Sometime in May, (we did not keep the dates,)
our bees were confined to the hive 21 days by
cold, damp weather, and stocks that had bred
most rapidly, and especially our stocks that had
wintered on the summer stands, had large
quantities of young bees of the right age to
require a purifying flight, and tlity had the
dysentery very bad, so much so that I was fearful
of losing some of the stocks. Standing in
front of the hives, it could plainly be seen that
bee af.er bee would pass out and fly away, never
to return. Some stocks dwindled down one half
Our bees were Italians. Many stocks of
of black bees in my vicinity, that were strong
in numbers when set out in the spring, dwindled
down entirely, and disappeared, leaving, in
many cases, both brood and honey.

One person lost 20 out of 30 black stocks in
May, and those stocks were in good condition
to all appearance when set out in April. Another
person bought 5 stocks, and selected them from
a lot; removed them home, and lost them all in
May. But, as there was no room on the ground,
and they left the hive in all cases to die, con-
sequently tliere were no dead bees seen about
the hives.

E. Gallup.
Orchard, Mitchell Co., Iowa, Dec. 23, '73.
ABJ

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