=Buds are Swelling; Spring is Coming.=--By the JOURNAL I notice that the winter has been a disastrous one to bees. It must be hard to report a loss of ½ or ¾; and some of the reports even say--“all dead.” I am afraid that some of the bee-keepers in this section can say ditto to these reports. The loss around here is greater than there is any need of, on account of the carelessness of farmers in preparing their bees for winter; some of them leave them out on the summer stands without any protection whatever, and of course the result is plain. I have wintered mine in the cellar for the past 2 seasons without any loss, except one that starved this winter; and I am to blame for that in not knowing their condition when I put them in the cellar. I think that now all fear of loss is past, for my bees are doing as well as could be desired. They are breeding considerably, and are all bright and healthy. The snow is going off slowly, at last, and we may look for spring soon. The maple trees are full of swelling buds--it is too early to say anything about fruit bloom; I don’t know whether it is killed or not. White clover looks well where the snow is off, and it promises well for the coming season. HARRY G. BURNET. Blairstown, Iowa, March 26, 1881. =Bees About All Dead.=--I put my bees into winter quarters in the Mitchell hive, packed with clover chaff at each end of the hive about 6 inches thick, and over the top with cushions with the same, about 4 inches thick, all on the summer stands. My loss is now about 2 per cent. The snow is now from 12 to 15 inches deep; this does not look very encouraging; the bees in this part of the country are about all dead. I like the JOURNAL much better as a Weekly than before?; it gives us _fresh_ news. S. M. OLDHAM. Reynoldsburg, O., March 30, 1881. =Double-Walled Hives.=--A large proportion of bees have died in this vicinity this winter. I have lost 6 colonies out of 16. I am using Hill’s double-walled winter bee hive. I lost none wintered in these hives, but every one in Langstroth hives died. I wintered on summer stands and one hive had as much protection as another. I feel sure I should have saved all if I had used the double-walled hive; those that died had honey enough in the hive to have wintered them through, if they could have got at it. My bees are carrying pollen every day they can be out. J. R. WILCOX. Utica, Ind., March 29, 1881.