Now I can get honey from the Italian bees in boxes to the best
advantage. Let the boxes have the bottoms off, say have only
1/2 inch strip wide by 1/4 inch thick. Set in a location about 1/8 inch above
the uprights to nail sides or uprights to, when full set in a full bottom,
place these boxes directly on the frames, or if best to have bees more freely
intercommunicate on 1/6 inch strips so that they run under them all, no holes
in sides, unnecessary. If boxes used front and rear, the same arrangement
the open parts being presented on side and rear. No attempt at least
with Italians to have a double tier. (15th) 76 to 88 degrees sun [illegible]. 
Bees yet work considerably on white Clover, beginning to work [illegible]
on red Clover. Important. Many boxes not full quite and will
not be filled, put them on strong stocks and feed the honey emptied. 
If they store too much below easy to help others [illegible] to empty. 
In this way all small boxes seemingly full can be filled with the nice
honey before the poorer quality comes. The wonderful season
of 1869. The hard freezes the latter part of winter and
early in spring [illegible] severe damage to the wheat and
barley, but little damage done. After [illegible] freeze
came warm rains causing the wheat to [illegible]. In may
the wheat was so [illegible] that an ordinary [illegible] would have
caused it to [illegible] and rust. But [illegible] while [illegible]
to keep it growing was so cool that it escaped almost [illegible]
Several times the weather was so hot and close (muggy) that
a [illegible] of it for less than a day longer would have almost
destroyed the crop by rust. But when our fears were quietest
the weather would change to cooler, a good breeze would dry
out the wheat and all damage was over. The harvest season
has been on the whole as propitious as ever known for [illegible]
the crop, the list of weather for man and beast. Barley extra,
wheat extra, grass extra, early potatoes extra, oats almost



