Have been to Dayton since 21st. Mr [illegible] bees have done very well on flour candy. Got for him a good
plan for getting guide strip in saw kerf made in strips from which corners are holes are cut. This
seems to put finishing touch upon my improved frame, as it enables us to make frame lighter
and very stiff, and gives just the surface against which to fasten foundation with wheel roller. 
 (26th) 42 to 50 degrees heavy rain with Thunder. The examination of trial hive yesterday showed that
the bees resumed breeding as soon as pollen was supplied. Hatching bees proved this. In
a stock with candy on frame, bees have brood in comb built to replace candy eaten out. (29th to 31st)
cool for the season, cloudy and rainy, bees fly very little. (April 1st) 26 to 44 degrees cloudy mostly
with a little rain. Sun shone out PM at intervals and bees flew a very little. (2nd) 21 to 48 degrees
some flour taken. Bees have gained very little from the Maple, Elm, silver Poplar, etc. Severe freezing killed nearly
all of the pollen buds. Before 10 PM began to rain. (3rd) 18 to 30 degrees not much rain, slight snow at 4 AM 22 degrees,
very windy. (4th) 22 degrees (5th) 22 degrees (6th) bees flew well (7th) rainy. PM bees flew some. (8th) frosty
bees flew some. 9th. cool. Rainy, some flying, very little pollen. 10th. rainy no flying. (11th) cool, but
little flying. (12th) 26 to 54 degrees. Bees very active on flour. Whenever able to fly the past week bees
have been greedy for flour, very few bring in pollen, refuse of flour in flour feeding boxes is
quite sweet, showing that they moistened with honey as they take it up. McCord's bottle and flour
and sugar feeding frame a success, bees eat flour candy, also flour and sugar. Trial here has
not stopped active breeding, brood in all stages, a piece of drone comb that had young drone larvae and eggs
lost its larvae, and after a few days more eggs laid, drone comb was on the outside of main brood. This
shows a very refined instinct, Queen declined it for a long time, then bees went back on it because
of unseasonable weather, then Queen began again, of course, not so much progress made in brooding as
if weather had been warmer. Trial hive is now very much stronger than those which were say more
than twice as strong as when experiments were begun. Ten days ago. Honey board in two parts (for
trial hive) divider confines bees to proper number of combs next partition, the fewer the better (say
five or six) which will hold the bees over the part of the hive holding bees sets a shallow box with very
thin slats laid on stumps forming 1/2 or 5/8 inch shallow chamber, arranged to get in box flour candy,
[illegible] sugar, water bottle with mccords Wick, liquid feeder, etc. , all feeding of any kind to be
done without removing frames, right where heat of bees ascends, cushion of chaff to push down into this
box. when season for emptying comes. Second part of honey board takes place of winter shallow
box. (13th) 48 to 64 degrees (14th) 54 to 64 degrees. Bees get a trifle of pollen. (15th) 42 to 46 degrees. No bees flying. (16th) 42 to 52 degrees. 
Rain, northeast, no bees flying. Durham foundation given 16th. But little worked on. Removed comb with



