150 



CLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Fkb. 15 



another, 42; while another says that just 

 above freezing- (32) is best. One says out- 

 side wintering: is better; another, cellar. 

 Let us suppose that conditions are quite 

 alike, iind one man says his bees come out 

 all right with a temperature of 52; the oth- 

 er says his bees will not winter well at 

 that temperature, but he wants 42. Under 

 these circumstances both can not be correct. 

 The trouble simply is, that one man is sat- 

 isfied with poorer results than the other ; and 

 so unless we admit, as in every thing else, 

 that like conditions produce like results, we 

 simply put ourselves down as less intelli- 

 gent than others, and we are preventing 

 the advancement of the business, which is 

 an instrument in our hands, with God's 

 blessing, first to glorify him, and, second- 

 ly, to bring our " food and raiment." 



The proper wintering of bees, and bring- 

 ing every colony out strong in spring, not 

 only in bees but vitality, is necessary to 

 success, and the very foundation of success- 

 ful bee-keeping. The sooner we recognize 

 this the better, the more the cost of produc- 

 ing honey will decrease, and the less fre- 

 quent will be the seasons when we do not 

 obtain surplus honej". 



These expressions may be considered ex- 

 aggerated and strong, but they are none 

 too strong, and not exaggerated. In writ- 

 ing, I am not seeking to please every one, 

 neither have I the time to answer those 

 who may object to the statements I make. 

 If any take exceptions to a writer's state- 

 ments it is for the public to judge. 



A man to-dav asked me, "Are any of 



your bees dead yet?" Having charge of 

 something like 200 colonies I answered. 

 " Yes, if 3'ou mean bees. There are bees 

 dying continually." Hesaid,"OhI Ime.m 

 colonies." I answered no, and I should 

 consider it a very serious matter if any col- 

 onics were dead. 



What I want to bring out is this: Man}- 

 are satisfied if they bring the hives out with 

 live bees in every one. No good bee-keeper 

 should be content with this. What every 

 one should aim at is to bring them out of 

 winter quarters with the least consumption 

 of honey, and the least possible loss of bees 

 and loss of vitalit}' in the bees. Nothing 

 less should satisfy. 



THE QUESTION OF VENTILATION ANIJ TEM- 

 PERATUKE. 



We read grave discussions as to whether 

 bees require the cellar in which they are 

 wintered to be ventilated. When we un- 

 derstand the nature of the honey-bee, its 

 delicate breathing-cells, its abhorrence of 

 impurities, it seems to me a waste of time 

 to discuss such a question. We know how 

 restless we become, and how injuriousl}' we 

 are afi'ected, when the air becomes foul in 

 the room we are in. Again, the bees con- 

 sume honey. This turns the saccharine 

 matter in the honey into heat and energy. 

 It expels the water; and if the atmosphere 

 is not changed it must become damp anil 

 abnormal. Moisture about the bees, we 

 know to be injurious. 



Again, as to temperature, if a floor has 

 been scrubbed in the kitchen, and we sit 

 down in the kitchen at a temperature of 70, 



EXTERIOR VIEW OF CELLAR. 



