862 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



I commenced keeping bees away back 

 in the '60's. I invested $100 in the 

 business to start with ; and right here 

 let me say that I think it is a mistake in 

 putting so much money into the busi- 

 ness until we have some experience in 

 the business. I had no knowledge of 

 bee-keeping, either from books or ex- 

 perience. What was the result? I lost 

 every bee the next winter after purchas- 

 ing them. This "wound up" the bee- 

 business with me until five years ago, 

 when I became interested in it again. I 

 began this time with one colony, and in- 

 vested the value of another one in bee 

 books and papers. I was, and am, de- 

 termined to win this time. 

 1 As a result, I have made it pay rea- 

 sonably well, although we hava had a 

 succession of poor seasons. Last season 

 was called the poorest one ever known 

 here, and yet from 20 colonies, spring 

 count, Isold $73 worth of comb honey, 

 and yet other bee-keepers that had three 

 times as many bees as I had, did not get 

 any honey. They let their bees take 

 their own course ; I profited by what I 

 had read and learned. I read with in- 

 terest every page of the valuable Ameri- 

 can Bee Journal as it comes weekly, 

 and shall continue to do so as long as I 

 keep bees. J. F. Merrill. 



Corinth, Vt., Dec. 10, 1892. 



Some Interesting Suggestions. 



Query 846, page 694, I think needs 

 at least one more suggestion as to how 

 the bee-papers may be improved. For 

 years I have been waiting for some one 

 who understands the business, to be en- 

 gaged to "review" each number, and 

 the comments published in the next is- 

 sue, if possible. At one time I expected 

 Dr. Miller would do this when he started 

 "Stray Straws," but it has not fully 

 satisfied me yet. As the Review has 

 truly said, some people can tell more 

 than they know, and others cannot tell 

 as much as they know. I am one of the 

 latter, but I will "review" a little of 

 the American Bef Journal for Dec. 

 1st, so you will know what I am asking 

 for some one to do. For instance : 



Page 719 says the first snow was on 

 Nov. 25, in Chicago. First snow here, 

 Oct. 3rd ; four inches ; good sleighing 

 now. I would like to be at the North 

 American Convention, but cannot. 



Page 720 — Dark blue wax is men- 

 tioned. Tell Dadants not to make any 

 foundation out of it. 



Page 721 — I cannot understand Prof. 

 A. J. Cook, but presume he means the 



sample was honey-dew with sugar syrup 

 and other stuff added. 



"California Bee-Keeping" — About 

 halfway down the column says, "An 

 industry which yields $375,000 per 

 annum without any outlay." Now I say 

 this is very misleading to beginners, or 

 others that have not begun. Then at 

 the end it should be said, " Put the label 

 over the cover of each jar, so that it 

 could not be opened without breaking 

 the label, because if not so placed, they 

 could be emptied and refilled with a 

 mixture." 



Page 723— The Michigan Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Association has prepared good sub- 

 jects for discussion, which I will watch 

 for. J. R. Bellamy. 



Black Bank, Ont. 



[Well done, friend B. Your sugges- 

 tions are good, and no doubt will be 

 taken advantage of as soon as possible. 

 You might do some of it yourself, if you 

 wish, as you have shown very clearly 

 that you can if you try. We are always 

 glad to receive suggestions, looking 

 toward the improvement of the Bee 

 Journal, but we may not in every case 

 deem the suggestions good ones, or be 

 able to carry them out. — Ed.] 



Only Person that Took Any Honey. 



I have devoted the past year to bee- 

 keeping. At first I had box-hives and 

 black bees, and did not succeed at all. 

 I then secured the eight-frame dove- 

 tailed hives, and also the Italian bees. 

 I have 15 colonies, all doing nicely. 

 Mine are the only Italian bees in the 

 neighborhood, consequently I am the 

 only person that took honey this season. 



I fed them about 200 pounds of sugar 

 syrup. I have no bee-house, nor have I 

 ever put them into the cellar. I made 

 small houses of weather-boarding, about 

 6 inches larger than the hives, all 

 around, and made the tops separately, 

 and filled the space between the hive and 

 house with straw ; I like the plan, and 

 think it will work finely. The weather 

 is never very severe here, anyway. 



Carrie Aaron's way of bee-keeping, as 

 described on page 688, is quite novel. 

 Success to her. I enjoy reading the Bee 

 Journal very much. 



Jake Everman. 



North Middleton, Ky., Dec. 15, 1892. 



44 Bees and Honey"— page 845. 



