142 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



May 4, 



The Cause of Disaster.— My 163 colo- 

 nies have dwindled to 76. The Italians 

 are carrying in pollen to-day, while the 

 blacks are only eager to pilfer from the 

 remains of their neighbors. My bees 

 were boxed and packed in chaff, after 

 the most approved methods, but ex- 

 posed to the west and north winds. 

 After reading the reports given in the 

 Bee Journal, with the experience of 

 years and the lessons taught by the bee- 

 keepers in this section, I am satisfied 

 that it is more the place than any one 

 condition. One of our bee-keepers re- 

 ports a loss of 28 out of 30 in box hives un- 

 protected and on the summer stands ; 

 another had 70, all boxed in chaff with 

 shingled caps, all dead but 20; another 

 had 17, all dead ; another 60, a few weak 

 ones left ; several had from 3 to 10, all 

 are dead ; a Mr. Stinson had 113 placed 

 on the east side of a large building and 

 very much protected on all sides, boxed 

 in coarse straw, and all are strong and 

 healthy ; another, situated on the east 

 side of a chestnut grove, with box hives 

 upon benches 3 feet high, no protection, 

 and all are alive and strong, no signs of 

 disease; another put 30 colonies into a 

 cellar, and after this long blizzard win- 

 ter all came out right. 1 am now com- 

 pelled, after looking over all the testi- 

 mony, to decide that more depends upon 

 the place than any conditions of pack- 

 ing, boxing, etc. Mr. Muth, in a pri- 

 vate letter just received, reports a loss 

 of 25 per cent. Other prominent bee- 

 keepers report even much greater losses. 

 So I am not discouraged, but shall rally 

 to new and untried methods to winter 

 Lees successfully. When one feels that 

 the obstacles in profitable bee-keeping 

 arc almost surmounted, and that we 

 are just now going to make some money 

 and run the thing after our own notion, 

 to get such a set-back takes the conceit 

 out of us a little. It is really consoling 

 that such veterans as Muth, Doolittle, 

 etc., are fallible with the rest of us. 



D. VlDETO. 



North East, Pa., April 2.5, 1881. 



Survival of the Fittest.— After a care- 

 ful examination I find but 15 colonies 

 out of 31 that are certainly all right— a 

 loss of 51 per cent. The hybrids stood 

 the winter much better than the natives 

 —at least all the bees alive are well 

 marked. They are now carrying in 

 natural pollen. It is possible that this 

 year may develop a hardier class for 

 the best only survive. F. A. Grove. 



Kirksville, Mo., April 24, 1881. 



Lost 33 ont of 85 Colonies.— Last fall I 

 Lad 85 colonies in good condition. I 

 ■wintered them in the cellar, ventilation 

 same as on summer stands. I now have 

 45 good colonies and 7 weak ones, show- 

 ing a loss of 33, nearly all occasioned by 

 starvation ; 3 only had the dysentery. 

 Fully 75 per cent, of the bees in this lo- 

 cality are dead. Success to the Bee 

 Journal. J. H. Davis. 



Stockbridge, Wis., April 10, 1881. 



Loss of Bees in Western Ontario. — 



Owing to the increase in other branches 

 of my business 1 was compelled last fall 

 to sell my bees and supply trade, as I 

 stated in the Bee Journal, in January, 

 keeping only a few bees for some exper- 

 iments I wished to make. Perhaps I 

 was fortunate, as I find by inquiries and 

 correspondence that 90 per cent of the 

 bees in this section of Ontario have 

 perished during this long cold winter. 

 My bees did not fiy from Nov. 5 until 

 March 4. Those stored in well built 

 Louses and those packed in chaff on the 

 summer stands shared alike ; about all 

 are dead now. What bees I had any 

 personal knowledge of last fall had so 

 much unsealed honey that I was confi- 

 -dent. if the winter was a hard one, they 

 could not survive. There are many 

 causes for this great loss, but I believe 

 the great cause is the want of proper 

 •care and attention in August and Sep- 

 tember. The only men that make a 

 success of bee-farming are those who 

 study the business, read and experi- 

 ment, always devoting the necessary 

 time and attention to them. All who 

 Lave not learned this must do so sooner 

 or later. Why not attend to the bees'? 

 If tliey are worth having they are worth 

 attending to; who ever succeeded in 

 any business that did not look after it 



properly ? Where the bees are to come 

 from to replenish is something I don't 

 know. But I think any persons not too 

 far away, having bees for sale, who 

 may advertise them in the Bee Jour- 

 nal, will get hundreds of orders from 

 this section. W. G. Walton. 



Hamilton, Canada, April 20, 1881. 



It Pays to Take the Weekly.— Every 



apiarist should take the Weekly Bee 

 Journal. Last year I lost money sim- 

 ply because the Monthly did not reach 

 me in time to tell me that the crop was 

 short. I sold my honey a few days too 

 soon. We are finally favored with some 

 warm weather. On Saturday, April 23, 

 the mercury reached 66- Fahr., and lots 

 of bees swarmed out ; I hope to have 

 some left. II. B. Rolfe. 



Westfield, N. Y., April 24, 1881. 



