n8 



The bee-ke:epers' review. 



creasing the temperature; but it did 

 purify the air. 



This winter we put in only 40 col- 

 onies where formerly we luid 2U0; and 

 at this date, March 10, there are not 

 enough dead bees on the tloor to till a 

 two-quart pan; and those that are on 

 the floor are as di-y as though they 

 had been dead for some time. We 

 have not had to ventilate, for the sim- 

 ple reason that the compartment is 

 large for the number of bees confined; 

 and it may not be necessary to give 

 them a winter flight. 



Now, my own theory of the matter 

 is this: That a laclv of pure air causes 

 the bees to become uneasy and hence 

 active. They consume their stores, as 

 a matter of course clogging the intes- 

 tines. This makes them still more un- 

 easy. When they are restless from 

 this cause, nothing but a flight will • 

 quiet them; but when they are restless 

 from want of pure air, a supply of it 

 makes them immediately contented 

 and (iui<^t. 



The accompanying letter, received 

 from one of our correspondents, you 

 Avill notice is along the same line: 



'I wish to add my testimony in re- 

 gard to ventilating a bee cellar, and 

 in taking bees out for a fliglit and re 

 turning them to the cellar. I use a part 

 of my house-cellar partitioned off 

 with matched boards. The tempera- 

 ture keeps between 38 and 41 degrees, 

 Avith but little variation; air is ratlier 

 damp, but I have a cement floor, and 

 cellar is mouse-proof. 



The winter of 1901 being the first 

 I had tried, as I was afraid tlie celliir 

 was too cold and damp, I put six col- 

 onies in for experiment. In March they 

 were malving more noise than earlier 

 in the winter, causing me much anxie- 

 ty; so A^hen we had a warm day about 

 the middle of the month, I set them 

 out. They had a good fly, cleaned the 

 hives of dead bees, etc.; were carried 



back in the evening and, were very 

 quiet till they were set out for good 

 a month later. 



From what I have read since, I do 

 not thinl': they had become so uneasy 

 as to cause a veteran to worry; but I 

 think it did them good, for afterward 

 during the whole month they were 

 very (luiet— as quiet as vvhen first put 

 in, and all came out well in the 

 spring. 



This winter I have eleven colonies 

 in tlH> icllar; have taken more pains 

 to ventilate, and up to the present 

 time (Feb. 22) they are very quiet- 

 more so than those were last year. I 

 liave 4«) colonies out of doors, paclied 

 in planer-sliavings. 



CHAS. S. BLAKE. 

 'Asliby, ]Mass., Feb. 22. 

 I do not presume to contradict so 

 good an authority as Mr. Doolittle or 

 Mr. Barber; but I firmly believe that, 

 in the average cellar, and with the 

 average liee-keeper, he will do better 

 to ventilate occasionally, and perhaps 

 set the bees out some warm day for 

 n flight. A plan of procedure that 

 Avill work well with experts like Mr. 

 Doolittle or Mr. Barber might prove 

 disastrous witli the average bee-keep- 

 er. Mr. Doolittle has a cellar that 

 Avill maintain the temperature abso- 

 lutely within half a degree. This 

 makes, no doul)t, a modifying condi 

 tion, rendering it unnecessary for him 

 to give his bees any other ventilation 

 than what would percolate througli the 

 cellar doors or walls. The absolutely 

 uniform temperature keeps the bees 

 quiet, or in a state of (luiet and sleep, 

 where the activity, and consumjjtiou 

 of stores, are kept down to the lowest 

 pohit. But now comes our friend ^Nlr. 

 Tiarber, insisting that temperature is 

 not essential, and that they must have 

 no fresh air. 



Another winter, if my health and 

 time will permit. 1 hope to see that 



