Oct. 13. 1904. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



695 



rearing begins at the approach of spring. By a high tem- 

 perature I do not mean warm enough to drive the bees out 

 of the hives, or permit them to scatter over the room to die. 



I have often been able to maintain a temperature of i.O 

 degrees for a considerable time without serious conse- 

 quences, but not much above that. About 45 degrees has 

 been generally accepted as nearly right for the winter re- 

 pository. This is well enough for the forepart of the win- 

 ter, but I prefer nearly 50 degrees, or even a little higher, 

 towards the end of the season. In order to secure this high 

 temperature I must depend upon the warmth generated by 

 the bees. 



Experience has enabled me to determine about how 

 many bees it will be safe to place in a room, and be able 

 also to control the rising temperature in the spring. 



For the last two winters I have put all of the bees in 

 one room, holding the other two in reserve to supply fresh 

 air, and have it under my control. 



Last winter I put 110 strong colonies in one room in 

 this way, almost as many as I would have put in both rooms, 

 if both had been used, and with much better success in con- 

 trolling the conditions to my liking. I was pleased with 

 the results, and it suggests some valuable improvements in 

 the construction of winter repositories. 



BENEFIT OF ARTIFICI.^I. HE.\T. 



I have had considerable experience with artificial heat 

 for a good many years, and it has usually been attended 

 with good results. I often build a fire in the stove in 

 the ante-room of the bee-house when the tempera- 



ture keeps too low. By warming first this room I can so 

 gradually and gently raise the temperature in the bee- 

 rooms that the bees only respond in a low murmur — a sure 

 acknowledgment of their comfort and contentment. 



The draft of the stove carries out the vitiated air near 

 the floor, and that without admitting any drafts of fresh air 

 from the outside. Here, then, is the perfect ventilator. 



I like to put the bees in before severe cold weather, and 

 in a falling temperature, as they will be more quiet and 

 handle better. 



SECURING VENTII.ATON FOR EACH HIVE. 



In the bee-house the hives which are without bottoms 

 are placed six inches apart, and tiered up, each over the 

 open space below. The first row is set on hive-covers 

 arranged in the same way. This gives abundant ventila- 

 tion, and allows the dead bees to drop out of the hives. 



I used to think it necessary, for the welfare of the bees, 

 to set them out for a flight during the winter, but I now 

 prefer to have them remain in until they are set out to stay, 

 which time depends upon the season. 



I do think it necessary for the welfare of the bees to set 

 them out of the winter repository for their first flight on a 

 warm, pleasant day. I set each hive on the old stand from 

 which it was taken. My hives are all lettered and num- 

 bered to correspond with the stands, which enables me to 

 do this readily. All of the colonies that have been put into 

 winter quarters in normal condition I expect will come out 

 in perfect order, and I am seldom disappointed. — Review. 



Huron Co., Ohio. 



The " Old Reliable " seen through New and Unreliable Glasses. -By E. E. Hasty, Sta. B Rural, Toledo, Ohio. 



INTRODDCIXG VIRGIN OUEKNS. 



How shall we go to work to believe that a virgin three 

 hours old is nearly always and everywhere kindly received 

 (or ignored) as Dr. Miller and others teach us, and yet one 

 such, difl'ering only in that the antenna; were cut off, was 

 promptly balled in two successive colonies, as Dr. Phillips 

 says ? It looks like an incongruity. Really, perhaps it is 

 not. The virgin thus mutilated looks to human eye as 

 pretty nearly all right ; but, really, she is in a semi-mori- 

 bund condition. Quite possible the bees so perceive and are 

 horrified by it. That a capital wound should cause great 

 action of the nerves and corresponding exhalation of odor 

 is perfectly imaginable. And we may also wonder how 

 much the smell of fingers and tools comes in here. Page 611. 



LARGE BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCI.\TIONS. 



C. P. Dadant treats us to a clap of thunder (small one) 

 when he tells us we have the largest membership of any 

 bee-association in the world. I had supposed there were in 

 Europe many larger ones, among them some equal to ours 

 multiplied by a considerable figure. Well, in my boyhood, 

 boys used to say, " Now, you see what thought did ". Page, 

 612. — [We also think Mr. Dadant is mistaken in his state- 

 ment. We believe there is an association in Europe having 

 a membership of some 8000 bee-keepers. — Editor.] 



PROPER TEMPERATURE FOR B'iOOD-REARING. 



So, according to Mr. Doolittle (which is a pretty reliable 

 " according to "), bees do not let the heat go below 92 de- 

 grees inside the cluster where they are rearing young. 

 Also, in very warm weather, they do not let it go above 98 

 degrees. How shall we memorize that ? 92 ! 98 ! In this 

 case I guess square effort to fix 92 and 98 in the memory 

 will prosper better than any mnemonic trick we are likely 

 to discover. Page 613. 



HONET-COOKIES FOR ALL. 



Miss Wilson's cooky figures are very inspiring, indeed. 

 After being so very generous as to allow ten persons to the 

 average family, she points out a market for 9b,000,()ti0 

 pounds of honey each year, by merely supplying everybody 

 (very moderately) with honey-cookies. Two thousand car- 

 loads ! Quite ready for this advance are full half of our 



population, to-wit, the boys and girls. I'm sure the men- 

 folks can't hold out long if you'll only contrive to make 

 them smell a panful of the cookies when they are warm. 

 Nothing appears to be obdurate unless the sisters — Wonder 

 if the eating of honey-cookies is not good Jor the complexion. 

 Now ! All together I Great is the honey-cooky ! Banzai ! 

 Page 615. 



FREEDOM FROM BRACE COMBS AND BURR-COMBS. 



T. F. Bingham's idea of having all the honey stored 

 inside the frames, and inside the sections, is self-evident 

 good sense. If he has succeeded in living up to his ideal 

 freedom from brace-combs and burr-combs for five years, 

 quite likely some of the brethren may wish to refresh their 

 memories as to how it was done. Oft happens that just 

 when we have got ready to follow suit we've forgotten how. 

 Page 619. 



THE RIGHT KIND OF A "WINTER". 



I. V. Winter is not " the winter of our discontent", 

 'cause he finds the bees and the American Bee Journal both 

 interesting, even in times of no honey. Page 621. 



LONGEST CELLAR CONFINEMENT OF BEES. 



Only four months of the year in which they were 

 wholly out of the cellar 1 That same is the case of that 

 cap-sheaf, long-confined colony of bees which was over- 

 looked and left in the cellar till June 19. Here's 208 days 

 instead of the 100 originally challenged for. Take your 

 ticket, Mr. Lincoln— till somebody else forgets one till June 

 20. Page 620. 



"The Hum of the Bees in the Apple-Tree Bloom " is 

 the name of the finest bee-keeper's song — words by Hon- 

 Eugene Secor and music by Dr. C. C. Miller. This is 

 thought by some to be the best bee-song yet written by Mr. 

 Secor and Dr. Miller. It is, indeed, a " hummer." We can 

 furnish a single copy of it postpaid, for 10 cents, or 3 copies 

 for 25 cents. Or, we will mail a half-dozen copies of it for 

 sending us one new yearly subscription to the American 

 Bee Journal at $1.00. 