Uee-Keeping in Kansas.— The losses 

 of bees in this vicinity have not been 

 accurately ascertained but will probably 

 rate about 50 per cent. Bees are mostly 

 wintered here on summer stands with- 

 out protection, and losses are usually 

 for want of stores. Such was the case 

 here generally the past winter, with few 

 exceptions. There was only one month 

 during winter in which bees did not fly. 

 I successfully wintered a light nucleus 

 on 4 Langstroth frames, on the sum- 

 mer stand, by covering the hive with 

 straw and closing the entrance entirely 

 during the coldest weather. Bees are 

 now gathering honey from wild rasp- 

 berry and plum, which are 2 or 3 weeks 

 later" than usual. The Western National 

 Fair Association, at their fair at Law- 

 rence, Kan., in 1880, gave first and sec- 

 ond premiums of $25.00 and S12.50 for 

 best and second best 25 lbs. of honey in 

 combs shown in glass boxes. As the 

 tendency seems to be to planting espec- 

 ially for bees, what more inviting field 

 for the apiarist than Kansas, with her 

 cheap lands and mild climate V 



D. P. Norton. 



Council Grove, Kan., April 25, 1881. 



[Such liberal premiums ought to in- 

 duce the Kansas bee-keepers to give 

 their best attention to production and 

 marketing, and thus elevate the profes- 

 sion by the adoption of the most scien- 

 tific and progressive management.— 

 Ed.] 



Half of the Bees Dead.— About % of 

 the bees in this locality are dead, in- 

 cluding nearly all those in box hives. 

 Mine are in movable frame hives, and 

 were wintered on the summer stands, 

 covered with straw, and having ventila- 

 tion at the top. I lost 4 out of 21, caused 

 by ice forming at the entrance and 

 smothering them ; they had plenty of 

 stores. Fred L. Merrick. 



Kankakee, 111.. April 25, 1881. 



Bees in Kane Co., 111.— The majority 

 of bees in this part of Illinois are very 

 quiet. Mr. Marvin put up 90 colonies 

 of Italians last fall in his bee cellar, in 

 this city, and has taken out 70 dead 

 ones. Those alive are so weak in bees 

 that they will not be able to do much 

 in the way of laying up a surplus, no 

 matter what the season may prove to 

 be. His bees in this place were put up 

 early in November, and were taken out 

 of the cellar on the 22d and 23d inst., 

 both days being quite warm. His apiary 

 at the farm, some 14 miles west of this 

 city, contained about 170 colonies last 

 fall. This apiary was also moved to 

 the cellar early in November, the ma- 

 jority of the colonies having ample 

 stores. The colonies were removed 

 from the cellar on the 23d and 24th 

 inst. About 70 colonies were dead and 

 the balance were in a moderate condi- 

 tion. Some of the dead had from 30 to 

 40 lbs. of honey. To-day, April 25, the 

 soft maples are in full bloom and the 

 prospect for an abundance of white 

 clover is very promising. We fear, 

 however, that our strain of Italians will 

 not be able this season to overstock the 

 market with honey. Henceforth we 

 must pay more attention to the hardy 

 strains, such as have sprung up in va- 

 rious parts of Michigan, then we can 

 laugh at such mild winters and poor 

 honey seasons as the last have been. 

 M. M. Baldridge. 



St. Charles, 111. 



Much Encouraged.— I am much en- 

 couraged by reading the Weekly Bee 

 Journal, as I have wintered Scolonies 

 successfully, without loss, which is 

 more than my neighbors have done. 

 Nearly all I have conversed with have 

 lost heavily. I have double-walled, 

 movable frame hives, and use absorb- 

 ents over the frames. To these I give 

 credit for my success in wintering. 



S. Oviatt. 



Newton Falls, O., April 25, 1881. 



Packed in Wild Hay.— I packed 3 col- 

 onies of hybrids in wild hay last No- 

 vember. They had no flight till March, 

 when they were all right. Now the 

 parent colony is dead and one is weak 

 and one strong. L. C. Wemple. 



Roger's Park, 111., April 21, 1881. 



Good Results.— I think % of the bees 

 in this section are dead. I wintered 50 

 colonies with a loss of only 2 ; the bal- 

 ance are in good condition. I owe my 

 success to studying the Bee Journal. 

 My bees were housed 134 days witti no 

 chance for a flight. Last year was the 

 best we ever had for honey. The 

 Weekly Bee Journal is a Land every 

 bee-keeper should have it, just as much 

 as hives to keep his bees in. 



C. F. Greening. 



Grand Meadow, Minn., April 20, 1881. 



Spring has Come at Last.— The soft 

 winds from the south of last week have 

 taken off the snow and brought mother 

 earth to view, while all the spring 

 birds, frogs, and all animate nature, 

 seem to join in the chorus, singing, 

 " spring has come." This month lias 

 been dry up to last night, when we had 

 a thunder storm. Bees gathered pollen 

 for the first time, to-day, on hazel brush. 

 I got my bees out on April 23, and gave 

 them an overhauling. I found 12 colo- 

 nies dead out of 76 ; they had plenty of 

 honey. The medium colonies wintered 

 the best. The last 2 or 3 weeks told on 

 them ; they seemed to think it was 

 time to have their liberty. The ice in 



soon give way. Al. S. Snow. 



