1882 



OLEA^mGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



171 



our usual wide frames, where a whole upper 

 story is to be filled with sections. Of course, 

 it is better that a small colony be given the 

 case, instead of the whole upper story ; and 

 a very small colony may not be able to take 

 even either one, but only a wide frame or 

 two at first, in the lower story. Will not 

 these three different methods suit the wants 

 of any stock, friend G.V We do not use 

 the glassed sections in our market, because 

 the people will never pay for them, but they 

 rather prefer to have the glass in the re- 

 tail marketing case. It is true, a case of 

 three sections is easier (lighter) to handle 

 than a case of eight, just as a very small 

 frame is easier to handle than a Langstroth; 

 but when the bee-keeper takes into consid- 

 eration the greater number to handle, he 

 finally decides on the large frame, preferring 

 the additional number because he gets along 

 so much faster. AVe once used three-box 

 eases entirely, but I do not think I shall 

 ever wish to go back to so many pieces 

 again. However, as we all have our peculiar 

 notions, I presume many will prefer to use 

 the small frames, or cases, holding only a 

 single short separator. 



HAND1.1NG BESS, AND DISTUKBING 

 THEM IN ^VINTEK. 



DOES IT HARJI THEM? 



CHAPTER III. 



^pk UlTE often do I see, while looking through our 

 |L^) bee journals and papers, the following words : 

 ^^ "Keep your bees as quiet as possible while in 

 winter quarters;" "never disturb your bees after 

 they are put into the cellar;" " perfect quietude is 

 the secret of successful wintering," and the like in 

 different forms. Now let me ask one question of 

 the writers of all these articles on quietude: Did you 

 ever lose any bees, or damage them any, by handling 

 or distui'bing them while in the cellar or in winter 

 quarters? There is not the least doubt but that all 

 have wintered successfully who advocated quiet- 

 ness and seclusion for their bees; but how do you 

 know but that they would have wintered just as 

 well if they had been disturbed; eras friend Manum 

 terms it, " kicked about a little"? 



Now, my friends, in writing this articl-; I do not 

 mean you shall understand that I kick and knock 

 mj' bees about, and churn them up and down so as 

 to make every thing jingle. Oh, no! not by any 

 means; but what I wish you to understand is, that it 

 does them no harm to examine and look at them 

 carefully every day; raise up and turn over the 

 honey-boards, and, if necessary, carry them care- 

 fully about the cellar a few times through the win- 

 ter. A very intelligent bee-keeper of my acquain- 

 tance, last winter had occasion to move his bees 

 from one side of his cellar to a more convenient lo- 

 catioTi on the other. Well, as fate would have it, all 

 died; and in telling me about it last summer, he 

 stated that he had disturbed his bees in moving 

 them from one side of hiscellnrto the other, which 

 caused them to fill themselves with honey; and there 

 being no warm days after, that would allow of bees 

 taking a putifying flight, of course they died — he 

 meaning to be understood that, if bees had occasion 

 to fill themselves with honey, that their onlj' salva- 

 tion from death was to be set out for a purifying 



flight. I think he made a mistake here. His neigh- 

 bors' bees, that were left as undisturbed as the 

 tomb, shared the same fate, so there Is no proof of 

 his theory. 



A FEW FACTS. 



The first winter that I had bees, they were win- 

 tered in a room upstairs. I made daily visits to 

 them; sometimes 1 would remain la the room for 

 half an hour, turning up the hives and looking at 

 them, and counting the dead bees upon the bottom- 

 boards; whenever we had any company orcallers, 

 they had to go up and see the bees. The last of 

 March we had some very warm days, and the room 

 got vei-y warm. The bees were carried from the 

 room upstairs, and placed in the cellar; when the 

 weather became settled later, they were placed out- 

 doors, and all came out in flue condition, none the 

 worse for their frequent handling. This was proof 

 the first that bees would winter well if frequently 

 handled. The next winter I made a sort of an out- 

 side cellar by digging into a dry bank, and sftting 

 into it a frame of joist, and then siding up with 

 boards. One end was exposed to the weather, the 

 other end and both sides being protected with dirt 

 and stone. In this repository my bees were placed; 

 and as I was then, as the neighbors termed it, " bee 

 crazy," I of course made almost daily A'isits to the 

 bees, and I was not the only visitor they had, either. 

 As this repositorj- was on the edge of a large piece of 

 wood, it made a very convenient place for the little 

 deer mice to collect; and collect they did, for sev- 

 eral nests wei-e formed, and young mice were bred 

 in here. I could see as many as half a dozen run 

 every way over the tops of the hives every time I 

 opened the door. Toward spring I made up my 

 mind that 1 had not only wintered my bees well, but 

 a good quantity of mice also; but I could not see 

 that thej' did any harm. 



This puts me in mind of having read an article in 

 a bee journal, where a man goes on to tell how quiet 

 bees must be kept. He says, not even a ??ioi(sc must 

 be allowed to run over the tops of the hives. Last 

 winter, and the present one, my bees have had fer- 

 quent handling. My bees at present are directly 

 upon slats that are nailed to joists that are fastened 

 direct to the floor timbers . We live in the room 

 above, over the bees. Everj' jar can be felt to the 

 bottom row of bees. I have had bee-keepers go into 

 my cellar, and, after feeling the jars that came in 

 contact with the bees, and then see for themselves 

 how quiet the bees were, have been much surprised. 

 One colony has been carried from one place to the 

 other every time I went into the cellar; that is, 

 when I had time to do it. This colony has been 

 opened, the bees have been aroused, so they were in 

 considerable excitement, and to-day they are as 

 quiet, and in as good order, as those that have had 

 the lc:ast handling. 



We have had of late some very warm weather. 

 The bees are yet quiet, and doing well. From the 

 whole lot I do not think there is a pint of dead bees 

 upon the cellar bottom. 



In conclusion, I will say that, in my experience, it 

 does not harm bees to handle them while in the cel- 

 lar or in winter quarters; and that, in the five win- 

 ters I have handled them, In addition to the water 

 handy for them, it is an advantage to them rather 

 than harm. F. BOOMHOWER. 



Gallupvjlle, N. Y., Match, 18S3. 



Friend B., you are a very good friend of 

 mine, and will, therefore, I feel sure, excuse 



