OCTOBER 15, 1915 



ventilation and absoibmits; another says, 

 " Let them take their chance a la Nature." 

 But, to consider actual conditions, it is 

 next to impossible to avoid condensation, at 

 least to soTue extent, and the absorption of 

 condensed moitture b}' tlie hive walls and 

 cover is ruinous to a degree. Another pre- 

 vents this most elTectually by coating those 

 surfaces with nielled paralhn. and then, to 

 pet rid of the water of condensation in the 

 quickest way, tips his hi\es forward during- 

 winter by putting two or more incli blocks 

 under the back end. This position in win- 

 ter is beneficial in two wavs at least. It 



859 



brings the entrance into a position which 

 is less exposed, and it positively prevents 

 snow water and rain from running in. 

 And — most in\portant of all — the condensa- 

 tion on the under side of the cover clings to 

 it long' enough to run to the lowest (front) 

 end before it drips. Tlie bee cluster is thus 

 saved a fatal wetting. 



Many beekeepers tn whom 1 have sug- 

 gested this have said, "Why, 1 never thought 

 of that!" Just another ease of the simplest 

 tiling- overlooked. It is said, " The world is 

 made up of small things" — and beekeeping 

 no less. 



Lyndhurst, M. J. 



AN INTERESTING DIARY RECORD OF WEATHER CONDITIONS IN 



WASHINGTON 



JU' A. M'CULLEY 



Several times I have been temj^ted to 

 mention instances of bees flying with the 

 thermometer standing at 18 above, but have 

 I'efrained from doing so as some would ask 

 what I had been drinking. This is a queer 

 country. The following readings were tak- 

 en in the morning when I got up. Perhaps 

 before noon there would be from ten to 

 thirty degrees' difference in temperature. 



Oct. 26, 1904, first frost; Nov. 13, 2:30 

 p. M.; rain; Nov. 14, wind a gale. Rain 

 hard 1.5th and 16th. Dec. 31, beautiful sun- 

 shine ; air chilly. 



Feb. 4, 1905. beautiful weather; ther- 

 mometer 28 above; 8, 9, 10, 13 to 20, ther. 

 15 above. Feb. 21, \er\ warm. March 20, 

 21, 25, rain, cold ; 29, sunshine ; warm. May 

 G, caught a swarm of bees. Nov. 28, first 

 snow; 29, snow all gone. 



March 10, 1906, commenced to get cold. 

 March 12, cold— ther. 28 to 26 degrees 

 above. !March 15, ther. 10 above. Dec. 30, 

 first snow todav. 



Jan. 14, 1907, ther. 2 above. Feb. 10, 

 warm, pleasant ; drones flying. April 22, 

 frost; ther. 32. Bees swarmed today. Dee. 

 1, cut a tree for bees; bees 210 feet high; 

 ther. 64 ; tree 7 feet through. 



Jan. 5, 1908, bees flying. Jan. 23, ther. 

 54 in shade. Dec. 26, bees flying as in 

 summer. 



Feb. 2, quite warm and plea.sant. Bees 

 had a good fly March 4 1o 8: lots of brood. 

 Afarch 9, 1908, bees flying as in summer. 

 March 20, first .swallows. Sept. 25, frost, 

 very heavy; no damage. Nov. 3 to 8, very 

 warm; ther. 64 in shade; bees carrying pol- 

 len. Nov. 15, 19, 23, bees carrying pollen. 

 Dec. 1, 2, 3, ther. 28 to 26 above ; bees fly- 

 ing. Dec. 13, 17, ther. 28, bees flying; Dec. 

 18, ther. 16. 



Jan. 4, 190i), first snow; Jan. 5, ther. 8 

 above; 5 inches of snow. Jan. 9, ther. 2 

 above; 11 to 14, ther. 1 above; river frozen 

 over. Feb. 10, 11, ther. 29 above; bees fly- 

 ing. Feb. 18, very warm. Nov. 13, first 

 frost, ther. 30. Nov. 14, 15, ther. 18 above: 

 Nov. IS, 20, ther. 55. Dec. 4, 5, ther. 22 to 

 18 ; no wind ; a little snow. Dec. 28, snow 

 and wind, blizzard. 



Jan. 2, 1910, clear and cold; ther. 10 

 above. Jan. (5 to 10, rain; ther. 22; a few 

 flakes of snow. Jan. 14, warm; ther. 40; 

 bees had a good fly. Jan. 20, freezing; 

 ther. 28. Jan. 22, ther. 50 ; bees flying as 

 in summer. Feb. 1, ther. 28 to 32, cold. 

 Feb. 6, 7, bees flying as in summer. Feb. 8 

 to 10, warm; ther. 48 in shade: bees flying, 

 carrying pollen. Feb. 16, 17, ther. 16; CVo 

 inches of snow. Feb. 21, ther. 20; snow, 

 f-old; gi'ound just covered with snow. Feb. 

 23. ther. 28; snow 4 inches; rain. Feb. 24, 

 rain ; ther. 36. Feb. 26, ther. 38. Feb. 27, 

 I her. 42. Marcli 2 to 10, warm wind; ther. 

 48. March 10, ther. 60; bees heavy with 

 pollen. MarcJi 12, ther. 60 in shade; wind 

 from north. March 16, warm; ther. 64 in 

 shade. March 26, ther. 28. April 5, rain; 

 ther. 42. April 4, first swallows toda}'. 

 April 14, ther. 42 in shade at 8 a.m.; 9:30, 

 72 in sun. xVpril 18, no fire in oflice; ther. 

 72 in shade. Se^ot. 10, heavy white frost 

 this morning; froze hard in some places. 

 Dec. 30, first snow, IV^ inches; ther. 28. 



Jan. 3, 191 1, snow gone. Jan. 5, ther. 

 41. Jan. 9, 10, 11, snow; ther. 26 above. 

 Jan. 12, 13, 14, ther. IS, 8, and 22; snow 

 heavy; sunshine at the same time. Jan. 15, 

 16, 17, Iher. 12, 38. .34; rain. Jan. 27 to 

 29. ther. 28; foggy. Jan. 34, ther. 34; bees 

 flying. Feb. 2, ther. 18 above. Feb. 8 to 

 11, ther. 48; bees flying as in summer, 



