THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



281 



may be. To keep each kind by itself, is 

 the principal thinj; in my estimation, and 

 this cannot generally be done by waiting 

 until the honey is capped. Ripening, as 

 Novice calls it, is better done in an open 

 vessel than in the bee hive. 

 Cincinnati, Ohio. Cuas. F. Mutii. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Comb Foundations. 



Thos. G. Newman.— On page 261 of 

 this month's Journal appears a communi- 

 cation signed " B. Lunderer." In reply 

 to which I send you a letter giving the 

 experience of a bee keeper. I have other 

 letters agreeing exactly with Mr. Gardner 

 and in direct contradiction to your cor- 

 respondent's experience. John Long. 



Mr. Long: — Since writing you, we 

 have had a good yield of honey from the 

 Aster, and I have given your foundations 

 a trial in some of my strongest colonies, 

 and although bees at this season of the 

 year are not disposed to build comb, nor 

 even to lengthening out partially-built 

 ones, owing, I suppose, to the cool nights, 

 yet I find that they have built' out the 

 cells on the foundations to nearly the full 

 length, and have also in several instances 

 extended the comb to near the bottom 

 bar of the frame, without one drone cell. 

 This of itself is one great advantage, as a 

 great many colonies are prone to build 

 drone comb at all seasons of the year, 

 and thus ruin the sto^k, as tliey soon 

 have too few workers to store more than 

 the drones will consume. 



J. K. Gardner. 



Christiansburg, Va., Oct. 14, 1875. 



Voices from amonff the Hives. 



Warren Co., Ohio.— Nov. 12, 1875 — 

 " I have 140 stands of Italian bees. Have 

 kept bees for 50 years. I am well pleased 

 with the Journal and could not well do 

 without it." Jeremiah Wood. 



Butler Co., Iowa. — "I have done well 

 with my bees. I wintered ten swarms; 

 they came out well and increased to 

 twent}'-two; I have taken from them 350 

 lbs of extracted honey." 



E. ElKENBERRY. 



La Porte Co., Utah.— Oct. 29, 1875.— 

 "Three years ago I started with one col- 

 ony of Italians, and divided twice the tirst 

 year, once the second, and was left with 

 one colony every spring. I doubled my 

 hive this 3'ear, and took but two cards of 

 honey from the two hives, so as not to 

 rob them. They have increased their 

 number four times, at least, and the hives 

 are full of honey and brood." 



Mrs. H. Madsen. 



Verona, Lee Co., Miss.- Nov. 6, 1875. 

 — " I see in bust number of Bee Journal, 

 that W. J. Andrews sent $1.00 to Adair 

 and cannot hear from him. In April 

 1874,1 sent him $7.50 by registered letter. 

 I got his return receipt for the letter. I 

 have written to him repeatedly since, and 

 have never heard from him since. 



T. W. Johnson. 



Santa Rosa, Cal.— Oct. 31, 1875.—" I 

 was glad to see the report of P. H. Bo- 

 hart. I sold him one-half of my bees 

 before leaving Mo. There are but few 

 bees kept in this county, and I think I 

 shall return to Mo., in the spring. If 

 any one has a good home in the States, he 

 should remain there." John Sheerer. 



Kauffman Co., Texas. — Not. 15, 1875. 

 — " I Iiad poor success this year, did not 

 average one swarm to the hive, and only 

 about 15 lbs of honey. Honey locust, 

 wild plum, and horse mint are the three 

 best honey plants here. The first two 

 bloom in early spring, and last about 

 three weeks — the other in summer when 

 otlier flowers are scarce, and continue 

 about six weeks." A. H. R. Bryant. 



Cedar Co., Mo.— Oct. 30, 1875.—" Last 

 spring I commenced with two Italian 

 colonies, bought from E. Liston, Virgil 

 City, and nine others in box and log 

 gums. I transferred the nine with success, 

 and increased to twenty-five — three natural 

 and eleven artificial swarms. I extracted 

 2,000 lbs. Having purchased five more 

 colonies, I have now thirty, all in good 

 condition." J. F. Lynn. 



Lebanon, Ind.— Nov. 10, 1875.—'' The 

 friend of bee-keepers for this month, has 

 arrived. I find its pages full of valuable 

 information botli for novices and vetrans 

 in apiculture. I commenced bee-keeping 

 in tlie season of 1871. The first year I 

 had one colony aifected with dysentery. 

 The next j'ear I increased to 14 and lost 

 all but one in wintering. In 1873 I 

 increased that one to nine and wintered 

 all safely. In 1874, I increased to 16, and 

 lost all but two with dysentery. This 

 spring I increased to three, but can report 

 no success till Aug. 15th. Take all the 

 time, I have had about enough surplus to 

 keep even with expenses." 



M. L. Hollingsworth. 



Marshalltown, Iowa. — Nov. 1, 1875. 

 — "I put nine stands of bees in the cellar 

 in the fall of 1874; three died before 

 spring; four more before flowers came. 

 I bought two more in spring and one of 

 those died, leaving tliree when flowers 

 came, with plenty of comb and considera- 

 ble honey, all the stands leaving some 

 honey. 1 divided the three till I have 

 eleven, using the old comb and honey. 

 This fall I have fed the eleven, 100 lbs 

 cott'ee A sugar, and think they are strong 

 enough in bees and stores to winter. I 



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