THE AMERItJAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Voices from Among the Hives. 



E. S. FuwLEK, Biirtk'tt, ()., writes: — '' Bees 

 in this piirt of tlie country Avere all wintered 

 on their summer stands, without protection, 

 seldom beini^ confined to their hives more 

 than six weeks without a chance to tly, and 

 not that lengtli of time more than once during 

 the winter.'' 



T. J. DoDUs, LeClaire, Iowa, writes: — 

 " My bees have now been in the cellar sixty- 

 three days; all quiet; no signs of dysentery. 

 The thermometer ranges from thirty-four to 

 thirty-eight degrees." 



Wm. FAUiiKSp:i{, Vevay, lud., writes : — 

 " Bees are wintering well here; no disease so 

 far." 



E. Gaij>ui', Orchard, Iowa, writes: — "Bees 

 are wintering finely thus far. My bees are on 

 their summer stands. They had a splendid 

 flight yesterday. Those in the cellar are in 

 excellent condition. No danger of bee dis- 

 ease in a mild winter, unless tliey have very 

 bad management." 



A. I. Root, 3Iedina, ()., Writes: — "In re- 

 ply to the lady's ([uery, on page 47 of the last 

 JouKNAi-,, I would say, we have never found 

 the honey that seemed to disagree with the 

 bees when confined to their Jiiees by winter 

 Lceather, deleterious to the human family at 

 all; on the contrary, it is oftentimes the very 

 best table honey. I never intended to con- 

 vey the idea that the honey was poisonous, 

 only that it seemed to disagree with the bees 

 some seasons; and that sugar-sprup was uui- 

 forndy healthy for them. We never get bad 

 tasting honey here, but a friend sent us a sam- 

 ple from a distance, saying it would kill bees 

 at any season. It tastes like poor sorghum 

 syrup. We have never had any experience 

 with such honey, but have had bees die badly 

 in March, w hen fed on very nice, sealed clov- 

 er honey." " Novice." 



W. F. Staxdki'kk, Dry Grove, Miss, writes: 

 — " Bees are doing well. Three or four combs 

 of hatching brood, and a few drone cells are 

 observable." 



W. S. Boyd, Bethany, O., Writes:—"! 

 have been engaged in the bee business for 

 three years, and when last spring opened, 1 

 had only one hive with bees in it, but had 

 invested $!»2. 1 bought three hives for $8.75, 

 antl now 1 hav(! seven, and have sold near 

 on(; hundred pounds of honey. With the idd 

 of your paper, and the knowledge 1 have 

 gained (which 1 consider worth more than 1 

 have spent for the bees), 1 intend this spring 

 to buy all the 1 ces 1 can get at a reasonable 

 figure; and by the use of the extractor, to 

 liave something to report to you next fall de- 

 cidedly in comnii'udation of the bee business." 



Tnos. I. CoKNEi-rus, Ludlow, Ky., writes: 

 — " All the bees in this part of the country are 

 doing finely this winter. We have had no 

 dysentery, and none in prospect." 



D. I. Wells, Boliver, Tenn., writes: — " My 

 bees have inci-eased quite rapidly. I started 

 last spring with four black stocks, which in- 

 creased to ten, and three Italian, which in- 

 creased to twelve, and one went to the woods. 

 One Italian stock, purchased of Dr. Hamlin 

 the spring before, sent out a swarm on the 

 11th, another on the 13th, and another on the 

 22nd of April, some of which sent out one 

 or two swarms, but no surjdus honey. Is 

 there any remedy for such behavior V I sup- 

 pose my bees are all in good condition, as 

 they are Hying ^ery freely every warm day, 

 which occurs in our locality every week or 

 two during the winter." 



H. E. CuKHY, Walnut Hills, Cincinnati, 

 writes: — " Bees in this neighborhood are do^ 

 ing well. To-day (Jan. 21), the thermometer 

 rose to seventy-four degrees in the sun, and 

 of course our bees had a good fiy — the second 

 this year. The previous one was on Jan. 4. 

 My bees never looked so Avell at this time of 

 the year, and I have no doubt we will begin 

 the season Avith every encouragement. Last 

 spring I tried an experiment, at least it was 

 such to me, although the same thing is done 

 in Germany. I found, on examining what 

 was left of my apiary, one hive very weak. 

 I w ill not pretend to say how many were left, 

 but it was a sorry sight. I first made a box 

 six or eight inches deeper than a one story 

 Langstroth hive, and after putting six inches 

 of manure in the bottom, I set my weak hive 

 in, and then packed the sides and back with 

 the same, so that it was surrounded w ith ma- 

 nure, excei)t the front. I then put a blanket 

 and mat on the top, and then left it undis- 

 turbed. In a few days, on looking into the 

 hive, I was surprised to find what a number 

 of eggs the queen had laid. The decomposing 

 manure generated such a heat, that she did 

 not have to confine herself to just such space 

 as she had bees to cover. In a few weeks it 

 was my strongest hive, and gave me the lar- 

 gest return of any stock I had. 1 took two 

 hundred pounds extracted white clover honey 

 from it, besides a swarm artificially, and, on 

 November l(i, they had at least twenty-three 

 pounds to winter on. Although it will not do 

 to jumi» at conclusions too suddenly, more 

 esix'cially in bee-culture, I am convinced that 

 those who have Aveak stocks, in the spring, 

 Avill find the above a great help Avith but little 

 trouble. Of course enough of bee-bread and 

 honey, and upAvard ventilation nuist be given, 

 otherAvise the combs Avill mould." 



H. Nesijit, Cynthiana, Ky., Avrites: — " Last 

 Avinter 1 lost sixty-seven out of seventy colo- 

 nics, and the three left Avcre mere handful?. 



