194 



GLEAXmGS m BEE CULTURE. 



Apr. 



Bees are wintering well so far with me, but it is 

 not quite time for the pull yet. G. M, Doolittle. 

 Borodino, N. Y., Mar. 7, 1881. > 



FIRST RECORD OF NEW HONEY. 



I began extracting yesterday! Willows have been 

 in bloom two weeks— maple also. 

 Eacelaiid, La., Feb. 15, 1881. CnAS. S. Larkin. 



I have 325 colonies of Italian bees. 



T. J. Martin. 

 Rocky Mount, Bossier Par., La., Feb. 7, 1881. 

 [A very goodly number, friend M. ; but can't you 

 tell us a little more about them?] 



CALIFORNIA. 



At present the outlook for a good honey crop in 

 Southern California is not brilliant. Rain has been 

 driven away several times by north winds. 



Los Angeles, Gal., Mar. C, 1881. J. Madory. 



I feel thankful that my loss has been so light. Out 

 of 184 swarms at the close of the honey season last 

 fall, I have at present 156; but the severe test is yet 

 to come during this month. N. E. Prentice. 



Castalia, Erie Co., O., March, 1881. 



I winter in chaff hives. Outof T5 put up one swarm 

 had starved, and one was nearly gone -with old age 

 I think. Several had become very uneasy, and were 

 much reduced. All that 1 examined had more or 

 less soiled spots in their hives, but were usually 

 strong. S. C. Perry. 



Portland, Ionia Co., Mich., Mar. 6, 1881. 



improvement on CLARK'S NAIL-BOX. 



Suppose, instead of a label on nail-box (p. 122) you 

 put a loop to hold a sample nail. This will show at a 

 glance what is within. One-fifth of bees on sum- 

 mer stands are dead. J. E. Dean. 



Fishkill, N. Y., Mar. 9, 1881. 



[Very good, friend D., and many thanks for the 

 idea.] 



Bees are wintering in very poor condition in this 

 section. Nearly all the bees will perish where they 

 are kept out-doors. We have ours in cellar, and will 

 have no loss to speak of; thej'' seem to be in as good 

 order as when put in on the first days of November. 

 The prospects are good for a good honey season; 

 that is, if the people have any bees to gather it. 



Camargo, 111., Feb. 14, 1881. J. V. Caldwell. 



A LONG winter. 



Quite a number of bee-men in ihis county have 

 lost every colony they toad. I think my loss will not 

 exceed 8 per cent. I have examined a number; find 

 eggs and sealed brood in strongest colonies. Bees 

 had a good fly the 5th of Nov., and then on the 30th 

 of Jan.— the longest cold weather ever known in 

 southern Ohio. I had one ton of surplus honey last 

 summer. J. B. Rapp. 



Owensville, Ohio, Feb. 25, 1881. 



another offer of dried corn. 



Having noticed in Gleanings that you want to 

 know what you could get dried sweet corn at, we 

 can furnish it to you for 7c per lb., not including 

 freight. We dry large quantities every season— a 

 hiuidred barrels or more, and have had no trouble to 

 sell at that price. Wc can send you sample next 

 fall, when we get to drying. We do not want to tell 

 you what bad luck we have this winter, as you would 

 class us in Blasted Hopes. E. Sherman. 



Preston, Hamilton Co., Ohio, March 7, 1881. 



SmOKER COIiUMlV. 



M'OW, friend R., I am one of those users of the 

 vile weed put up in the shape of smoking to- 



' " bacco. 1 thought of breaking the habit last 

 summer; but it was so handy to smoke the bees 

 with that 1 did not know whether you would send 

 me one of your large size cold-blast Simplicity smok- 

 ers. I \oill quit smoking. I have been a smoker for 

 ten years, and during that time I think I have look- 

 ed a good deal more like a simplicUii smoker than 

 yours does; or, it may be'asiJ7i2:>lcto7!.s)7io/£er. 



Horton, Mich., Mar. 3, 1881. C. E. Larrabee. 



You offer a smoker to all your subscribers who 

 will quit the use of tobacco. I have used the weed 

 for 12 years. You send me one, and the day of its 

 arrival I will quit, God beiug my helper. Send Bing- 

 ham's cold-blast, large size. 1 am afraid j'our offer 

 will cost you more than you expect. 



Bees are almost all dead here; they were killed by 

 fruit and carelessness. Some left their bees as they 

 stood on the summer stands. Arrista Bailey. 



Bedford, Ind., Mar. 5, 1881. 



Later:— The smoker came to hand all right, and I 

 will honor the pledge I have taken. 



If my offer of smokers will be of lasting 

 benefit to those who give u]) the tobacco, 

 friend B., though it should be a temporary 

 loss to me in the start, it will be a gain to 

 others in the end, and God will, in some way, 

 see that I am no great loser. Very simple 

 means, in God's hands, often bring about 

 great good. Let none of us be weary in well 

 doing. Perhaps it may help you some to 

 know that our friend " L>." is at this moment 

 undergoing the ordeal. Although it comes 

 hard, he is going to pull through, for he " is 

 on the Lord's side." 



You will see that I have sent for a smoker without 

 sending pay for it. If I am not entitled, I want you 

 to send it just the same, and I will send the pay for 

 it. If I am right, you off red a smoker to those that 

 were tobacco-smokers it they would leave off the 

 filthy habit. Well, I commenced smoking when I 

 was 19; amnow57; have always been a hard smoker. 

 I made up my mind to quit, the Lord beiug my help- 

 er. Well, I prayed earnestly that he would help me 

 in his own way. I felt that in my own strength I 

 could do nothing. Well, before the day came I had 

 set to quit, my appetite for it was gone, and now I 

 am as much disgusted with it as can be. Bless the 

 Lord for it! Chas. E. Larabee. 



West Chazy, Clinton Co., N. Y. 



Please send me one of Bingham's Standard smok- 

 ers, for I have quit using the ivecd; have not used 

 any since I saw j'our offer in Oct. Gleanings. I 

 have used it for over 15 j'ears. If you send me a 

 smoker, and I ever use tobacco again, I will send 

 you a $5.00 greenback to pay for it. My wife is look- 

 ing over my shoulder as I write this, and she says 

 she will write to you and let you know if I use the 

 nasty, filthy weed again. 



Ten per cent will, I think, cover the loss on bees in 

 northern Michigan. J. A. Collier. 



Hart, Oceana Co., Mich., March 8, 18S1. 



Many thanks for the smoker. It is just splendid. 

 It came on double-quick time. The boys are watch- 

 ing me very closely; but let them watch; and with 

 God's help I will stick to my pledge. 



Colby, Mich., March 10, 1881. W. R. Trussel. 



