548 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



deep, something like a super, tlieu cut 

 an opening 3 inches wide and a foot long 

 on each side, at one edge, leaving the 

 remaining one inch on the other edge. 

 This box I placed on the hive bottom, 

 and nailed it there, v^^ith the opening 

 down ; tacking wire screen cloth over 

 the opening, on the inside of the box, 

 and down onto the bottom. On this box 

 I placed the hive, and, being the same 

 size, it left the opening above referred 

 to for ventilation. All who have seen 

 the bees say they are doing extremely 

 well. J. M. Straight. 



Necedah, Wis., April 15, 1891. 



Pollen from Pumpkin Blossoms. 



Last year was a very poor season for 

 honey gathering. In June and July it 

 rained almost continually, and after- 

 wards we had such a drouth that the 

 bees would not gather a pound of honey 

 in a week. Bees have wintered well in 

 this locality. I have not heard of very 

 many being starved to death. Mine 

 wintered well so far, as the Winter has 

 been very mild. I wish some one would 

 tell me whether bees gather much pollen 

 from the blossom of the pumpkin vine. 

 I have watched the bees in the early 

 morning about sunrise, when they would 

 come to their hives all covered with a 

 light yellow substance. Those coming 

 home were yellow, and those going out 

 were black. When I watch my bees 

 laboring in the hot Summer sun, and 

 hear them buzzing, I think their song is: 



We're a band of happj^ workers. 



We hate an idle drone ; 

 We will work while we are little. 



We will work when we are grown. 

 There's room enough for all of us. 



If we are good and true, 

 And the world will be the sweeter 



For what we workers do. 



John Paulsen. 

 New Hall, Iowa, April 10, 1891. 



Strong- Colonies. 



My bees were never stronger at this 

 season, than now. Heavy rains cause us 

 to be hopeful of a good honey harvest 

 the coming season, as the ground is in 

 better condition than for two years pre- 

 viously, at this time. This locality was 

 visited by a heavy hail storm last even- 

 ing, but no damage to fruit resulted, as 

 the buds were not far enough advanced. 

 Henry Patterson. 



Humboldt, Nebr., April 18, 1891. 



Heavy Loss by Starvation. 



I took my bees out of the cellar the 

 12th inst., and out of IT colonies I have 

 10 left, in good condition. The colonies 

 that died were new, and scarcity of 

 stores was the cause. I hope the com- 

 ing season will be better than last. It is 

 raining to-day, and the prospect is good 

 for fruits and clover. L. Hyatt. 



Rochester, Minn., April 14, 1891. 



Damaged by Hail. 



We were visited by a severe hail storm 

 yesterday, which stripped nearly all the 

 buds from the peach trees, and a great 

 many of the buds from the apple and 

 cherry trees. As the peach trees were 

 just beginning to bloom, they suffered 

 the most. The hail stones knocked the 

 bark from the tender trees, and broke 

 thousands of panes of glass. Clover 

 looks well now, but the weather has been 

 very cool this Spring. Bees are breed- 

 ing slowly, and my loss from dwindling 

 will be quite heavy. One colony now has 

 the ague. N. M. Hollister. 



Springfield, Mo., April 10, 1891. 



Bees are Booming". 



Bees are booming in this locality. I 

 received the Globe bee-veil in good order. 

 Am well pleased with it, and think it 

 the boss veil. John Q. Hill. 



Prophetstown, Ills., April 17, 1891. 



Could Not Give Up the Bees. 



Last Tuesday being clear and warm, 

 I thought it was time to take my bees 

 from the cellar, so my son and I took the 

 two-horse wagon to the farm, that we left 

 last month, for my bees (having sold the 

 farm, but I could not give up my bees, 

 if we did live in town). We put on the 

 side-board§, and nearly filled the box 

 with hay, and then put the hives on that, 

 crosswise of the box. I first tacked 

 some screen-wire over the entrance to 

 the hives, and over openings in the 

 honey-board, which I use in preference 

 to canvas, then put on the cap, and 

 nailed cleats on both sides of the hive, 

 to both hive and cap, to keep the cap in 

 place. We put in 6 hives, packed them 

 in solid with other things that we had 

 to move, and started on our 10-mile 

 drive, over the roughest roads that I 

 ever traveled. It required 43^ hours to 

 drive that distance, going slow so as to 

 jar the bees as little as possible. I have 



