344 STATE BOAED OF AGRICULTURE. 



of honey from many hives only to find it most nauseating. I fully believe that 

 had the honey been thoroughly extracted the previous autumn, and the bees fed 

 good honey or sugar, no loss would have been exj)erienced. At least it is sig- 

 nificant that all who did so, escaped, even where their neighbors all failed. Nor 

 less so the fact that when I discovered eight of my twelve colonies dead, and 

 four more just alive, I cleaned the remaining ones all out, and to one no 

 worse nor better than the others I gave good capped honey stored early the 

 previous summer, while the others were left with their old stores, that that one 

 lived and gave the best record I have ever kno"\vn, the succeeding season, while 

 all the others died. 



Agahi, suppose that after the bass-wood season in July, there is no storing of 

 honey, either from want of space, or from lack of bloom. In this case brood- 

 rearing ceases. Yet if the weather is dry and warm, as of course it will be in 

 August and September, the bees continue to wander about, death comes apace, 

 and by autumn the bees are reduced in numbers, old in days, and illy prepared 

 to brave the winter and perform the duties of spring. I fully believe that if all 

 the colonies of our State and country had been kept breeding by proper use of 

 the extractor, and feeding even till into October, we should have had a different 

 record, especially as to spring dwindling, and consequent death. In the autumn 

 of 1872 I kept my bees breeding till the first of October. The following winter 

 I had no loss, while mv neighbors lost all of their bees. 



Extremes of heat and cold are also detrimental to the bees. If the tempera- 

 ture of the hive becomes too great the bees become restless, eat more than they 

 ought, and if confined to their hives are distended with their foeccs, become 

 diseased, besmear their comb and hives, and die. If when they become thus 

 disturbed, they could have a purifying flight, all would be well. 



Again, if the temperature becomes extremely low, to keep up the animal heat 

 more food must be taken ; they are uneasy, exhale much moisture, which may 

 settle and freeze on the outer combs about the cluster, preventing the bees from 

 getting the needed food, and thus in this case both dysentery and starvation 

 confront the bees. I have little doubt, in fact I know from actual investigation 

 that in the past three severe winters, those bees wliich under confinement have 

 been subject to severe extremes, are the ones that have invariably perished. 

 Had the bees been kept in a uniform temjoerature ranging from 35° to 45° F., 

 the record Avould have been materially changed. 



Excessive moisture, too, especially in cases of protracted cold, is always to be 

 avoided. Bees, like all other animals, are constantly giving off moisture, which 

 of course will be accelerated if the bees become disturbed, and are thus led to 

 eat more. This moisture not only acts as explained above, but also induces 

 fungus growths. The mouldy comb is not wholesome, though it may never 

 cause death. Hence another necessity of sufficient warmth to drive this mois- 

 ture from the hive and some means to absorb it without opening the hive above 

 and permitting a current, which will disturb the bees, and cause the greater 

 consumption of honey. 



THE KEQUISITE TO SAFE WINTERING. 



To Avinter safely then demands that the bees have thirty pounds of good 

 capped honey (coffee A sugar is just as good). If desired this may be fed as 

 previously explained, wliich should be done so early that all will be capped 

 during the warm days of October. I prefer too that some of the comb on the 

 centre of the hive has empty cells, to give a better chance to cluster, and that 

 all the combs have a small hole through the centre, that the bees may pass 



