13th 35 to 40 degrees cloudy raw. Gave candy to a number of hives. One parson's Queen
with common drone very much brood. So an Italian [illegible]. This hive populace
had two upper stories last season. Queen went into upper and most of
the bees brood raised their period the combs of the lower hive almost full of bee
bread. As the bees increased their brood honey goes off very fast. Shall
feed with candy only Rye flour syrup not until last of March or 1st of
April. I have 33 stocks 18 in [illegible]. All of these except four or five
had Queens of last year. 14 8 to 16 degrees coldest day this winter. 4 inches of
snow fell last night. Very clear and still. 15th 4 to 20 degrees. Clear still. 
Heard about a week ago about much floating ice in the vicinity of Newfoundland. 16th 2 to 
35 degrees variable Rosie sunset. 17th 31 to 46 degrees this AM found ice
in glass double hive which had no upward ventilation. Cloudy and
a little rain. Hive without Queen has none hatched yet. News of the
taking of Fort Donaldson received this PM 18th 28 to 36 degrees cleared off in
the night clear calm. Stopped raising Queens. Had two cells from which
Queens had emerged. Found one small well colored showing the mother
to have been purely impregnated. The mother was reared from doctor Parsons
Queen as had never yet produced a dark Queen. 2
Royal cells yet undisturbed. This Queen hatched in less than 13 days
stock feeble hive thin with all the tins off and an opening
below and some of the coldest weather in winter. Queen I
saw this am must have been hatched last night in a few hours over
12 days from the time Queen was lost. 19th 28 to 32 degrees sleet or rain freezing
as it falls. 8: 00 PM 28 degrees clear. Trees very heavily covered with ice and two
inches of snow since dark. If the severe cold great danger to the fruit buds. 
Plan of operation that suggests themselves for operations for the coming
be campaign 1 transfer first pleasant days some of my old box hives so as to have
say 20 stocks in movable comb hives. 2endeavor by judicious feeding and
the helping of weak stocks to get all the colonies in good order. 3
form my nuclei for raising Italian Queens in April as early as
the strength of the bees and forwardness of drones will permit aiming
to have the young Queens hatch a little before the drones so as to leave
no time. 4 supplant at once death fold or common Queens to have
no common drones (N. B. - The unreliable [inserted: or] common Queen stock to be prevented
from rearing drones) (5th) Each stock when able to gather Surplus
stores as to have hive with frames on the top one frame with bees
being lifted up in and as soon as it was needed honey bees being