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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



June 15, 



THOMAS C. NEWMAN. 



Editor and Proprietor, 



CHICAGO, ILL., JUNE 15, 1881. 



The Honey Prospects. 



From many quarters we are receiving 

 very gratifying news regarding the in- 

 coming honey crop. Of course, to the 

 north of us the nectar flow has hardly 

 commenced, but everywhere the pros- 

 pect is encouraging for a good yield pro- 

 portionate to the bees surviving. Dr. 

 C. C. Miller, of McHenry Co., 111., says: 

 " Bees are building up finely ; prospects 

 for an excellent season." C. F. Muth, 

 Ohio, writes June 8 : " Locust blossoms 

 yielded more than ever before to the 

 best of my knowledge. I took off more 

 than 1,000 lbs. of locust honey 10 days 

 ago. Bees are now filling up slowly 

 with clover honey. We want warm, dry 

 weather for the next 2 or 3 weeks to pro- 

 duce a large crop." Osman McCarthy, of 

 Pennsylvania, writes enthusiastically 

 regarding prospects in that State ; John 

 Boerstler, Central Illinois, " forced the 

 season" with 20 natural swarms in May 

 and 10 in early June ; while W. S. Hart, 

 Florida, becomes poetical in his contem- 

 plations. W. P. & Frank Coffinberry, 

 Arkansas, write that the prospect for 

 a heavy spring yield is discouraging, on 

 account of heavy rains ; but all the signs 

 for a large fall harvest (which is the 

 main dependence there) are propitious. 

 Here, the hot weather scorched white 

 clover to some extent, but sweet (meli- 

 lot) clover was never more promising. 



(g* The editor of the Nebraska Far- 

 mer says : " Our first swarm came out 

 on May 23d. It was very large. How is 

 that for Nebraska, in a late season, too ? 

 Our former estimate of the loss of bees 

 in this State, by the severe winter, was 

 much too low, as later reports show. 

 We now think that 4-5 in all the State 

 perished." 



) are pleased to learn, by the Bed 

 Oak, Iowa, Express,thaXMt. E.D. God- 

 frey, who is a progressive and success- 

 full apiarist, has been appointed a spe- 

 cial agent of the Interior Department. 

 We congratulate him on this "progress- 

 ive step." 



^"Mr. D. S. Given, Hoopeston, 111., 

 made us a very pleasant visit on the 10th 

 inst. He reports the prospect for a good 

 honey yield as very encouraging. We 

 regret to be obliged to announce that 

 Mr. Given is suffering from ill health, 

 which he attributes to over-work. 



The Nebraska Convention.— The Ne- 

 braska Farmer says : 



At the last meeting of the Nebraska 

 State Bee-Keepers' Association, Ash- 

 laud was chosen as the place to hold 

 the next meeting ; that place seeming 

 to represent nearly the centre of the 

 bee-keeping population of the State. 

 It is to be hoped the bee-keepers of that 

 place will take hold of the matter and 

 make the necessary arrangements for 

 the meeting ; without doubt it will be 

 the largest meeting the Association 

 ever held. Our last meeting in the city 

 of Plattsmouth was an honor to the As- 

 sociation. Let us not " put our hands 

 to the plow and look back." 



Present and Future of the Weekly. 



The opinions of our subscribers con- 

 cerning the Weekly have approved it 

 so unanimously that it has been quite 

 surprising. This shows how much of a 

 necessity it had become. With the ex- 

 ception of those who incidentally re- 

 marked that they preferred the old size 

 and form, the following are the only 

 ones who have written disapproving 

 the size of the Journal. These we 

 have retained to see how many we could 

 gather up and publish all at once. And 

 even these only disapprove the shape of 

 the pages, while they all, without ex- 

 ception, desire its weekly visits : 



I like the Weekly. When first pub- 

 lished I was not favorably impressed 

 with it ; but it is just as it should be. 

 I did not realize that it could get such 

 communications as it does. Some of 

 the monthlies have to borrow a good 

 deal from the agricultural and other 

 bee papers. This is a little humiliating 

 to the editors, I should think. Best re- 

 gards. F. A. Snell. 



I was slow to see the propriety of the 

 change, but the weekly visits of the 

 Journal have convinced me. It has 

 been a great satisfaction to me to get 

 reports every week of the effects of the 

 extraordinary winter upon the bees, and 

 the different modes of wintering, in all 

 the different parts of the country. 



LeKOY WniTFORD. 



