60 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Feb. 23, 



a ^ 3w ^ffisy 



THOMAS C. NEWMAN, 



Editor and Proprietor, 

 CHICAGO, ILL., FEB. 23, 1881. 



8g"We can supply but a few more of 

 the back numbers to new subscribers. 

 If any want them, they must be sent for 

 soon. 



Te> have received quite a number 

 of catalogues of supply dealers. We 

 will notice them all in the Bee Jour- 

 nal for next week. 



^•In order to accommodate our for- 

 eign subscribers,and those in out-of-the- 

 way places, where mails are infrequent, 

 we have concluded to put the numbers 

 of each month into Monthly parts, with 

 a printed wrapper. Those who desire it 

 in that form, can hereafter have the Bee 

 Journal in monthly parts at the same 

 price as the Weekly. 



(g* It would save us much trouble, if 

 all would be particular to give their P.O. 

 address and name, when writing to 

 this office. We have several letters 

 (some inclosing money) that have no 

 name. Many others having no Post- 

 office, County or State. Also, if you 

 live near one postoffice and get your 

 mail at another, be sure to give the ad- 

 dress we have on our list. 



(g"The following from a correspond- 

 ent from Melbourne, Australia, is an- 

 other illustration of the wonderful in- 

 stincts of the honey bee: 



"A singular circumstance is reported 

 from a hot, dry valley in Kew South 

 Wales. Last year the drought there 

 was of long duration, and the denizens 

 of the apiaries suffered much from it. 

 This year the bees have made provision 

 against a similar emergency. They 

 have filled a large number of the exter- 

 nal cells in every hive with pure water 

 instead of honey. It is thought that 

 the instinct of the creatures leads them 

 to anticipate a hot summer." 



4fMr. Robinson, on page 58 of the 

 Journal, gives some items of history 

 concerning the first importation of Ital- 

 ian bees into this country. We are sor- 

 ry to see his reflection concerning "job- 

 bery," and the dying of the bees belong- 

 ing to the Government, en route. We 

 had an interview with Mr. Parsons 

 while in New York, and should be very 

 sorry to intimate that he did any thing 

 wrong in the matter. We are not able 

 to contradict M. Robinson's statement, 

 but we certainly do not endorse it. We 

 did not notice the sentence until the 

 "forms" were made up, and nearly 

 ready for the press. 



"Come ; Let us Reason together." 



A despondent bee-keeper writes : "I 

 am about ready to abandon the pursuit 

 of bee culture for something that will 

 pay better."' But what is there that is 

 always prosperous,independent of times 

 and seasons ? 



Fruit fails once in a while, — does the 

 fruit culturist cut down his trees and 

 burn them, and then search for some- 

 thing that pays better than raising 

 peaches, apples or plums ? Crops of 

 grain often fail in large districts, as the 

 result of atmospheric influence, insect 

 depredations or unpropitious weather. 

 Will farmers then cease to plow and 

 sow, and go in search of something that 

 will pay better ? 



The present severe winter has been 

 very destructive on all kinds of live 

 stock. Thousands of cattle have al- 

 ready died on the prairies and western 

 lands,— will the breeder give up, and 

 seek some other business that will not 

 be so destructive and that will pay bet- 

 ter? 



Storms on Lake and ocean cause the 

 the waters to yawn and swallow many 

 a valuable vessel and cargo— does the 

 mariner become disgusted and look for 

 some business that has no drawbacks ? 



The manufacturer, the banker and the 

 merchant often have to grapple with 

 financial distress and commercial pan- 

 ics, do they forsake the counter, desk 

 and factory, and look for some business 

 that is without loss and trouble.- 



Prof. Riley predicts another visitation 

 of the 18 and 17 year locusts, both broods 

 coming together this year, which in 

 their destructive career will eat up veg- 

 etation, and leave the earth bare in 

 many and vast districts— will the agri- 

 culturists therefore, leave the fruitful 

 fields of America and go to the barren 

 hills of Italy: or the burning sands of 

 Arabia ? 



No, indeed ! such reverses but stimu- 

 late progressive men to further dili- 

 gence and more dauntless courage. 

