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IHiL AiliJiiULAliJ BLE JULII.nAi.. 



to the beginning of basswood bloom tliey 

 scarcely gathered honey enough to supply 

 the young bees. There was an unusual 

 crop of basswood bloom, which began to 

 open about the 1st of July and lasted until 

 the 15th. During that time the little fel- 

 lows put in full time. I never knew bees 

 to store up such an amount of honey in as 

 short space of time. The hives now are filled 

 to their utmost capacitor, with the exception 

 of the comb occupied with brood, leaving 

 no place for the queens to propagate their 

 eggs. I have thrown the honey out of 16 

 frames, wlrich amounted to 65 pounds, sold 

 in the city of Adrian at 18 cents per Iti. I 

 shall use the extractor sparingly, in order 

 to keep them working in the boxes as much 

 as possible. I have now 59 colonies. I 

 calculate I could extract 1500 pounds at this 

 time. I use the Barker & Dicer improved 

 hives with sectional honey boxes. These 

 boxes will stand at par with any I ever 

 used. They can be safely shipped to any 

 part without sustaining the least injury; the 

 retailer can separate each section without 

 injuring the honey, by cutting the paper at 

 each dsvision of tlie section; each section 

 contains from 2i to 3 lbs. and when placed 

 upon the table it cannot fail to please the 

 eye as well as the taste. 



Samuel Porter. 

 Lenawe Co., Mich. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



The Sale of Honey. 



Mr. Editor: — The burden upon my mind 

 at the present time is, the great disparity be- 

 tween the price obtained by our honey-pro- 

 ducing fraternity for their product and the 

 price paid by the consumer. Large honey 

 houses in Cliicago (for instance) buy up the 

 honey in bulk at 16 cents per lb. for ex- 

 tracted and 25 to 30 cents for comb. Here 

 it is put up in appropriate packages and 

 shipped away again to wholesale dealers in 

 other towns, who in turn distribute to smal- 

 ler wholesale dealers and retailers. I pre- 

 sume there are none of these middle men 

 handling honey for fun, but each one must 

 make his profit, and the consumer pays from 

 30 to 40 cents per lb for extracted and, 

 from 40 to 50 cents for comb. Now the 

 question arises, is it necessary for the pro- 

 ducer to pay so many shipping bills. I 

 have not found it so in my experience. I 

 put my honey up in attractive style for re- 

 tailing and deliver it direct to retail dealers 

 who sell it for me and retain 10 per cent of 

 sales for their service. I use the square 

 lioney-jar made for the purpose. The smal- 

 lest packages sell most readily. 



My honey has netted over 30 cents per It) 

 for extracted and 40 cents for comb for the 

 last four years. 



Cheviot, O. M. Nevins. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Report of my Apiary. 



Editor Bee Journal : — I congratulate 

 you upon the consolidation of the two 

 great Bee periodicals of America. "Long 

 may it wave," is the worst wish I have for 

 it. I cannot get along without it. 



We are having a good honey season 

 here ; the best we have had since I have 

 kept bees, (which has only been about 4 

 years) but I am not gomg to derive much 

 benefit from it, for I have neglected my bees 

 shamefully all summer. I extracted over 

 300 lbs. on July 21st from 8 colonies of 

 black bees most of whom had cast 2 or 3 

 natural swarms. I have now 19 colonies, 

 which will all be in condition for winter 

 before the end of this month, if all goes 

 well with them. I put 12 colonies in a 

 clamp last fall and succeeded in wintering 

 them all through, but lost two in " spring- 

 ing," and two others were so near gone 

 they will have to be helped in order to 

 make them fit for winter ; so that I had 8 

 medium stocks to commence with. I shall 

 try to do better next year. 



Nelson, Pa. John Atkinson. 



For tlie American Bee Journal. 



New Method of Wintering. 



Dear Edit(jr: — I noticed in j'our July 

 number remarks upon a new method of win- 

 tering bees, by Mr. Bidwell, given to the 

 Michigan Bee-Keepers' Convention, I be- 

 lieve. The manner of wintering is not 

 given, and that is what calls me out to write 

 this article. If Mr. Bidwell has a plan for 

 the safe wintering of bees, he is entitled to 

 as much honor as Langstroth has enjoyed, 

 in giving to the public the moveable frame. 



There is nothing so puzzles the bee- 

 keeper as the successful wintering of his 

 bees, seventy-five per cent, of the losses 

 arising from the want of that knowledge. 

 Any man that can show the bee-keeping 

 fraternity a safe method of doing so, is a 

 public benefactor, and should not hide the 

 knowledge of the same from us. I do not 

 charge that Mr. B. desires or is doing such 

 a thing; nor do I expect the information 

 gratis, if Mr. Bidwell does not wish to 

 give bee-keepers the same. I would 

 like to know liis address, that I might buy 

 the right. One of these two things Mr. 15. 

 should do: Either to give the public, 

 through your journal, his mode of winter- 

 ing, in season for a trial the coming winter, 

 or let us know, through your columns, 

 what will be the price of it. I will be will- 

 ing to pay liberally for it. If this catches 

 Mr. B.'s eye, I hope he will allow me to 

 know his address, or that you will furnish 

 it if you can, that I may correspond witli 

 him. If he or you will do so, lilia'lbe 



