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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Nov. 15 



might be raised to 45' or 50°, and yet be no 

 warmer. 



The ventilation of the hives also makes a 

 difference as to the temperature of the cellar; 

 for with upward ventilation to the hive, a high- 

 er temperature may be maintained in the cellar. 



The purity of the air also makes a difference, 

 for the bees will remain quiet longer in a high 

 temperature if the air is pure. Whatever the 

 other conditions, all agree that a freezing tem- 

 perature is too low. Far better to let bees 

 remain on their summer stands unprotected 

 than subject them to this. In the damp at- 

 mosphere of a cellar this low degree is apt to 

 cause a dangerous condensation of moisture 

 upon the combs of honey. 



Ventilation is necessary, both to control the 

 temperature and to maintain the purity of the 

 air. The heat of the earth is the main de- 

 pendence for controlling the temperature of 

 cellars; but with a cellar fully stocked with 

 bees, recourse must be had to ventilation. At 

 no time, no matter how cold, can we close all 

 ventilation to our cellar without causing a 

 dangerous rise in temperature. Again, when 

 we have a very warm spell of weather we find 

 it necessary to throw open all ventilators at 

 night, including doors, and partially close them 

 in the morning. Sometimes the temperature 

 does not fall much in the cellar; but we find 

 the bees quieter in the morning in the pure air. 

 Sub-earth ventilation, if well put in, is useful 

 at such times; but with a cellar only partially 

 stocked with bees it can be dispensed with. 



Ventilation for maintaining the purity of the 

 atmosphere has been a disputed point; but 

 during the last few years it has been so gener- 

 ally accepted by intelligent bee-keepers that 

 but few remain to dispute it. The necessity 

 for such ventilation was abundantly proven 

 many years ago; but so many had wintered 

 successfully without any provision for change 

 of air that it was thought some mistake had 

 been made by the claimants. It is now gener- 

 ally admitted that the mistake was made by 

 those who did not admit the claim, in over- 

 looking the factor of natural ventilation, which, 

 in many repositories, is abundant for the num- 

 ber of bees kept in them. By natural ventila- 

 tion is meant the change of air taking place 

 through the crevices and materials, such as 

 wood, mortar, brick, and stone, of which the 

 building may be constructed. For fuller ac- 

 count of natural and artificial ventilation, see 

 Ameriran Bee Jouryial, p. 233, 1878. 



During the last few years we have not gained 

 so many new points, but have more fully es- 

 tablished the old ones. That bees enter a state 

 of quietude that may rightly be called hiberna- 

 tion is fully accepted by us. Like hibernation in 

 many other animals, this sleep is not continu- 

 ous, but at intervals the bees awake to partake 

 of food. Prof. McLain states this interval to 



be about a week with the honey-bee; but we 

 need further observations to confirm or estab- 

 lish this period. We also need to look up the 

 conditions most favorable for this awakening. 

 My own observations lead me to believe that, 

 when the temperature remains uniformly low 

 for a long time, the awaking process is either 

 delayed too long or is not complete enough, so 

 that many bees either suffer from hunger or 

 perish from starvation with plenty around 

 them. That is, a variation in temperature 

 within certain limits is better than absolute 

 uniformity. Mr. Quinby was of the opinion 

 that a fire in a bee-cellar every few days would 

 be beneficial. We put our bees in the cellar 

 with plenty of lower ventilation (about 20 

 inches), but the upper part of the hives is as 

 close as carpentry and metal corners can make 

 them. A moderate amount of upward ventila- 

 tion may be better in damp cellars, or in cellars 

 where it is dil'ticult to keep the temperature 

 down. Our cellar Is overstocked, and we have 

 to remove a part of our bees too early (in 

 March). Fpward ventilation might benefit us, 

 but our hives are so constructed that we can 

 not conveniently make the change, so we shall, 

 instead, somewhat reduce the number of colo- 

 nies put in the cellar. Spring dwindling is a 

 part of poor wintering — the last stage. The 

 vitality of the bee is exhausted, and it falls a 

 prev to every wind that blows. 



For fuller account of hibernation, see article 

 on " Hibernation," republished in Gleanings 

 a couple of years ago. 



Starkville, N. Y.. Oct. 24. 



THE UP-GROUND REPOSITORY PLAN. 



LOW TEMPERATURE TO START ON AND HIGHER 

 TEMPERATURE FOR BREEDING; ARTIFI- 

 CIAL HEAT AND ITS ADVANTAGE. 



By H. B. Bnaidman. 



A review of the best methods of wintering at 

 this time, when bee-keepers are beginning to 

 think of the long helpless sleep of their bees 

 during the cold months of winter which are 

 near at hand, will, no doubt, prove profitable to 

 many who are hesitating as to what they ougnt 

 to do. I will briefly review my own methods, 

 which have been given before, and which have 

 proved entirely successful and satisfactory. 



I winter in a bee-house planned and prepared 

 for the purpose. I have no confidence in out- 

 door wintering by any method that I know. I 

 have for quite a good many years experimented 

 in that direction by leaving some of my colo- 

 nies out on the summer stands. The results 

 are quite encouraging some seasons; then 

 comes a cold winter, and the bees die. or winter 

 poorly. These experiments have proven ex- 

 pensive to me, and I shall hereafter be satisfied 

 to winter all of my bees inside. 



