48 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



KossTJTH Co., Iowa,— Nov. 19, 1875.— 

 My report for 1874 and 1875 shows that 

 even in Northern Iowa bees can be kept 

 and make a fair showing. I commenced 

 bee-keeping in the summer of 1874 by the 

 purchase of one colony of black bees. 

 From this colony, 42 lbs of box-honey 

 were taken and an increase of ooe colony. 

 These two were wintered in the cellar and 

 came out in the spring of 1875 in fair con- 

 dition. In the spring of 1875, I added by 

 purchase, two colonies, one Italian and 

 the other black. During the season, the 

 increase made 9 colonies, with ample 

 stock for wintering. In addition to in- 

 crease, I have taken 165 lbs ot nice comb- 

 honey in boxes and small frames. One 

 colony of black bees gave 69 lbs. in small 

 frames. (His stock was not divided until 

 the last week in August.) I go into win- 

 ter quarters with ten colonies; one small 

 colony of pure Italians, purchased from 

 Mrs. Tupper in Aug. and now at this date 

 very strong. I prefer the Italians from 

 the" fact, they will keep their hives clear 

 from the moth-worm, by politely showing 

 them the way out. 



RECAPITULATION. 



By 10 Colonies Bees @ 10 $100.00 



" 165 lbs. Honey @ 25 41.25 



141.25 



To 4 Colonies in spring $40.00 



1 Pure Italian 12.00 



Material for Hive 7.50 



Bee Journal & Books 3.25 



62.75 



Balance in favor of Bees 78.50 



David Patterson. 



Aurora III., — Dec. Ist, 1875.— Ten 

 yeai's ago I began with two swarms in a 

 box hive, and two years later I bought 

 six in the Langstroth hive. After using 

 them one summer, they convinced me 

 that I wanted no more box hives. I then 

 bought Langstroth on the honey bee, and 

 King's works, and in 1870 subscribed for 

 the American Bee Journal, and I think 

 I have read every number from that time 

 till now, and by ten years' experience in 

 liandling bees I claim that I know some- 

 thing about them. 



I have lost not more than three swarms 

 through dysentery. I have never lost a 

 swarm by their going off in swarming 

 time. My total loss for the last ten years 

 would not be over fifteen swarms. I al- 

 ways got my share of honey in honey 

 time. 



The reasons for the above are: I always 

 take my bees into the celar when the 

 liives are perfectly dry, before the cold 

 weather sets in ; I set three or four hives 

 on top of each other, and put one inch 

 strip between them and open all the holes 

 in the honey board, and keep the room 

 ventilated so that the thermometer stands 



about thirty-five degrees. In March when 

 I take them out on their summer stands, I 

 quilt them until about the first of May. 



I always hive a new swarm as soon as 

 they have partly settled, and give them 

 one clean empty comb. 



I always keep my stocks strong and see 

 that they have enough honey and keep 

 them from robbing. 



Feed early in spring, to induce breeding, 

 and I always had my share of honey in 

 honey time. This season has been a poor 

 ode, as all the reports show, from this 

 part of Illinois. 



I had forty swarms last spring and have 

 56 now in my cellar. I sold three swarms 

 and about 350 pounds of honey. 



Our main honey plants are fruit blos- 

 soms, white clover, and buckwheat. From 

 the fruit blossoms and white clover we did 

 not get much honey this year. 



John DrvEKKY. 



Santa Ana, Cal. — " Myself and com- 

 panion have an apiary consisting of 150 

 colonies of bees, in Los Angeles Co., Cal., 

 18 miles east of Santa Ana, and 12 miles 

 north of San Juan, in the toot hills of the 

 coast range of mountains. My partner 

 located here in the fall of 1873, at which 

 time it was the only apiary in this section. 

 Although his bees were in the old-fash- 

 ioned box hives, he had excellent success; 

 owing no doubt to the superiority of 

 range and mildness of climate 



Others hearing of his success have con- 

 cluded to try their luck in the bee busi- 

 ness, in the same locality. We have 12 or 

 14 families located here who are estab- 

 lishing apiaries, having waited for the 

 return of cool weather so they may re- 

 move their bees in safety from the valley. 

 We have succeeded in transferring 150 

 colonies, from the old box-hives to the 

 Langstroth, without the loss of a single 

 one, although by some accident, we lost 4 

 or 5 queens ; but they were soon replaced 

 by inserting a frame of larvae into the 

 queenless hive. In transferring we took 

 18,000 lbs of first-class strained honey. 

 My partner had taken 7,000 lbs before 

 transferring, making in all 20,000 lbs from 

 150 colonies in the old box hive. We ex- 

 pect to have at least 200 colonies with 

 which to commence operating in the 

 spring. S. H. P. 



ScHORARiE Co., N. Y., Jan. 5, 1876.—" I 

 commenced last spring with 60 stocks, 

 some very weak. I have now 88 stocks, 

 am wintering them out-doors. They ap- 

 peared to be in good order up to Dec. 81 ; 

 it was warm Dec. 22d, so that they had a 

 splendid fly. They had none before for 

 nearly two months. I believe I would 

 rather risk them out doors than inside, 

 unless I have a good, warm, dry cellar, and 

 that under a room that has fire all 

 through the winter. Last season I win- 

 tered 15 out doors with chaff behind the 

 frames, and on top; they came out all 



