☞ Several bee-keepers in this vicinity are considering the feasibility of holding a convention in Detroit this spring. The law in regard to foul brood, which is about to be passed, makes an organization necessary. It is desirable to know how many would favor the enterprise. Will such please send me their address.
=Wintered Well.=—I have wintered 40 colonies of Italians on the summer stands; they have wintered well.
=Mortality Reports.=—It seems to me that the only way of profiting by the experience of bee-keepers throughout the country, this exceptionally severe winter, is to reduce their reports to a tabular statement. If they could be induced to send in these reports, in the form of brief answers, to questions like the following, we could read the history of the past winter on a single page of the BEE JOURNAL, and learn from it lessons of scientific value. I mean such questions as these:
5. What entrance was left open, bottom, top, or both?
7. How many lbs. of honey were they allowed to keep?
8. When did they have their first flight?
[It would be difficult to get up a reliable report of this kind for many reasons, chiefly, perhaps, the following: 1st. Spring does not open simultaneously all over the country, and by the time the last were heard from, the table would have lost its interest; 2d. Many are sensitive, and prefer not to give their experience; 3d. Many have partially reported already, and would scarcely care to do so again. We agree with Mr. Kroeh, a table of that description would be invaluable for reference; but it is difficult to obtain.—ED.]
=Nineteen Weeks' Confinement.=—Bees have at last had a purifying flight after 19 weeks' confinement. I find 28 dead from 153, I packed in chaff. Temperature has been below zero 7 times, and as low as 17° below, this winter. A few of the remaining colonies are weak and may die yet, but nearly all are strong for this season of the year. One has had dysentery since Dec. 15, but is alive yet, with a fair prospect of getting through.
=Wintered Safely.=—We had a very poor season last year and the winter has been very severe. I began the last season with 18 colonies, increased to 34 and obtained about 500 lbs. of surplus. I wintered in the cellar, and lost 3 colonies with dysentery. My bees had a cleansing flight about 2 weeks ago and I think we will have no more losses this winter. There are quite a number of bee-keepers in this vicinity, but most of them report very heavy losses, some having over 100 colonies and losing nearly all. We are very much pleased with the Weekly BEE JOURNAL, and think it far superior to any Monthly.