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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



BEE KEEPOG IN 1875. 



UNIVERSAL REPORTS. 



In our last issue, it will be remembered, 

 we called for answers to the following 

 questions: 



1. What has been your success this sea- 

 son up to date, as regards honey and 

 swarms ? 



2. What is the prospect for the balance 

 of the season ? 



3. Which are the best three honey-plants 

 in your location? 



4. When do they begin to yield honey, 

 and how long do they thus continue ? 



Answers have been bountifully sup- 

 plied, and we have pleasure in presenting 

 them to the readers of The American 

 Bee Journal. Correspondents have our 

 thanks for their prompt response to our 

 request. 



Mr. Newman: — In accordance with 

 your request, I send the enclosed report 

 of the present season's work, up to date, 

 with my bees: 



1. Started last spring with sixty hives, 

 all in fair condition. Have increased 

 them, (part by natural and the rest by arti- 

 ficial swarming, as described in Vol. 7, 

 No. 1, pp. 23 to 114,) all in splendid con- 

 dition. As to the amount of surplus 

 honey, I cannot say positively. It is 

 nearly two thousand pounds, all comb 

 honey, in small frames. 



2. At present, prospects for the balance 

 of the season is good. 



3. First in importance is white clover. 

 Second, basswood. Third, buckwheat,, 

 and, I might add, golden rod, boneset and 

 smart-weed, all in bloom this month, from 

 which the bees are now gathering honey 

 quite rapidlj--, and are still actively at 

 work in the surplus boxes. 



4. White clover usually comes into 

 blossom about June 12, and continues 

 from four to six weeks, owing to more or 

 less rain. Basswood blooms about the 

 16th of July, and continues from one 

 week to ten days. Buckwheat begins to 

 blossom about August 10, and continues 

 for about four weeks. 



Both clover and basswood were almost 

 an entile failure, this season; while buck- 

 wheat and the fall flowers are quite good. 

 Henry S. Lee. 



Crawford Co., Pa., Sept. 9, 1875. 



Eds. American Bee Journal: — In an- 

 swer to your inquiry I will report con- 

 cerning my location as follows: 



I started with three colonies(from seven 

 last fall), now have six in excellent condi- 

 tion, mostly hybrids, (had simply comb to 



give them) and have taken up to date 

 thirty pounds extracted and ten pounds 

 comb. 



2d. Prospect good for balance of season 

 if weather permits bees to work. 



3d. Best three honey plants : white clo- 

 ver, aster, several varieties, and golden 

 rod, several varieties. 



4th. White clover begins blooming 

 about the first week in June, (later this 

 year) and continues till frost. 



Aster begins to bloom about August 1, 

 continues till frost. Golden rod about 

 August 15, and continues till frost. 



We have other sources, such as willow, 

 some soft maple, boneset. motherwort, 

 vivaia, wild onion or garlick (valuable), 

 hartshorn, nettle, etc. 



Last year my bees would not touch the 

 golden rod, but went for aster right beside 

 it " lively." Bees are now gathering from 

 aster and a plant whose honey has a 

 strong, sour smell in the hive, but the 

 honey is good when sufficiently evaporat- 

 ed for sealing. 



Boneset gives a bad taste to all the honey 

 it is mixed with, and is so far an injury, 

 though, I presume, it is good enough to 

 winter on. 



I shall look with intei'est to the answers 

 to your questions, as I am looking up a 

 location for an apiary, and have been for 

 some time past. Robert J. Colburn. 



Cook Co., 111., Sept. 10, 1875. 



In reply to " Special " questions : 



1st. Am using Coe's House Apiary; put 

 in five colonies May 20; have increased 

 by artificial swarming to twenty-three col- 

 onies. Have taken about sixty pounds of 

 honey from two colonies. 



2d. If the weather proves favorable my 

 young colonies will all become strong 

 enough to store sufficient honey for the 

 winter. 



3d. White clover, motherwort and bass- 

 wood. 



4th. White clover, June 1 to August 20 ; 

 motherwort, June 1 to September 1; bass- 

 wood, July 10 to August 1. There are also 

 here, gill-ovei*-the-grass, April to July; 

 catnip, July to September; mustard, July 

 to frost. Mrs. Mary J. Stibbs. 



Wayne Co., Ohio, Sept. 10, 1875. 



Dear Bee Journal: — 1 submit the fol- 

 lowing answers to inquiries in your last 

 issue: 



1. Early part of season cold, and back- 

 ward for bee culture and honey-making. 

 Bees did little or nothing. Towards the 

 last of May, each swarm was divided. 

 Two swarms out of ten made 30 pounds of 

 surplus honey, each. This was made in 

 boxes on top of hives — but all had plenty 

 of honey in the body of the hive. One 

 hive swarmed after division. 



2. Very good. 



3. White clover, buckwheat and su- 

 mach. 



