Nearly All Dead.—Bees are nearly all dead in this region. I had 33 colonies last fall and now have but 10; a neighbor had 40 and now has none; another had 44 and now has 2; another had 75, and 3 weeks ago they were reduced to 20. Several have lost all but 1 or 2, and some have lost all.
Wm. S. Buchanan.
Hartford, Ind., March 14, 1881.
Bokhara Clover.—Please answer the following questions in the Journal:
1. When is the best time to sow Bokhara clover?
2. Should it be sown alone or with a grain crop, or with other kinds of clover?
3. Should it be cut for hay, pastured, or kept for bees only?
4. Which is the best kind of hive for comb honey—a one-story with racks to hold sections, or a two-story, with section boxes put in cases in the upper story?
John H. Heard.
Flesherton, Ont.
[1. Early in spring is as good a time as any for planting Bokhara, melilot or sweet clover—we fail to discover any difference in them.
2. For bees alone, sow it alone.
3. If desired for cattle or sheep, sow it with timothy, letting them graze it, as it blooms but little the first season; afterward keep them off.
4. One-story with rack is more easily manipulated.—Ed.]
An Enthusiast.—My apiary is located on a hill-side sloping to the west, and hives fronting south. The Macoupin creek is ½ mile south of it, and several sloughs within a mile, with plenty of soft and hard maple, willows and cotton-wood. I packed rags around and on top of my 13 hives, on their summer stands, on the 25th of October. The bees were in good condition. Only one colony gave any surplus; from that I took 40 lbs., and left them 35. I examine my bees every week and clean out the dead ones. They had a good flight on the 13th of December, and again on Feb. 22d, when every colony had brood in all stages, and No. 2 was crowded full of young bees, and had a queen cell just ready to put the egg in, which I took off. Feb. 26th was a warm day, and No. 2 sent out a swarm; it was queenless, however, so I sprinkled them with peppermint water and united them with No. 12, which was weak. I do not keep bees for profit in dollars and cents, but for pleasure, as I do love them. I am a merchant, and own 275 acres of land, but being an invalid, look to my bees for recreation. In a radius of 4 miles from my apiary, on Nov. 1st, there were 13 bee-owners, with a total of 73 colonies. On the 1st inst. there were 19 colonies left, and they were in bad condition. I am the only one taking the Bee Journal here—success to it.
R. M. Osborn.
Kane, Ill., March 4, 1881.