Being a subscriber of 11 years' stand- 

 ing, and an occasional contributor to 

 the Bee Journal, I hail, with pleasure, 

 the advent of this cherished publica- 

 tion as a Weekly. But at the same time 

 it is with great sorrow that I see the 

 Journal changed from its life-long, con- 

 venient form. I should prefer to have 

 had the Journal remain a Monthly, even 

 at a higher price, rather than have its 

 form changed. But I might as well 

 think of getting along without my daily 

 meals, as without the Bee Journal. 



Wit. Muth-Basmussen. 



I am very sorry that you have changed 

 the size of the Journal, as I considered 

 the American Bee Journal for 1880 was 

 perfection in size and form, paper and 

 printing. The present size of the Jour- 

 nal is inconvenient to read, and not fit 

 to leave on the drawing-room table, and 

 when bound it will make such a cum- 

 bersome book it will have to be thrown 

 upon the bottom shelf of the bookcase, 

 out of sight, whereas the old size was 

 handsome enough to leave on any table, 

 and when bound made a beautiful book, 

 and was placed on the most conspicu- 

 ous shelf in the bookcase. I have all 

 the 16 volumes complete, and I often 

 show them to my numerous bee-keeping 

 friends, and by that means I have in- 

 duced many to become subscribers 

 of the good old American Bee Journal. 

 I do hope you will change the size back 

 again to the old form. I have made 

 these remarks because I am so anxious 

 for the continued success of the Bee 

 Journal. Wsi. Carr. 



I approve the change from a Monthly 

 to a Weekly, but record me as unaltera- 

 bly opposed to its present size and shape. 

 It is inconvenient for reading and pres- 

 ervation. I am always glad to receive 

 the Bee Journal, but greatly desire it 

 in its old form and shape. My interest 

 and pride in the Journal impel me thus 

 to write J. W. Hudson, M. D. 



The Weekly Bee Journal supplies a 

 want long felt by bee-keepers. Mr. 

 Samuel Wagner, before his death, con- 

 templated a semi-monthly, but nothing 

 less than a Weekly would now give sat- 

 isfaction. Let me suggest that the shape 

 is not the best for preservation. It 

 looks too much like the ordinary news- 

 paper, and will often share its fate. I 

 take it for granted that no change of 

 form can be made for this year— but 

 would it not be well now to announce 

 that another year the shape of the Bee 

 Journal will be such as to obviate all 

 objections. L. L. Langstroth. 



I am well pleased with the change of 

 the Bee Journal to a Weekly, except 

 the form, which is not so convenient for 

 keeping for future reference. I would 



prefer to pay more and get a more con- 

 venient size. The amount we pay for 

 the Journal is nothing compared with 

 its real worth, and to lose a copy is like 

 losing a link out of a trace chain on a 

 hard pull. My Journals never go to the 

 waste basket, like other papers, but are 

 carefully preserved for future reference. 

 One of these old Journals saved me a 

 colony of bees, and that colony gave 

 me S10 in surplus that season — 5 years' 

 subscription from a single article in one 

 back number. When it will justify, I 

 would ask the publisher to give us a 

 more convenient form, and we will pay 

 for it. If the cost is greater, the bene- 

 fit derived and the time saved will over- 

 balance that. John M. Davis. 



We are very glad to have these friendly 

 criticisms, and have given them due 

 consideration, and will, after the expi- 

 ration of the present year, greatly en- 

 large the Weekly Bee Journal. 



This year, it was an experiment, and 

 we desired to give as much matter as 

 possible, and at the same time not to 

 make it so expensive as to cripple its 

 career. Now, as it has received such 

 marked approval and assurances of 

 continued patronage, we shall endeavor 

 to satisfy all, as to its size and shape, 

 for another year. 



We propose next year to drop off one 

 column from the page, leaving 3, and 

 reduce the length about 2 inches, mak- 

 ing the size not only unobjectionable, 

 but a very handsome and attractive 

 one, and also double the number of 

 pages, and continue it weekly, at the 

 same price as now— $2 a year. 



Those who have purchased Binders 

 for this year, will then have a nice vol- 

 ume already bound, and convenient for 

 reference. 



We shall also bind the Weekly num- 

 bers every month, and issue it in 

 Monthly parts, of from 68 to 84 pages, 

 according to the number of Wednes- 

 days in each month, at the same price 

 as now, and thus accommodate our 

 large list of foreign subscribers, and 

 others in America who may prefer to 

 have it in that way. 



The following indorsements are also 

 received : 



I am much pleased with the Weekly 

 Bee Journal. It keeps its readers up 

 with the times. Henry Crist. 



I like the change to the Weekly very 

 much— it was too long to wait for a 

 Monthly. J. C. Pennington. 



I consider the Bee Journal so full of 



Eractical information that no one should 

 e without it who has the care of bees. 



