sent an 

 order for a queen and a pound of bees. I 

 have learned so many useful lessons 

 through the Bee Journal, for which I 

 than you. Mrs. Julia Cannon. 



Wabash, Ind., March 21. 



Have You Read the wonderful Pre- 

 mium offer on page 389 ? 



