190 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



We had two queens when we received 

 this letter from Mr. Pelham, inviting an 

 introduction. At this time of the year 

 we can always find queen cells, so in les^ 

 than an hour after this hint came we had 

 our queens in large capacious cells, and 

 put them carefully in hives. Next morn- 

 ing, to our chagrin, we found the cells- 

 empty, prematurelj', we thought ; but an 

 examination showed us the queens, very 

 much at home, on the combs. This time 

 it was a success. Thanks, Mr. Pelham. 

 We shall try it again, even if we have to 

 mould a queen cell over a thimble. 



For the American Bee Journal. 

 Utiliziuff Drone Comb. 



All drone comb that should be re- 

 moved from the hive may be put into 

 surplus boxes or frames, if white enough 

 and clean. It is generally white enough 

 until the brood that is first put in has 

 spun cocoons. To remove the brood slice 

 oft' the caps with a thin knife, or if the 

 cells are drawn in at top ready for seal- 

 ing, the thickened edges of the cells 

 should be sliced ofi". Then lay the comb 

 flat on a board and pour a stream of wa- 

 ter on it from an elevation of a foot or 

 two. Tlie water will force out all the 

 larvae, and any eggs or very young larvse 

 may be killed by sprinkling salt in the 

 cells. After the salt has been in a few 

 minutes it may be removed by pouring 

 on water. The fumes of burning sulphur 

 will kill the young larvae and eggs, if 

 preferred. W. C. Pelham. 



Voices from Ainonsr the Hives, 



W. W. Moore, Clay Co., Iowa, writes: 

 "The two stands of bees tliat I received 

 from Mrs. Tupper a year ago, now num- 

 ber sixteen swarms, with one division this 

 year. I am very much encouraged in the 

 business." 



Mrs. C. E. Chain, Milwaukee, Wis.; 

 writes : " The flow of honey for two 

 weeks has been very abundant, from white 

 clover. Before that we had almost none, 

 owing to cold wet weather, and the bees 

 often got restless and seemed very anxious 

 to be at work ; but now every cell avail- 

 able is filled with honey." 



T. J. Waters, Quasqueton, Iowa, writes : 

 "I received the nucleii Mrs. Tupper sent 

 me June 8th. The weather was so bad 

 that I did not transfer them until the 11th. 

 I found them in good condition, strong 

 and liealthy. Tliey are as strong as a full 

 colony. There is an abundance of white 

 clover In front of my house in a pasture 

 lot of 55 acres, so I expect to do well. 

 They liave a hive containing 12 frames of 

 old comb, with those she sent, except the 

 drone comb." 



Benj. T. Clareby, Rolling Home, Mo., 

 writes : " Bees are doing poorly here at 

 present, but I think they will come out 

 all right, yet. Have put into practice the 

 treatment of bees as described in June 

 number. Vol. XI., page 121, and find it to 

 work like a charm. And all otlier sug- 

 gestions that may be found in the Jour- 

 nal have proven to my entire satisfac- 

 tion. Believing that none of them will 

 fail, I think it worth its weight in gold 

 to any bee-keeper." 



C. W. Green, Oquawka, 111., writes: — 

 " Bees have done nothing this season in 

 this neighborhood. Very few natural 

 swarms. To-day (July 19th) is the first 

 day that bees have come in heavy with 

 honey. My bees had plenty of honey 

 when taken out of the cellar. So that by 

 giving frames of honey to the hives that 

 were out (wintered on summer stands), 

 they have all lived and are mostly in good 

 condition to gather honey. What lioney 

 we get tills year, will be from monarda 

 and buckwheat. My bees are Italians 

 and Hybrids; had 26 hives in the spring; 

 increased to 41. Out of over 60 hives of 

 black bees in this vicinity, have heard of 

 only one natural swarm. No blacks for 

 me." 



T. G. McGaw, Monmouth, Ills., writes: 

 " Tliis has been the poorest season for 

 honey I ever experienced. From the 

 middle of June till the 10th of July bees 

 have had to be fed, to prevent them from 

 starving. Since the 10th strong stocks 

 have gathered enough to supply their 

 daily wants, and brood-rearing is going 

 on again quite rapidly. Most of the 

 honey gathered now, is from tlie common 

 blacli mustard (Strupis Nigra), the honey 

 being of a limpid golden color and blank 

 taste. I have not taken an ounce of either 

 extracted or comb honey this season; 

 neither have I had two square feet of 

 comb built. Still I am in hopes, before 

 frost comes to get a good yield of box 

 honey from the fall flowers. The wliite 

 clover was badly frozen out, and what did 

 bloom, did not seem to secrete any honey." 



M. D. DuBois, Newburg, N. Y., writes : 

 " I have 17 hives; but no new swarms to 

 date, (June 10th). Bees are very late in 

 swarming this summer. Last year the 

 first swarm was May 39th. Last year, 

 thougli a late spring, it was an extraordi- 

 nary good season for honej\ This season 

 bids fair to be very poor as it lias been 

 very dry and cold; but my bees have been 

 for the last three days tumbling in honey 

 from locust blossoms. It seems they 

 would break their little necks, they are 

 in such a hurry about it. We have no 

 bassvvood here. The principal source of 

 honey is apple blossom, locust, and white 

 clover, of all three of whicii we have 

 plenty of. But I planted 1,000 young 

 basswoods in my nursery to grow for my- 



