THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



237 



brood and quite a number entirely so; 

 about half a dozen have no queens. It is 

 now so late in the season, I hardly know 

 what to do for them. 



I have extracted 610 pounds of honey, 

 have 540 pounds in box, making 1150 

 pounds for the season. This year has not 

 been favorable for the production of honey. 

 The hard winter and severe spring havimg 

 killed almost all the white clover, and 

 fruit blossoms were scarce. Basswood 

 was good for six or eight days, but buck- 

 wheat was not verv good, in consequence 

 of cold nights. M.y bees are hybrids. 



L. BURDICK. 



Kalamazoo Co., Mich., Sept. 18, 1875. 



Ed. American Bee Journal: — Suppos- 

 ing myself included in your request for a 

 bee and honey report, I respond as fol- 

 lows: Commenced the season with 10 

 stocks in American hives, none com- 

 plete. I had eight frames, one four, and 

 the rest, five, six and seven, I cannot say 

 exactly as to each one. Nine frames 

 complete the hive, I now have 40 colonies, 

 15 in double American hives, of 18 frames, 

 and four in single hives full and one of 

 five frames, all strong in bees, but I do not 

 think they have enough stores now to 

 winter on, but the prospect is they will 

 have a great abundance and an overplus, 

 if frost holds of:" awhile longer. I have 

 taken 2186 lbs of extracted honey and 250 

 tt>s of cup honey. Had three first swarms 

 go to the woods. 



As to our honey plants and their time 

 of yield, I am hardly competent to tell. 



We have almost everything that yields 

 honey in its season, though the bees got 

 no surplus from fruit this year. Two 

 thirds of the honey was gathered in 

 August. I would have waited and writ- 

 ten a complete report after the season was 

 over, and bees in winter quarters, but 

 since you asked for an October report 

 from all, I give such as I can and as far 

 as I can, to date. Mrs. M. A. Bills. 



Hillsdale Co., Mich., Sept. 14, 1875. 



Our natural resources for honey, on the 

 prairie in the latter half of August, is the 

 golden-rod, and another weed resembling 

 it. Also he summer catnip, smart-weed and 

 Spanish needle. Our cultivated resources 

 are : buckwheat, raspberries and the clo- 

 vers and mustard. I have now six strong 

 colonies from two strong ones last spring. 

 All the honey stored was by a July 

 swarm, 24 lbs. The season has been too 

 dry or too wet, nearly all the time. 



S. W. Hall. 



Marshall Co., Iowa, Sept. 14, 1875. 



Messrs. Editors. — According to re- 

 quest, I send you a report of my apiary. 

 I commenced the season with 75 colonies 

 in fair condition. There was no dwind- 

 ling among them ; but they got strong in 



May, when alas! there was no honey for 

 them to gather. Locust, clover, and bass- 

 wood were nearly a total failure. Bees 

 did not get enough for breeding purposes, 

 till buckwheat came into bloom, when 

 they commenced breeding rapidly. This 

 has been the poorest season for queen rear- 

 ing that I ever saw. By considerable 

 effort my colonies were all supplied with 

 daughters of my imported stock. They 

 are the best I ever saw ; not a single sorry 

 queen among the whole. I have taken 

 6,500 lbs. of honey ; the largest yield from 

 any hive is 120 lbs; average 86; with us 

 the season has closed. 



We have white clover, basswood, Span- 

 ish needle, and smart-weed, and many 

 other blossoms of minor importance. 



Clover usually commences to furnish 

 honey about the 20th of May, and lasts 

 about five weeks; basswood about the 

 20th of June, and lasts ten days; smart- 

 weed about the 10th of August, and lasts 

 about four weeks ; Spanish needle about 

 the 20th of August, and lasts two weeks. 



We have increased our colonies this 

 season about 50 per cent, and more tha. 

 doubled our combs. We shall have 

 about 110 to 115 colonies to winter. 



E. C. L. Larch, M. D. 



Boone Co., Mo., Sept. 14, 1875. 



Our season, to 1st of August, was very 

 poor, giving very little surp.us. Since 

 that time to date, I have extracted one bbl, 

 about 400 lbs, and my hives are very full 

 now; in fact every cell is full, and as 

 fast as a young bee hatches out, the cell 

 is filled with honey, before the queen can 

 have time to deposit an egg. 



Fruit blossoms, white clover and fall 

 flowers, mostly smart-weed, are our best 

 honey-producers. Fruit blossoms com- 

 mence about 10th of April, and continue 

 till about the 1st of May; then white 

 clover commences about 1st to 15th of 

 May, and continues till about 1st of 

 August, if not too dr} ; and then our fall 

 flowers (various) continue till frost. 

 We have other varieties, but these are the 

 principal ones. Wishing success to your 

 Journal, and that it may never grow 

 less. Wm. G. Smith. 



St. Louis, Mo., Sept. 3, 1875. 



In answer to the inquiries in the last 

 issue of The Journal, let me say : 



1. We have had a fair yield of honey, 

 up to date. I had only four swarms from 

 30 colonies. 



2. Not flattering; too cold; slight frost 

 this morning. 



3. White clover, 1st of June; lasts for 

 about 25 days; yields honey. 



Linn or basswood, from June 25 to July 

 10,-15 days. 



Buckwheat, 30 days for the same sow- 

 ing. Wm. Heald. 



Van Buren Co., Iowa, Sept. 18, 1875. 