Chas. Smith. 

 I find myself looking for the Bee 

 Journal with much more interest since 

 it became a Weekly. E. E. Hasty. 



The Weekly is simply " immense." 

 I have received all the numbers so far. 

 J. H. Baldwin. 

 I am well pleased with the Weekly 

 Bee Journal. I like its general appear- 

 ance as well as its contents. It ought 

 to meet with much success. 



Henry Alley. 

 I am delighted with the neatness and 

 richness of the Weekly Bee Journal. It 

 is very comprehensive and interesting 

 and I wish it great success. 



(Rev.) A. Gunther. 

 Allow me to congratulate you on the 

 handsome appearance of the Journal. 

 Success to it and its proprietor. 

 JonN W. Lockin, Ed. Wis. Farmer. 



The American Bee Journal makes 

 its Weekly visits and is just what is 

 wanted. Success to its enterprising 

 editor. Anthony' Opp 



I find the Journal as interesting as 

 my husband does and we both like the 

 Weekly very much and wish you all 

 success. Mrs. W. L. Portfr. 



We admire the change of the Bee 

 Journal to a Weekly very much indeed 

 Flournoy & Foster. 



I am well pleased with the Weekly. 

 Its publication is a great stride in sci- 

 entific apiculture. Long live the Bee 

 Journal and its genial editor. 



G. W. Ashby. 



I like the Bee Journal very much and 

 would not be without it for 8 times its 

 price. Ernst Zabel. 



I think the Bee Journal the best in 

 the world, and it is better and better 

 every week. Isaac F. Plummer. . 



I like the change from a Monthly to a 

 Weekly very much. H. B. Lisk. 



I was agreeably surprised with the 

 Bee Journal coming Weekly. I would 

 not do without it for 5 times its price. 

 Geo. A. Temple. 



The Weekly Journal is not only pro- 

 gressive and fully up with the times 

 but it is decidedly excellent. 



H. S. Van Anglen. 



Success to the Weekly Journal. We 

 are all well pleased with the Bee 

 Journal except the form. We think the 

 old form much preferable. 



S. L. Dorsey. 



I am much pleased with the Bee Jour- 

 nal and am glad that it will be a weekly 

 visitor instead of a monthly. This 

 will be appreciated by all its patrons. 

 J. M. Weede. 



I am well pleased with the change of 

 the Bee Journal from Monthly to 

 Weekly. May it ever prosper. 



M. B. Terrass. 



INDIANA FARMER. 



Putting on Surplus Boxes. — Putting 

 on surplus boxes like many other things 

 connected with work in the bee-yard, is 

 dependent on conditions and circum- 

 stances. The experienced eye can eas- 

 ily tell just when they should go on. 

 The cells unoccupied with brood will 

 be tilled with honey, and the bees will 

 have commenced building little patches 

 of comb in all the unoccupied space, 

 lengthening out the cells next the top 

 bars, etc. This usually commences at 

 the yield of white clover, and in many 

 localities they will need the boxes ere 

 this. They should not have too much 

 room given them at the start ; put on a 

 few at first, and as the bees get started 

 in, give them more room. 



Dividing Bees.— Dividing bees, when 

 properly done, is a much better plan to 

 increase than to allow them to swarm 

 naturally. But improperly done, has 

 been the ruination of many an apiary, 

 for it seems almost impossible to con- 

 vince some people that success depends 

 on the strength of the colonies, and not 

 numbers. The better plan is to wait 

 until the bees are making preparations 

 to cast a swarm, and then they can be 

 divided with benefit. When you find 

 they are making ready, or have queen 

 cells capped, then divide. Take a frame 

 of honey, bees, brood, and the queen, 

 hang in an empty hive, fill up with 

 frames of comb or foundation. Move 

 the old hive to a new location, placing 

 the new hive containing the queen on 

 the old stand, and the work is done. 

 Nearly all of the old bees and those in 

 the fields at work will return to the old 

 stand, which now contains the new 

 hive, and makes quite a good colony. 

 The young hatching bees will soon fill 

 up the old hive. The empty place from 

 which you removed the frame of brood 

 and the queen, should be filled with a 

 frame of comb or foundation ; for if an 

 empty frame be hung in place, the bees 

 will till it with drone comb. This work 

 should be done in the middle of the day 

 when the larger part of the bees are in 

 the fields. Nothing can be done for 7 

 or 8 days with the old hive. By that 

 time they will have capped the queen 

 cells: if the cells were capped at the 

 time of dividing, they will need looking 

 after sooner than this. The queen will 

 hatch in 15 days from egg. When the 

 young queens are ready to hatch, all 

 queen cells should be removed but one; 



