=Good Prospect.=--There is every prospect of a prosperous season now, as we are having rain enough, and I never saw bees in better condition. I commenced on the 3d of March to divide colonies, rear queens, &c. I have my hives nearly completed for the season’s operations. There is quite a contrast between northern Iowa and southern Cal. for bee-keeping. I commenced the last season with 48 colonies in very poor condition, and this season I start with 108 in extra good condition; in fact, the poorest colony I have is in as good condition as the best was last season at the same time. ELISHA GALLUP. Santa Paula, Cal., March 18, 1881. =Spring Come at Last.=--The weather is spring-like here, and has been since March came in. The snow has all disappeared, and our roads are dry and dusty. As I write the blue birds and robins are singing merrily. HENRY ALLEY. Wenham, Mass., March 23, 1881. =Come Gentle Spring.=--I have 60 colonies in the cellar; they are in poor condition and will all die if Vennor does not give us fine weather soon, so that the bees can have a flight. They were all right March 1st. I like the Weekly much better than the Monthly. WM. C. GRAY. Pre-emption, Ill., March 24, 1881. =Bees All Right.=--I have lost 2 colonies out of 16, and the remaining 14 are strong. I had them packed in buckwheat chaff, which is considered the best packing we can get. I have wintered for 4 years with it, and had success. In the winter of 1877 and 1878 I had 45 colonies packed in kiln-dried shavings and wheat chaff: but 4 were packed in buckwheat chaff and those 4 lived; the rest died. There was a very heavy loss around here among those that were left unpacked. I am well pleased with the Weekly BEE JOURNAL. W. S. BAIR. Rollersville, O., March 24, 1881. =Lost 6 out of 100 Colonies.=--The snow is all gone now and our bees have had several flights. On the 16th they gathered some pollen; but this has been the most disastrous winter among bees in Maryland for many years; 75 per cent of all the bees in north Md. are dead. We had a very poor honey season last year, except 5 weeks during the first crop of red clover, which ended about the 1st of July; and after that but little honey was gathered. The bulk of the loss was from neglect or starvation. As I had a fair demand for queens and I was breeding for improvement I kept up the queen breeding until the last of Oct., and my bees were in poor condition for an ordinary winter; much more for such a one as we have just passed through. I have lost 6 colonies at home, that starved; I have 96 left in fair condition. I wintered in a cellar expressly arranged for the purpose; it is perfectly dark, and the temperature in this place was kept all through the winter at 46° and 47°. All those that wintered in cellars fared the best. I am much pleased with the Weekly. I should lose a friend were I to be deprived of it. I wish it every success. S. VALENTINE. Double Pipe Creek, Md., March 22.