ILLINOIS STATE BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION 



129 



that is too cold; it is much better to 

 have it eight or ten degrees higher. 



A member — Do you have any trouble 

 with the entrance getting clogged with 

 snow? 



Mr. Miller— Put boxes over to keep 

 the snow out; lift it so that the air 

 can get in. 



Mr. Rattig — Is there any time when 

 the cellar would probably be too cold 

 during the winter? 



Mr. Miller — As I said a while ago: 

 This cellar kept almost at a constant 

 temperature of 38 degrees, all winter; 

 that is too cold. I believe the time will 

 come when we will consider the proper 

 temperature to be not more than 45 

 degrees; I think that is the general 

 standard. 



Mr. Miller — Dr. Miller has had some 

 experience with that. Dr. Phillips was 

 out to my place and went, to see Dr. 

 Miller. He wrote me afterwards that 

 the temperature of Dr. Miller's cellar 

 was higher than mine and his bees 

 were in better condition. 



Dr. Phillips claims that the bees are 

 quiet up to 56 or 57 degrees until they 

 begin to get active on account of the 

 heat. 



Mr. Baldridge — At what point in the 

 cellar do you place the thermometer? 



Mr. Miller — At the intake — at the 

 outlet, and near the ceiling and the floor. 

 According to the reading; I have read 

 this temperature about the middle of 

 the cellar and about 1 1-2 foot from 

 the top; and I have found, in every 

 case where I have measured it, the 

 temperature at the outlet was the same 

 as the temperature at a point near the 

 ceiling. 



Mr. Rattig — What would be your 

 opinion if you have to have a fire over- 

 head to lay a slide that would be al- 

 most air-tight and let it draw the heat 

 down, or made a draft clear around 

 the foundation and let it go out? 



Mr. Miller — The air would go down 

 because the height of the chimney is 

 above where it circulated down. If 

 we are going to pass warm air into the 

 cellar I believe we should be exceed- 

 ingly careful or we will get the tem- 

 perature too high. 



Mr. Wheeler — Don't you think the 

 natural temperature of the earth 10 

 feet below the surface is nearly 45 

 degrees and if you shut up the outside 

 naturally it would take care of the 

 right temperature? 



Mr. Miller — I do not know exactly 



what the temperature would be. I 

 imagine it would be less than 45 de- 

 grees in cold weather, and the heat of 

 the bees would help to raise it. 



A member — The outlet should run 

 up because warm air is lighter and 

 prevents it from rising. 



Mr, Miller — The outlet of the air 

 must go up because warm air rises. 



Mr. Wilbert — Would it make any dif- 

 ference if it were straight from the 

 bottom cellar floor up? 



Mr. Miller — The only reason for 

 slanting it up is to get to the top of 

 the ground. 



It should run to the west because 

 the prevailing winds are from the 

 west. 



Mr. France — I have five constructed 

 almost the same, with one difference 

 in the construction: 



I was fortunate in each of my cellars 

 to select a slope of ground to the 

 southeast, by which this could be a 

 gradual decline in case of water, it 

 is likely to drain. 



I have a doorway near the ceiling. 

 That is kept tight except late in the 

 spring. When the temperature gets 

 too warm in the cellar, with the heat 

 of the bees, then I can open this and 

 get it down to 42 degrees up to fruit 

 bloom. , 



Dr. Phillips is bringing a point to 

 bear we had not thought of seriously: 

 That every particle of honey that the 

 bees are consuming is about 20 per 

 cent water, and we have got to make 

 provision for the escape of that mois- 

 ture, as the moisture will accumulate 

 and form a dampness and tire out the 

 bees to get rid of that by circulating 

 of bees. 



Mr. Schmidt — I have a bee cellar too, 

 built of concrete walls up six feet high, 

 60 feet long, wide enough to hold two 

 tiers, of solid roof. I put my bees into 

 that cellar, pack them in cases; set 

 them three high, both rows open with 

 ventilator in door; the wind will pass 

 through and give the proper ventila- 

 tion, and my bees will come out fine 

 every spring. 



Mr. Wheeler — Are your bees at the 

 top of the cellar? 



Mr. Schmidt — Yes. 



Mr. Wheeler — The temperature of 

 the ground, you consider, will keep 

 your cellar cool until fruit bloom. 



Mr. France — You want your wall 

 underground if possible. 



Mr. Schmidt — I keep my cellar about 



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