THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



193 



Yoices ft-om Among the Hires. 



Paoli, Ind. — June 1, 1876. — "I never 

 knew so good a honey crop in May be- 

 fore, since I have been keeping bees." 



B. M. LiNGLE. 



Howard Co., Ind.— June 12, 1876.— 

 "Bees have not done better for years, than 

 since fruit bloom. I have taken ofl' some 

 boxes well filled with clover honey." 



Levi Barrett. 



Lucas Co., O. — "Bee houses are no new 

 thing ; I made a nice one over 30 years 

 ago,'asdid several of my neighbors. Af- 

 ter repeated trials, we all gave them up. 

 I like the Journal more and more every 

 number. Isn't it queer that a drone has 

 no nearer relative on the male side than 

 his grandfather ? If a big dose of royal 

 food will make a female out of a neuter, 

 isn't that queer too ? And if a half of a 

 dose will make a drone layer, that is 

 queerer than all ! Royal food is royal non- 

 sense! Bees raise workers from female 

 eggs. Quinby 'got the cart before the 

 horse.' Bees digest their food before they 

 feed their young, and all young bees are 

 fed on the same kind of food." 



Norton Case. 



Franklin Co., Mo. — "I wintered in 

 the cellar and on summer stands with suc- 

 cess. If properly prepared they will win- 

 ter here in either way. I have both the 

 long and two-story hives — from 3J^ to 5 

 feet long. I have extracted from my 4 

 ft. hives, containing 32 frames, 56 lbs and 

 had them refilled in from three to four 

 days. I think I lost by not having boxes 

 on, as they might have filled them while I 

 was waiting for the honey in the frames 

 to be capped over. My new idea hives 

 are made to have room above the frames 

 to hold boxes six to seven inches deep, 

 and the end heads are made six inches 

 longer than the hive is wide, on each side, 

 and a rabbet run one inch from each end 

 to slip in a board for an outside wall, 

 which leaves a space of 4 inches, which 

 I pack with hay or straw for winter, put- 

 ting a quilt over the frames and fill in 

 with rags, paper and straw; then take 

 out three frames from each end, put down 

 a division board and pack the same way, 

 and my bees pass the winter well, if they 

 have plenty of good honey or syrup. I 

 have some hybrid queens that occupy 26 

 frames 12x12 inches with brood." 



S. Miller. 



Vinton Co., O.— May 8, 1876.— "I have 

 50 colonies ; they have gathered heavily 

 from fruit bloom and wild flowers. Every- 

 thing seems to be loaded with honey. 

 Have extracted from my strongest colonies 

 to give the queen room. White clover is 

 abundant. To warm up the hives I take 



the covers off, elevate the rear and let the 

 sun shine upon them. I use a mat or a 

 carpet on frames, and in the spring a 

 tight board on it, with a stone to keep it 

 in place. I think that the queen is not 

 satisfied with one drone on her bridal trip 

 — but meets two or more. What do you 

 think about it? Long live the Journal!" 

 J. B. Rapp. 

 [As to whether the queen meets more 

 than one drone, the question is not yet pos- 

 itively settled in the minds of all. — Ed.] 



Oceana|Co., Mich. — June 15, 1876. — " I 

 have 12 colonies, all doing well, and 

 almost ready to divide. I am situated on 

 White River, 22 miles from Newaygo." 

 B. F. Benton. 



Frederick Co., Maryland, — June 14, 

 1876. — "My bees are doing well this season, 

 hives full, and bees gathering honey rap- 

 idly from white clover and persimmon; 

 extracted yesterday. I got from Ch. 

 Dadant & Son, a good imported queen, 

 last summer, as did also my brother. 

 Both were splendid, and fully up to their 

 representations." J. M. C. Taylor. 



Moultrie Co., III., — June 14, 1876. — 

 " I have 16 stocks all doing well. Have 

 extracted 300 lbs. of white clover honey. 

 Am an amateur, but devote the spare mo- 

 ments to my pets — from my professional 

 duties — and am amply paid. I take much 

 interest in the Journal." 



Alvin p. Greene. 



Montgomery Co., Ind., — June 15, 1876. 

 — "White clover is abundant, and bees are 

 doing finely. Many here are getting in- 

 terested in bees." Isaac Sharp. 



Chickasaw Co., Iowa. — April 6, 1876. 

 — "I have ten swarms now, I got them 

 last fall. They were wintered in a cellar; 

 did not lose any ; one of them was quite 

 weak ; it was hybrid. I have three of 

 them, all are in good condition and on 

 their summer stands now. It has been 

 rather cold but they seem to be doing 

 well ; have plenty of stores as yet. I set 

 them out March 14th, they have had only 

 two days that they could fly, and that was 

 the 31st and 6th. I am quite impatient 

 for it to come good weather, it seems to 

 be quite backward in this section. Bees 

 seem to winter well in this part as far as 

 I have heard. I wintered in a cellar un- 

 der the kitchen — it was just above freez- 

 ing. My father has 30 swarms; all win- 

 tered well with the exception of 3 or 4 

 that were weak; they died for want of 

 honey. They take the Journal, I read 

 it the most of the time. I like it much, 

 it seems to tell what any one wants to 

 know. It seems as though I couldn't 

 read it enough. I will give a little sketch 



