THE AMERICAN APKJULTUKIST. 



71 



put in one-half of the comb bar and 

 when I put in foundation I put in the 

 other half and tack one to the other; 

 this holds the foundation well, and is 

 done quickly. 



lam wintering one swnrmonthat 

 frame this winter and I will <iive you 

 the result in April if you desire it. 

 W. H. Watson, Waierinlle., Jle. 



Welleslcy Hills, 3Iass. 

 Editor of the Am. Apiculturist : 



I sliould like to ask of the bee fra- 

 ternity to .siive throuiih this journal 

 their idea of the method to pursue to 

 realize the most comb honey from a 

 colony — said colony not to be allowed 

 to swarm naturally, and their method 

 to prevent them swarming naturally. 

 I am away from home all day except 

 Sundays and I must prevent natural 

 swarming — I would also ask if there 

 is not some way to prevent the bees 

 from sticking the brood frames, honey 

 board, and section cases so solidly to- 

 gether — it is such a job to open my 

 hives that it maddens the bees so that 

 smoke has little effect upon them. 



Did any one ever try covering the 

 top side, of the top bars, of the brood 

 frames, and top edges of hive, and top 

 and bottom edges of section case 

 where they join together in tiering up 

 —with strips of enamel cloth, fuUled 

 ic such a way as to prevent the bees 

 getting at the cut edges of the cloth — 

 presenting to the bees inside the hive 

 a folded edge of enamel cloth to which 

 to glue tlie wood joints. If so, please 

 report, if not I shall try next season and 

 I'll report. Calvix \V. Smith. 



Loyal, Wis. 

 Mi:. Editor: 



I am well pleased with the appear- 

 ance of the "Apiculturist" and its 

 tone, and can but wish you success. 

 Bees did very poorly in tiiis section of 

 country. Not a pound of surplus 

 honby was taken this year. Bees went 

 into winter quarters strong in stoi'es 

 and I think in numbers. The season on 

 the whole was very poor; the first 

 part was too cool, and the hitter part too 

 dry. My bees are mostly hybrids; 

 have some very nice stands Italians; 

 my mixed and natives have done the 

 best by me in gathering honey. Ital- 

 ians are too venturesome; get too far 

 fi'om home in early spring and many 

 of them never get back. 



Will let you know iu the spring how 

 our bees come out. 



Very respectfully yours, L. Allex. 



Holhrook, W. Va. 

 Mr Editor: 

 Many thanks to you for a copy of 

 the "Am. Apiculturist." I send you a 

 few lines of interest. Bee business is 

 slow here in W. Va. The last two 

 seasons were too dry for a good crop of 

 honey. Our bees got a start in the 

 spring on the apple blooms, after that 

 was gone, they had a slim chance for 

 a while. The Italians worked on red 

 clover when it came out. We had a 

 pretty fair linden bloom, so the most of 

 our old stands gathered enough honey 

 to winter on, and a little to spare for 

 some late swarms. I had twenty-one 

 stands last May and increased to thir- 

 ty-nine colonies. Sold four swarms 

 and four nucleus colonies; that 

 left me thirty-five stands this fall. I 

 commenced in October to fix up for 

 winter, and found my new swarms and 

 nuclei with no honey, so I doubled 

 back to twenty-five stands. I have 

 them all in chafi" hives, and a cushion 

 on each hive. They are all in nice 

 trim. I winter my bees on the sum- 

 mer stand. Some lost their bees last 

 winter, got discouraged and gave up 

 beekeeping. W. B. Zinn. 



Croton, iV. J. 

 Editor Apiculturist : 

 Winter has commenced in earnest, 

 and the very sudden cold snap just ex- 

 perienced was very trying to our bees. 

 They are packed on the summer stands 

 and will winter there. I did not lose 

 any last winter, and I liad four new 

 swarms before any one else around me. 

 I now have twenty-one good strong 

 colonies and expect to winter them all. 

 The indications are for a mild winter. 

 I do not expect to have bees in Jersey 

 many years longer. I am going to see 

 about, a suitable place in Florida. 



Wm. E. Housel. 



East Middlebury, Vt. 

 Mr. Editor : 

 'in the fall of 1884 1 had forty-six 

 swarms of bees. In the spring of 1885 

 I had thirty-six : loss ten swarms, have 

 increased to sixty-one b^^ natural 

 swarming. Sold two good swarms, 

 let two go off, gave away three swarms 

 and put back some, and got over 1800 

 pounds of honey, in two pound sec- 

 tions, and about 200 pounds extracted. 

 My bees are brown Germans or natives, 

 Holyland and Italians hybrids. Three 

 years ago last summer I got four 

 queens : two Italians and two Holyland 



