The Honey Season in Jasper County, Iowa.
Mr. Editor:—This has been a somewhat poor honey season in this locality, owing to the dry weather. The month of March was pleasant and warm for the season. At the close of the month there was brood in the combs in most colonies. April was less favorable. The month was cold, and at its close there was less brood in many colonies, than there was at its commencement. May was warmer again, and the bees commenced gathering pollen early in the month. Breeding was extensively resumed, and towards the last of the month, the bees stored some honey. Most of the hives were strong and apparently in good condition to be divided; yet a division at this time, or in fact at any time during the season, would have proved injurious to many, if not entirely ruinous to some of the divided colonies. Honey gathering ceased with the failure of the fruit blossoms. No more honey was gathered until the last of June. Through the middle of that month most stocks were nearly destitute of honey, and the drones in most colonies were killed off. The slaughter was pretty general. About the last of June the bees commenced gathering honey again, and for nearly three weeks it was stored quite freely. Towards the end of July the honey harvest ceased, and from that time till within the last few days bees gathered no honey.
As a whole, the season has been a poor one. Very few stocks swarmed—especially of natives. The Italians have done better, those at least that were rightly managed. In the spring I placed twenty-eight (28) colonies on their stands, all of which had been wintered in a dark cellar. These I have doubled by artificial swarming, except three natural ones.
I drew and started up twenty-five (25) nuclei, for queen raising purposes, and kept them up. This I have done, while my neighbors did not get either swarms or honey; yet I do not think I have any colonies but what will be in good condition for wintering, at the close of the season.
Enclosed please find four dollars, for which send two copies of your valuable Journal, addressed as below. Success to the Journal.
J. W. Seay.
Monroe, Iowa.
[For the American Bee Journal.]