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WISCONSIN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
PROFITS OF BEE-KEEPING- IN WISCONSIN. 
BY R. Z. MASON, APPLETON. 
During the years 1868 and 1869, much discouragement was 
experienced by the bee keepers in Wisconsin, and other por¬ 
tions of the northwest, by the general failure of the honey- 
harvest, The. history of these two unproductive seasons, is 
about as follows: In the early part of May, 1868, till about 
the 20th of June, the atmosphere was, almost without inter¬ 
ruption, dry and cold, with prevalent northeast winds. Honey 
was secreted to a very limited extent, and swarms of ordinary 
strength could no more than maintain their strength by their 
daily collections. The white clover, from which so large a 
proportion of our best honey is obtained, had hardly at the 
last date, made its appearance. But from this time on to the 
first week in August, we were favored with abundant rains 
and extremely hot weather. During this period vegetation 
grew with wonderful celerity. The bloom of our honey-bear¬ 
ing trees and flowers was exuberent, and such activity is rare¬ 
ly seen in the gathering in of the profuse honey deposits, as 
was witnessed during this, to the honey bee, eventful six weeks. 
At the close of this brief period another dry season set in, 
which lasted until frost made its appearance. During this year 
then, the bee had just six weeks in which to rear his young 
swarms, set them up in their new homes, and collect his win¬ 
ter stores. As a consequence, a large per cent., say 75 of all 
new colonies, died in the following winter from lack of food. 
This was the case with mine and nearly all my neighbors. I 
think also from a pretty extensive correspondence with bee 
keepers on the subject in different parts of the country, that 
the misfortune was general, and that a large per cent, of the 
young swarms of Wisconsin, and some of the old ones, per¬ 
ished. 
