226 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



Experiment No. S. — Hives stored in a root-house. Two colonies, Nos. 4 and 6, 

 were kept in a large root-house, which is 100 feet long, 25 feet wide and 10 feet deep. 

 The hives were placed on a shelf nailed up against the side wall, about 3 feet from the 

 ^ceiling and projecting 2 feet. A curtain was hung from the wall over the top and down 

 in front of the hives, so as to keep out all light. The propolis quilt of hive No. 4 was 

 taken off and a chaff cushion put on in its place. The propolis quilt was left on 

 hive No. 6 and a chaff cushion placed above it. The fronts of both hives were raised 

 an additional half inch to give free ventilation. 



Temperature was taken every Monday of each week. 



Nov. 3-6. — Bees in both hives quite dry, but making considerable hum. 



December. — Temperature of root-house, highest 38, lowest 36 ; both colonies noisy and 



quite damp, scarcely any dead bees on bottom of hives. 

 January. — Temperature of root-house, highest 39, lowest 37 ; both colonies very noisy, 



damp and mouldy. 

 February. — Temperature of root-house, highest 39, lowest 37 ; both hives quite damp 



and mouldy. Colony No. 4 showed signs of dysentery. 

 March. — Temperature, highest 43, lowest 35 ; both hives showed signs of dysentery ; 



some few bees coming out of both hives ; very few dead bees around 



either. 

 April 5. — Both hives removed to bee-yard. Both colonies showed signs of dysentery, 



dampness and mould, but both were very strong in numbers. 



Another experiment was also carried on with these two hives ; the propolis quilt 

 was left on hive No. 6 between the chaff cushion and the frames. On hive No. 4 

 no propolis quilt was used, the chaff cushion being placed next to the frames ; the object 

 of this was to see if the propolis quilt was liable to hold the moisture in the hives. 



After careful watching all the winter, no difference could be noticed. 



Weight of hive No. 4 in the autumn of 1896, 60^ pounds ; in the spring of 1897, 

 45 pounds a loss of 15^ pounds. 



Weight of hive No. 6 in the autumn of 1896, 63 pounds; in the spring of 1897, 

 50| pounds, a loss of 12^ pounds. 



Another examination was made on May 24. Hive No. 4 had 5 frames of bees and 

 4 frames of brood. 



Hive No. 6 had 7 frames of bees and 6 frames of brood, so that they were in excel- 

 lent condition for a honey flow. 



Experiment No. 4. — Nov. 16, 1896. — Colonies Nos. 1 and 3 were put into a pit dug 

 in the side of a hill, 3 feet deep by 3 feet in width and 10. feet long, in such a way- that 

 the ventilators at both ends might not be immediately above the hives, which were in 

 the middle of the pit. The hives rested on two cedar poles laid the full length of the 

 pit. A third cedar pole of the same length was laid in front of the entrance of the 

 hives, and insured the necessary circulation of the air from the two ventilators one at 

 each end of the pit. These ventilators, which were 3 inches by 4 inches were made of 

 boards, three of which reached down to the bottom of the pit, the fourth only to the top 

 I of the pit, and the ventilators rose three feet above the ground. In each hive half inch 

 strips of wood were laid under both sides and under the back end, between the brood 

 chambers and the bottom boards, so as to provide more space at the bottom of the hive 

 in case a quantity of dead bees should accumulate there. 



The pit was filled up with loose straw up to four inches from the top, which was 

 made of cedar poles along the length of the pit, the middle ones higher than the others, 

 covered with a layer of straw and one foot of soil. A small shaft was also arranged 

 between the hives, down which a thermometer could be let by means of a string, so that 

 the temperature of the pit could be ascertained. The thermometer was examined once 

 a week. If the temperature rose too much, some of the covering might be removed ; and 

 if the contrary, some added. Temperature was taken once each week. 



Temperature for November was 42 each time it was taken, and no sound was heard 

 at any time through the shaft or ventilators. 



