200 



GLEANINGS m BEE CULTURE. 



Apr. 



over. Brother and sister Axtell gave a swarm and 

 hive; also divided them, and we received 105 lbs.— 

 $21.00. This furnishes the stationery and all deficien- 

 cies in postag-o and postal cards, and leaves ¥14.77 for 

 stationery for 1881. Your $5.00 and sister ^\'.'s $5.00 

 nearl3' covered stamps, and others' postals. Not be- 

 ing quite enough, sister A. covers deficiency. One 

 kind brother raised house and o(Bce rent. Thus the 

 good Lord has cared for us. Drayman brought 13 

 boxes yesterday, 9 from Bro. Hastings, Boston; one 

 ton fresh choice matter. Railroads passed it free; 

 also 3 Iowa sacks and one Michigan package, all in 

 one day. I am busy on boxes for California, and 

 sacks for Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois prisons. 

 Sent bo.x (100 vols.) magazines to Detroit- House of 

 Correction. If you see fit, I wish you would empha- 

 size friends sending me by mail; thus I receive 

 thousands of choice pages, otherwise lost. I now 

 ask the express companies only to carry to prisons 

 from here. Railroads will bill sacks and boxes free 

 upon application from me; but some suppose all 

 roads carry free if a box is left at any depot. Here 

 lies my trouble and expense. 



I gratefully acknowledge receipt of yoiir journal. 

 It is of great value, and I preserve it for future use. 



May God reward j'ou, my dear brother, for your 

 deep interest in our prison mission. Prosperity and 

 success to you in your labors for 1881! 



Onarga, 111., Jan. 13, 1881. "W. D. A. Matthews. 



Or Iietters from Those "Who have Made 

 Bee Culture u Failure. 



THIS CUT EXPRESSES MV FEELINGS AT A LOSS OF 

 ABOUT 15 COLONIES.— C. H. L.4KE. 



LET US MEDITATE (AFIER SUCH A WIKTER). 



fHAVE just looked over my bees, and find 16 out 

 of 38 colonies with " nary " a live bee. Among 

 ' the dead ones are queens from M'Cord, Burch, 

 Cyprian, Palestine, Roop, Oatman, and daughters of 

 imported queens, so I shall not be able to tell who 

 has the best stock. I now have plenty of hives. 



frames, and combs, for another year at least. " Ad- 

 versity hath its benefits." I shall need no supplies 

 for 1881. J. L. Mock. 



Columbus, O., Jan. 31, 1881. 



I think fully five-sixths of the bees are dead in this 

 locality, and, as a general thing, left considerable 

 honey. D. B. Teague. 



West Milton, Miami Co., O., Feb. 8, 1881. 



There were 87 colonics of bees in 1 his township 

 Nov. 1, 1880. At present alive, 18; 14 percent of box 

 hives lived. I. P. C. Steddom. 



Webster, Wayne Co., Ind., Mar. 13, 1881. 



My neighbor who lost 10 out of 26 colonies has now 

 lost 5 more, and says he expects to have almost none 

 left by May 1st. He has been in the business for 35 

 years. Too much experience makes some persons 

 careless. 



Do you not think it no more than fair that those 

 who have given such good reports in the past should 

 also report when they lose so much? I should like 

 to see them in Blasted Hopes when they deserve it. 

 May be I had better tell you that another neighbor 

 who has 10 colonies has no losses this winter, so that 

 I am not the best, you see, and the danger is not all 

 over yet. I think I'll wait until May 1st and then 

 send a report. James A. Nelson. 



Wyandott, Kans., Feb. 12, 1881. 



Keep on writing, friend N. 



As I am always anxious to see reports from others, 

 I will endeavor to give a report (not very encourag- 

 ing) of the loss of bees in Randolph county. The 

 crop of surplus honey, in a manner, was nothing; 

 yet they had plenty stored in the brood-chamber for 

 winter iise, some having 50 to 75 lbs. In order to 

 give a little idea of the different modes of wintering, 

 and how they came out, I will give the names ot a 

 few of the leading bee-keepers. 



E. Davis had 37, lost 37; in Mitchell hive, out- 

 doors, with cloths on top. A. Frazier had 14, lost 13; 

 packed in chaff on summer stands, Mitchell frame. 

 J. Henshan had 14, lost 14; not protected at all; 

 Langstroth hive. J. Thornburg had 31. lost 17; in 

 Simplicity hives, packed in chaff on summer stands. 

 Z. Edwards had 18, lost 18; in American frame, not 

 protected at all. Wm. Johnson had 16, lost 15; in 

 chaff hives, without cushions on top. A. Hoke had 

 21, lost 30; in bee-house; sawdust-packed walls; 

 temperature kept at desired rate. 



This looks like worse than Blasted Hopes, docs it 

 not, friend Root? The most of us are tint going to 

 give it up yet. I think it is better to spend a little 

 money for a few bees than to let the hives and those 

 nice straight combs go to waste, and also the honey, 

 which is so nice for spring feeding. 



Winchester, Ind., Feb. 14, '81. J. H. Thornburo. 



BLASTED HOPES, EVEN IN MISSISSIPPI. 



I had last fall 34 hives of bees. They are all dead 

 but 6, and 3 of that number will play out with all the 

 feeding I can do. When thej' get out of honey they 

 become perfectly demoralized, and feeding seems to 

 do no good. The fruit trees are in bloom, but it 

 seems to do them no good. The long-protraoted 

 rains which commenced the last week in August de- 

 moralized the people worse than the bees. There is 

 not one man in twenty who will pay his debts. I 

 worked all last year on a credit, and am now nearly 



