=Died of Disease.=—I have lost about all the bees I had, yet I love to hear of others' success in the bee business, and read of others' way of management; but I am convinced that my bees died of some disease, the same as Mr. Carver reported from Greencastle, Indiana, although bees have not died so universally throughout this country as mine have. I have the hives and combs left, with lots of honey in them; these I can sell for something, perhaps, or melt them into wax, or get a few colonies of bees to begin anew, but it is very poor encouragement to put much stock in bees, the way it looks now.
=Cyprians Ahead.=—Bees doing well; they are commencing to work on plum-bloom; they have brood in all stages. In an average of over 30 colonies of Cyprians, they are farther ahead in brood-rearing than the Italians. The latter have had the same chance as the former. Am very busy now, preparing for queen-rearing.
=An Early Season.=—I see from reports in our new Weekly JOURNAL that bees are dying throughout the north and west more than usual, from short stores and intense cold. I may say that we have had an unprecedented cold winter here, the thermometer at one time ranged, for a few hours, as low as 18° above zero, but soon struggled back to about 2∙5° below. Last fall our bees gathered a full supply of fall honey, and none will die from cold or starve out that are worth saving. The winter being wet, white clover is coming out very thick over the ground; maple, elm, plum and wild cherry are now in bloom, as well as heads of white clover that are pushing out their lovely forms to the genial sun. Bees usually work on white clover here by the 10th of this month; but this year our honey season will be much later. May the “new departure” prosper and lead us forward to perfection.
[Mr. Winder enclosed us some white clover blossoms of this year's growth. The sight of the modest flowers is refreshing, while from our office windows the earth looks bleak and gloomy with its deep mantle of snow.—ED.]
=Gone back on him.=—I had 30 colonies of bees—most of them Italians—last fall, in Langstroth hives, packed in this way: The ends of my hives are double-walled, and the sides are made double in winter by the use of division boards, in place of 2 frames, leaving but 8 frames. I then use a crate made of laths, which sets down around the hive so is to leave a space of about 8 inches for packing between it and the hive on the sides and back end. This space I fill with a packing of fine straw and leaves mixed, and packed hard when just a little damp. Then strips of board are fitted so as to protect the top of the straw from rain or snow; next a blanket over the frames and 6 inches of chaff over that, protected by the cap, in which are openings, so as to give free circulation of air above the chaff. The entrance is kept open enough for a good supply of air. In this way I have heretofore had good success in wintering on summer stands; but this winter it has gone back on me. Until last Saturday, the 5th inst., there has been no day warm enough for bees to fly for some months. Many did come out, even on the coldest days, but of course could live but a few moments out of the hive. I let them entirely alone, except to see that the entrances were free, until day before yesterday, when it was warm enough for bees to fly. I looked them over and found only twelve of them alive; only 4 of these are in good condition, the others are weak and the hives a good deal soiled. Now, what puzzles me is this. They were all, apparently, very nearly alike last October, and now 4 of them are in perfect condition while all the others were bad. Now, why the four exceptions out of 30? I am glad for them, but would like to understand the reason. Can you tell us, Mr. Editor? They have evidently not been cold, and have had plenty of honey. In the dead ones I have examined I find brood in a hatching state, with half or more of the cells empty, indicating that young bees had hatched. I attribute the disaster to long confinement, but why the 4 exceptions? I say amen to all the compliments you publish from your subscribers for the BEE JOURNAL.