EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS 115 



temperature the bees remained as quiet as is usual with the temperature 

 5 to 8 degrees lower. They were also free from au}^ unusual appearance 

 of the winter disease as well as from excessive loss of bees until about 

 the last of February. From this time there was a marked change in both 

 respects although the bees seemed to remain usually quiet. The num- 

 ber of dead bees on the cellar bottom increased rapidly — beyond any- 

 thing I had experienced except in one disastrous winter, and about 

 one-half of the hives became more or less spotted with excrement and 

 about ten per cent excessively so. 



On the 29th of March removal from the cellar was begun and kept up 

 by taking a few out from time to time on favorable days until April 

 14, when the last, a baker's dozen, were placed on their summer stands. 

 The examinations during and after the removal disclosed the following 

 results: thirteen colones dead or so nearly so that the bees still living 

 were of no value. I say dead, though three of the thirteen had left their 

 hives and combs clean and free of dead bees and honey, showing that 

 they had each probably united with the colony above or below, the 

 honey being conveyed thither also. Two had starved, two had perished 

 from weakness resulting from queenlessness, one with a bottom board had 

 apparently smothered from the entrance having become clogged and 

 the rest had apparently died of dysentery. The dead bees from the 

 cellar floor measured six well packed bushels amounting, I estimate, to 

 a loss on the average of three pints of bees from each colony. More- 

 over, there had undoubtedly been considerable breeding during the latter 

 part of the winter as was shown by the remains of immature brood and 

 imperfect 3'oung bees among the debris that had fallen from the hives. 

 On removal from the cellar the bees from most of the colonies spotted 

 their hives and surrounding objects on taking their first flight, yet they 

 were clean and seemed strong both physically and numerically — m^st 

 of the colones being of about the same strength as when placed in the 

 cellar. In most of the hives also, containing plenty cf stores, ihere 

 were at the time of removal considerable amounts of capped brood, and 

 in one strong colony was discovered a nice patch of capped drone brood. 



What the full effect of this cellar breeding will be remains to be seen 

 for it is yet too early to pronounce a safe judgment. For a long time 

 I have felt a fear that there was a store of evil laid up in the future 

 for colonies guilty of breeding in confinement, but I have had hereto- 

 fore no case that would serve so satisfactorily as a test as the present 

 one and I shall look forward with considerable interest to the outcome. 



One other result of warm wintering remains yet to be noticed, and 

 that is the amount of stores consumed. I can only show this result in 

 the case of poor to medium colonies, for those of this class only were 

 weighed in the fall. It is necessary to bear this in mind because the 

 stronger the colonies the greater will be the average amount consumed. 

 The results in brief on this point are as follows: eleven colonies in two 

 section H. hives averaging in the fall, shortly before being put into win- 

 ter quarters, 50.72 pounds averaged in the spring 35.27 pounds, show- 

 ing an average consumption of almost fifteen and a half pounds. The 

 heaviest colony of this lot consumed 21 pounds, and two others 19 pounds 

 each. Seven other colonies in single section H. hives weighed on the 

 average in the fall 40.78 pounds, and in the spring 29.07, showing an 

 average consumption of nearly eleven and three-fourths pounds. 