 When the farmers, herders, fruit grow- 

 ers, merchants and bankers set the ex- 

 ample, it will be time enough for bee- 

 keepers to become discouraged. Until 

 tlien, hold on perseveringly ; for the av- 

 erage years will make as good a showing 

 for bees and honey as any other bust 

 ness. 



Now is the Accepted Time. 



BaTOn account of unfavorable weath 

 er the convention at Monroe Centre, 

 111., met on Feb. 8, and there being but 

 few present, adjourned to the same 

 place on March 29, 1881. 



A. Rice, Pres. 



<iT" Can I put in my advertisement 

 once each month and reach all the read- 

 ers of the Bee Journal ?" This is a 

 question that is asked by several. Of 

 course you can. The first issue in every 

 month goes to every subscriber — month- 

 ly, semi-monthly and weekly. But as 

 19 out of every 20 of all our subscribers 

 take the weekly, it is a matter of small 

 moment which week an advertisement 

 is inserted. Those who are too poor to 

 take a weekly, or those who are not 

 enough interested in the art to get and 

 read it, will not benefit an advertiser 

 very much. Advertisements may be 

 inserted every other week, or once a 

 month, or weekly, as desired. 



%&• Sample copies of the Weekly 

 Bee Journal will be sent free to any 

 names that may be sent in. Any one 

 intending to get up a club can have 

 sample copies sent to the persons they 

 desire to interview, by sending the 

 names to this office. 



£g" Any one desiring to get a copy of 

 the Constitution and By-Laws of the 

 National Society, can do so by sending 

 a stamp to this office to pay postage. If 

 they desire to become members, a fee 

 of $1.00 should accompany it, and the 

 name will be duly recorded. This no- 

 tice is given at the request of the Exec- 

 utive Committee. 



The season is rapidly approaching for 

 the formation of plans for the summer's 

 operations ; and by the time this num- 

 ber has reached its respective readers, 

 many can " take stock'' of what is left 

 and make almost exact calculations re- 

 garding the work to be done. Of course, 

 the first question to be settled will be 

 whether to manipulate the apiary to ob- 

 tain the largest possible increase in 

 numbers of colonies, or with a view to 

 the production of honey alone. There 

 are many who will " trust to luck" to 

 shape their course for the future (as un- 

 doubtedly they have largely done in the 

 past), and these will, we are sorry to say, 

 be found to constitute the majority. 

 But the calculating, careful, prudent, 

 intelligent, successfnl bee-keeper, will 

 form his plans in advance, and work 

 systematically with a view to their ac- 

 complishment. 



If increase be the object in view, the 

 first warm, pleasant days will be turned 

 to advantage in looking over the hives, 

 cleaning up the combs (preserving the 

 bright, straight ones, and melting the 

 others into wax), selecting the strongest 

 and bestcolonies in which torearqueens 

 and drones, and overhauling the hives 

 and frames so that the work of dividing 

 and building up can be rapidly and sys- 

 tematically pursued. Make prepara- 

 tions, also, for prompt and liberal feed- 

 ing at such times as the bees cannot 

 gather honey. If there is a scarcity of 

 desirable combs, now is the time to or- 

 der your foundation ; have it shipped 

 by freight, and accept none but the 

 brightest and best. If your hives are 

 not perfectly satisfactory, or you are 

 likely to need more, order them now, 

 in the flat, and to be shipped by freight. 

 Now is the time to ascertain if anything 

 else maybe wanted, and to procure it. 



There are many, however, who will 

 wish to devote their time and resources 

 to the production of honey— having now 

 about as many bees as they wish to care 

 for, and depending upon natural in- 

 crease for the number they may yet de- 

 sire. These have much work to perform 

 in building up their colonies to the 

 requisite strength to gather honey rap- 

 idly and profitably. Now is the time to 

 manufacture or order extra hives, sur- 

 plus boxes, sections, extracting frames, 

 comb foundation for brood chambers or 

 for section boxes. If you have occasion 

 to buy anything, send your order only 

 toreasonable, responsible dealers— such 

 as have built up a reputation by honora- 

 ble, upright dealing, and who are not 

 ashamed to liberally advertise their 

 merchandise. Send them your order 

 early, to enable them to fill it satis- 

 factorily, and to give you the benefit of 

 the cheapest transportation. There 

 will be many wet, disagreeable days, 

 unfit for out-door work, when the time 

 can be profitably employed in putting 

 together the hives, frames, sections,etc; 

 therefore, order everything flat. Do not 

 delay ordering an article till you want 

 to use it— it is short-sighted and disas- 

 trous economy. Be particular to state 

 jvsl what you want and only what you want. 

