AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



423 



honey, in one-pound sections, and late 

 last Fall I packed them in chaflf, as 

 above, and they are doing nicely at 

 present. E. F. Clapp. 



Dolson, Ills., March 13, 1891. 



Poor duality and Small Crop. 



I have kept bees for 16 years, and 

 last year was the nearest to a failure of 

 the honey crop that I ever experienced. 

 I had 32 colonies, Spring count, and 

 had no increase. My crop of honey was 

 of a poor quality, and averaged about 10 

 pounds of comb-honey to the colony. I 

 have some Italians, but most of my bees 

 are hybrids. The Italians are the 

 gentlest, and the best honey gatherers. 

 I have seen them working on red clover, 

 but they will not if there is other pastur- 

 age. I winter my bees on the summer 

 stands the most successfully, my losses 

 having been very light. I have tried 

 several patterns of hives, but in my 

 judgment the Langstroth is the best. 

 There has been a great loss of bees in 

 this locality ; all swarms of last season 

 are dead, as far as I have learned. 



J. M. Cashman. 



Hermon, Ills., March 14, 1891. 



Something: Unusual. 



Bees have wintered well in this vicin- 

 ity, though it is perhaps too early to say 

 just how they will come out. It is very 

 cold here at present, even in the middle 

 of the day. The coldest weather has 

 been in March, which is something very 

 unusual. Amateur bee-keepers should 

 " look sharp " that their bees do not come 

 out on warm days, to alight on the snow, 

 become chilled, and perish. When they 

 cannot arise from the snow on account of 

 cold, they should be confined to their 

 hive, by throwing a few handsf ul of snow 

 against the entrance, till it is warm 

 enough for them to fly freely. 



Busy Bee. 



Connecticut, March 17, 1891. 



Thankful for Suggestions. 



Judging from the illustration on page 

 280, one might think you would have to 

 stand to manipulate the Hubbard section 

 press ; but it is not so. I lean the press 

 against something, as seen in the cut, 

 with the lower end between my feet ; 

 thus I can sit down and work the press 

 better than if standing. I have improved 

 the one I use by boring a hole in each 

 upper corner of the lower block that 



holds the section, to place my little 

 fingers in, to help pull the press back 

 when the section is finished, and at the 

 same time have my thumbs, and two 

 fingers of each hand, to place the section 

 with. I bore the hole from the upper 

 end downward, and so near the edge that 

 it cuts clear out. I think friend Hub- 

 bard ought to send out printed directions 

 for using the press. One person wanted 

 to know if it should be laid flat down to 

 work it, and said he wanted the other 

 kind of press. I am very thankful for 

 the suggestions in regard to dampening 

 sections. I shall try them all, and use 

 the best. Am afraid that pouring water 

 into the grooves, before the sections are 

 unpacked, will dampen them too much, 

 like a man here who throws the whole 

 crate into a tub of water, thus making a 

 bad job of it. E. C. Eaglesfield. 



Berlin, Wis. 



Hints to Young Apiarists. 



At this season of the year the young 

 enthusiast will pine for warm sunny 

 days, that his bees may be flying ; if the 

 mercury stays low enough to keep the 

 bees at home, it will be to their advan- 

 tage, until the time comes for them to 

 get natural pollen. 



Success in bee-culture depends on the 

 man ; and energy, industry and economy 

 are qualities that he must possess. The 

 boy that saves his pennies to invest in a 

 bee-book, and then stays at home with 

 his bees rather than to sit around the 

 corner-grocery, will make bee-keeping a 

 success. — W. S. PouDER, in the Indiana 

 Farmer. 



ConTention IVotices. 



^^~ The 13th annual session of the Texas State 

 Bee-Keepers' Association, will be held at Greenville, 

 Hunt Co., Texas, on April 1,2,1891. All interested 

 are invited. J. N. Hunter, Sec. 



^^ The 8th semi-annual meeting of the Susque- 

 hanna County Bee-Keepers' Association will be held 

 at Montrose, Pa., on Thursday, May 7, 1891. 



H. M. Seeley, Sec, Harford, Pa. 



|^~ The Fourth semi-annual meeting of the Mis- 

 souri State Bee-Keepers' Association, will meet at 

 Boonville, Mo., on Thursday and Friday, April 9, 10, 

 1891. There are quite a list on programme for 

 essays, including some from ladies. A cordial and 

 pressing invitation is extended to all bee-keepers, 

 and their wives and daughters, and any other ladies, 

 to attefid the Convention. Rates have been secured 

 at the two leading hotels for those in attendance. 

 Come, and let us get acquainted, and have an inter- 

 esting meeting. J. W. Rouse, Sec, Mexico, Mo. 



Clubs of 5 New Subscriptions forS4.00, 

 to any addresses. Ten for $7.50. 