Osakis, Minn., April 25, 1881. 



yet, 



M.I 



Lost 37 out 40 Colonies.— The bees 

 are nearly all dead in this vicinity. I 

 have kept bees for 12 years and never 

 before lost a colony in wintering when 

 they had honey enough ; but this win- 

 ter I lost 37 out of 40 having plenty of 

 honey. They died of dysentery, caused 

 from unripe honey, gathered late in the 

 fall. I packed them as usual. I use 

 a box with 3 inches of space on the bot- 

 tom, and all around the hive, filled with 

 sawdust, leaving the entrance open J4 y 

 2 inches ; two thicknesses of carpets 

 over the frames and 9 inches of chaff on 

 the carpet. I like the Weekly Bee 

 Journal very much. 



F. F. Alderfee. 



Mainland, Pa., April 25, 1881. 



Bees in Maine.— We have had rather 

 a hard winter, or perhaps I ought to 

 say, hard spring, in Maine. I think 

 about \i of the bees are dead ; some 

 have lost all, others from M to 11-12, 

 and still they are dying. I have lost 10 

 out of 50, and may lose more. I tried to 

 winter colonies that were too small, 

 consequently they could not keep up 

 the heat and have " gone where the 

 woodbine twineth," though I have some 

 of the weak ones that are now gaining 

 in bees. The cause of my "spring dwin- 

 dling" is old and unprolific queens. I 

 have lost 3 that had plenty stores of 

 honey, and were all clean ; and 3 or 4 

 with dysentery. The bee-keepers of 

 Piscataquis, Penobscot and Somersett 

 counties, met at Dexter, the 14th of 

 April, to form a Bee-Keepers' Associa- 

 tion, to be called the North Eastern 

 Bee Association, of Maine. They chose 

 officers, and in consequence of the bad 

 going and the small attendance, will 

 meet again on May 12. 



Lucian French. 



Dexter, Maine, April 21, 1881. 



SPECIAL NOTICES. 



Good.— I wintered 62 colonies and lost 

 but 2, leaving 60. Some in this local- 

 ity have lost all their bees, others 1 i, 

 but as a general thing % of the bees are 

 dead. B. F. Sanford. 



Plover, Wis., April 22, 1881. 



®"Single copies of the Journal are 

 sent postage paid for 5 cents each. 



®°The attention of bee-keepers is 

 directed to the advertisement of Cham- 

 pion Bee Hive Manufacturing Co. 



6J" Those who may wish to change 

 from other editions to the Weekly, can 

 do so by paying the difference. 



^- The Volume of the Bee Jour- 

 nal for 1880, bound in stiff paper 

 covers, will be sent by mail, for $1.50. 



(£S"W T hen changing a postoffice ad- 

 dress, mention the old address as well 

 as the new one. 



(^ We have prepared Ribbon Badges 

 for bee-keepers, on which are printed a 

 large bee in gold. Price 10 cents each, 

 or $8.00 per hundred. 



ig^" Notices and advertisements in- 

 tended for the Weekly Bee Journal 

 must reach this office by Friday of the 

 week previous. 



l£S°We can supply but a few more of 

 the back numbers to new subscribers. 

 If any want them, they must be sent for 

 soon. . 



I®* Constitutions and By-Laws for 

 local Associations $2 per 100. The name 

 of the Association printed in the blanks 

 for 50 cents extra. 



• • • ♦• 



Food for the Brain and Nerves that will 

 invigorate the body without intoxica- 

 ting, is what we need in these days of 

 rush and worry. Parker's Ginger Tonie 

 restores the vital energies, soothes the 

 nerves and brings good health quicker 

 than anything you can use.— Tribune. 

 See other column. 18w4t 



iST The date following the name on 

 the wrapper label of this paper indicates 

 the time to which you have paid. In 

 making remittances, always send by 

 postal order, registered letter, or by 

 draft on Chicago or New York. Drafts 

 on other cities, and local checks, are not 

 taken by the banks in this city except 

 at a discount of 25c, to pay expense of 

 collecting them. 



• » ♦ * • 



Premiums.— For a club of 2, weekly 

 we will give a copy of "Bee-Culture;" 

 for a club of 5, weekly, we will give a 

 copy of " Cook's Manual," bound in 

 cloth ; for a club of 6, we give a copy of 

 the Journal for a year free. Do not 

 forget that it will pay to devote a few 

 hours to the Bee Journal. 



®°At the Chicago meeting of the Na- 

 tional Society we were requested to get 

 photographs of the leading apiarists, to 

 sell to those who wanted them. We can 

 now supply the following at 25 cento 

 each : Dzierzon, the Baron of Ber- 

 lepsch, and Langstroth. The likeness 

 ot Mr. Langstroth we have copied, is one 

 furnished by his daughter, who says, 

 " it is the only one ever taken when he 

 was in good health and spirits." We 

 are glad to be able to secure one of such 

 a satisfactory nature. 



iJiT 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. 



l^ 1 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. 