 Now is the time to make choice of 

 waste or poor-producing soil for plant- 

 ing. Select and order your seeds at 

 once— order liberally. Take advantage 

 of the first general thaw to get in your 

 clovers. Better have less bees and bet- 

 ter pasturage, than more bees and poor 

 pasturage. 



We cannot close this article without 

 expressing the opinion that, although 

 the winter has been most disastrous to 

 bees on this continent, it has been very 

 favorable for the production of honey 

 the coming summer, and those fortu- 

 nate enough to have retained their bees 

 will realize satisfactory results. 



What will the Weather be ? 



In the East, during the second week 

 in this month, the weather was mild 

 and the "January thaw" took place. 

 This allowed bees a good flight, and 

 thousands of colonies were saved, which 

 otherwise would have perished. 



In the West, it is now a matter of 

 much importance to know what the 

 weather is to be for the next three or 

 four weeks. Many colonies of bees need 

 a "flight" so badly that if it cannot be 

 obtained, death will be the result. They 

 also need "feeding," which we are hap- 

 py to say Prof. Vennor says may be pos- 

 sible this week. The Professor says : 



"With the beginning of the last week 

 of the month, brilliant, mild, spring like 

 weather will again appear, melting the 

 snow and rendering the sleighing im- 

 possible in some localities. 



A few days before the close of the 

 month high winds are likely to prevail, 

 with gales around New York, Long Is- 

 land Sound and other points, with blus- 

 try weather in Canada and the Northern 

 United States. The last two days are, 

 however, likely to be fair, and the month 

 will end with little snow on the ground. 



March will come in like a lion. The 

 beginning of the month will be charac- 

 terized by storms of wind, which will 

 culminate during the second week in 

 heavy gales throughout the United 

 States. On the 2d there will be heavy 

 snow storms in Quebec and Montreal. 

 On the 8th snow storms are probable in 

 St. Louis, Kansas, Arkansas and Indian 

 Territory. On the 9th and 10th gales 

 are probable around New York, Boston 

 and intervening points, and snow storms 

 pretty general. 



About the 7th and 8th, storms of wind 

 and snow may be expected, followed by 

 rain and slush. This condition of things 

 will terminate in a eold dip about the 

 13th or 14th, with a fall of snow. On 

 the 13th, cold weather may be expected 

 in Toronto, Sarnia and other points 

 west. 



St. Patrick's Day will arrive during 

 the cold snap in Ontario and Quebec 

 and the Northern States, while rain, 

 snow and sleet will prevail southward 

 as far as Washington, and snow and 

 rain will fall in the Canadian maratime 

 provinces. With the beginning of the 

 third week of this month general snow 

 falls, from the Lower Provinces west- 

 ward to Chicago, are likely to prevail. 

 They will be succeeded by mild and 

 spring-like weather, with indications of 

 rain and snow ; while heavy rain storms 

 will probably set in in the Lower Prov- 

 inces and portions of the United States. 



During the last week, heavy rains will 

 prevail throughout Canada, with a prob- 

 able fall of snow in the direction of St. 

 Louis, Mo., and easterly gales in the 

 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. There 

 will be signs of the opening of naviga- 

 tion in Ontario, while snow falls will be 

 probable at points west of Montreal; 

 On the 17th heavy rains will be likely in 

 the Lower Provinces and Quebec, and 

 through portions of the United States ; 

 and from the 20th to the end of the 

 month there will be wet weather in Hal- 

 ifax. On the 30th the weather will be 

 blustry, with sleet and snow possible at 

 many points east and west. The old 

 adage about March when it comes in 

 like a lion will not be falsified, as the 

 month probably will end lamb-like. 



give a good share of space to 

 "Our Letter Drawer" this week, for 

 many are watching with interest the 

 reports from all over the country con- 

 cerning the bees, how they are doing, 

 what the prospects are, etc. 



