Nov. 3rd - Returned home from visit East - bringing one beautiful queen
from Dzierzon - suppose it to be from Italy as I sent for three from there. 
I requested him to send more honey - fewer bees Mr. C. W. Taylor who has
opened all the previous importations thinks he sent more bees than ever
before - Steamer was out 19 days - stormy passage - two colonies answered
all right when blown into - one made feeble response - had not a
drop of honey and nearly all the bees were dead - queen seemed right
but a queenless colony would not cluster on her cage - gave her to queenless
bees not very glad to get her - next day - dead - no signs of violence
So much for German obstinacy - Both the others had 2/3rds of their bees dead
and the more bees living than ought to have been put up - Mr. Taylor
had one - I had the most beautiful which Dzierzon regards as the most
valuable queen ever sent to America! [crossed out 4th] Gave imported queen - No (3)
 (call her Ligunian No. 3) caged to a queenless stock - 6th [inserted: 22 degrees 50 degrees very windy] Liberated
queen - well circled - 7th [inserted: 24 degrees 48 degrees - splendid Indian Summer] Ligurian (3) laying - Two years ago I had
late born queens that would not lay in small nuclei - when put to good 
stocks they began to lay - Have had a number do so this month - a very
good plan to test whether a young qeen in a small nucleus is impregnated
Young queens if they have a good stock seem disposed to lay when older queens
have entirely stopped - Today have been making the long winter passages my
stocks are well off for honey - and much stronger in bees than last Fall - This
owing in part to feeding - Am now pressing forward the preparation of the bees
for winter. (8th) 24 degrees 62 degrees - Splendid Indian Summer - Important! Ligurian bees have in all
respects more sense than black bees - seem often disposed to eat wax to be used in comb
building - my wax shaving plan which failed with black bees may answer well
with Italians I have almost lost all confidence in any plan for artificial combs. 
9th - 34 degrees 60 degrees Beautiful Indian Summer - Made winter passages in ten stocks yesterday
Important. To winter properly - bees ought to be able to assume a globular form or cube
an ordinary good stock would not occupy more than 8 inches square - This shape should have the
power of enlarging or contracting at will according to weather � expanding from within, out - or
contracting from without, in - This can only be effected perfectly when the bees have a free central
communication from comb to comb - In this way only will the bees that draw together in cold on
the outside comb pass in - they cannot be depended on to do it by passing above frames or under
them or on sides - The [illegible] hole even when not filled up cannot be depended on - bees on
contracting often miss it - and perish - with the long slot they can enlarge or contract at will
occupying few or more combs according to weather or strength of colony - Now let the three