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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



somewhat reliable condition for winter- 

 ing. My increase was to 98 colonies — 

 52 colonies increase, and 4,000 pounds 

 of honey from 46, spring count, ought 

 to satisfy (if it is in our nature) a fellow 

 even if he is in California. I have in- 

 quired of other bee-keepers in this 

 county (Manistee) as to their crop, but 

 they do not report anything extra. 



Walter Hakmek. 

 Manistee, Mich., Jan. 16, 1893. 



Success in Wintering Bees. 



I have as good luck in wintering bees 

 as most bee-men. I have a cellar 18x28 

 feet, all brick, 13 inches thick, with 

 three windows in it. I put my bees into 

 this cellar, and I keep the east window 

 out all winter, but covered with boards. 

 I have one chimney in the center of the 

 house, and it is built from the bottom 

 of the cellar. There are two holes in 

 the chimney in the cellar, and a part of 

 the time I keep the holes open, and the 

 draft draws fresh air from the open win- 

 dow. My bees seem to do well. I have 

 55 colonies. I have kept a few bees for 

 15 years. I also give the bees upward 

 ventilation, leave off the honey-board, 

 and keep the cellar cool and dry. 



C. W. Blaki.ey. 



Pre-emption, Ills., Jan. 4, 1893. 



Milkweed and Buckwheat Honey. 



I began the season of 1892 with 27 

 colonies, 7 of which were in such poor 

 condition that they yielded neither 

 honey nor increase. T secured 2,000 

 pounds of milkweed honey, and about 

 200 pounds of buckwheat honey — ex- 

 tracted. I had 100 one-pound sections 

 of comb honey, all of which, with 40 

 pounds of extracted, came from one col- 

 ony. I have 34 colonies in the cellar, 

 and 4 in a snow-drift. Basswood pro- 

 duced no honey last year. 



Clabk a. Montague. 



Archie, Mich., Jan. 12, 1893. 



Sow Alsike Clover for Honey. 



The last was a poor season in this 

 vicinity. I had 38 colonies in the 

 spring, increased to 58, and had 400 

 pounds of comb honey. The honey was 

 stored from Alsike clover, as there was 

 no surplus before the clover was in blos- 

 som, and none after it was out of blos- 

 som. White cloviir was quite plentiful, 

 but bees worked on it very little. I think 



that Alsike clover is the surest to yield 

 honey of any plant I know, and it is 

 good for hay or pasture, when mixed 

 with timothy ; but for seed it must be 

 sown by itself, as you cannot separate 

 the seed. I have a new stocked piece of 

 13 acres, and there is as much more in 

 the immediate vicinity, so I am expect- 

 ing a crop of honey next season. 



I. W. Rollins. 

 Elgin, Minn., Jan. 14, 1893. 



Still Likes Bees and the Bee Journal. 



I must have the Bee Journal while I 

 am able to care for the bees. In a few 

 days I shall be 84 years old, but the 

 bees interest me as much as ever. I have 

 had every number of the Bee Journal 

 since it became a weekly. I could not 

 be comfortable without it. 



L. Eastwood. 



Waterville, 0., Jan. 10, 1893. 



Stored Only Enough for Winter. 



I took my first swarm from a tree late 

 in the fall of 1891, and I fed them 

 about 35 pounds of sugar syrup, besides 

 the brood-comb that I got out of two 

 other trees. They wintered in good con- 

 dition in the cellar, and last season they 

 gave me one large swarm, but quite 

 late, so I fed them a little. I think they 

 are doing well, but I don't know, as I 

 cannot handle them very well. It has 

 been a poor year, for bees here stored 

 only about enough to winter on. 



Huntington, Vt. 



W. E. Martin. 



Prefers Double- Walled Chaff Hives. 



In 1892, from 48 colonies, spring 

 count, I got 400 pounds of comb honey 

 and 110 pounds of extracted. This was 

 my first season, and it rained every day 

 in May and June, excepting three days. 

 I examined my bees on July 3rd, and 

 some were ready to starve, but they 

 picked up after that. I have now 76 

 colonies in good condition for winter. 

 My hives are all double-walled chaff 

 hives, made by myself. I have yet to 

 lose the first colony in those hives. I 

 prefer them to all others. I have been 

 keeping bees for 7 years. 



Fred Streule. 

 Delhi Mills, Wis., Jan. 16, 1893. 



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