1908 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



1245 



just riojht for stimulating in warm weather, for a 

 winter food it entails too much woric on the bees 

 to evaporate out the excess of water. This has a 

 tendency to exhaust the vitality of bees. If the 

 feeding be deferred until c]uite late, or until the 

 temperature is much of the time down to freezing 

 or below, we would advise the proportion of three 

 parts of sugar to one of water; but in that case 

 we would recommend putting in about one 

 pound of good honey to twenty pounds of syrup 

 to prevent granulation. 



But some will ask, "Why not feed honey.''" 

 A good article is too expensive, and a cheap hon- 

 ey dear at any price if we consider winter losses. 

 There is no reason in the world why one should 

 not give a cheaper and better feed for winter, and 

 sell the article that the bees produce, at a figure 

 that is twice that of the cost of the syrup. So 

 long as we do not take this thick syrup out of the 

 hive and sell it for honey, we are in no sense de- 

 frauding the public. 



GENERAL PREPARATIONS FOR WINTERING; WHEN 



TO USE THE CELLAR OR THE OUTDOOR 



PLAN. 



It is now about time when the bees should be 

 fed for winter. A month hence, in most locali- 

 ties, they will need to be in their cellars or win- 

 ter repositories where the winter is cold enough 

 to be below the freezing-point most of the time. 

 If they are not put into cellars they should be 

 put into double-walled hives or winter cases. 

 Where the winters are very open, and seldom any 

 freezing during an ordinary season, single-walled 

 hives outdoors will usually afford sufficient pro- 

 tection; but even then we advise shielding the 

 apiary from the prevailing winds, and contracting 

 the entrances down to about half, or less than 

 their usual capacity. 



But suppose we have had heavy losses outdoors, 

 or suppose, as is more often the case, we feel that 

 we can not afford to buy double-walled hives, and 

 are somewhat doubtful about the efficacy of pa- 

 per winter cases — how shall we winter indoors? 

 If one has only fifty colonies he may use a com- 

 partment of the house cellar providing it is dry 

 and the temperature can be kept so it will not go 

 above 60 nor below 40. If the cellar can be 

 darkened, and fresh air admitted throughout the 

 winter, good results will usually follow. If there 

 be a furnace in the cellar, and the bees are shut 

 off in a room by themselves, the conditions will 

 be good providing the furnace does not make the 

 bee-room too warm. A high temperature can be 

 tolerated for a limited time if there be plenty of 

 fresh air from outdoors; but if it is possible to 

 maintain a temperature of 45 or 50, with some 

 ventilation, the results will be much better. 



Some advise leaving the bottoms of the hives 

 off entirely; but our experience is strongly in fa- 

 vor of leaving them on. Some have had splen- 

 did results using the entrance as in summer, and 

 placing a quilt over the frames, with covers re- 

 moved. This allows for a certain amount of up- 

 ward ventilation and the escape of moisture. 



One should bear in mind that a small number 

 of colonies in the cellar will do very much bet- 

 ter than a large number. The presence of too 

 many bees befouls the air, and is apt to raise the 

 temperature of the cellar too high. Ventilation 

 intelligently practiced will overcome this to a 

 very great extent. 



WHEN TO WINTER OUTDOORS. 



As a general thing, where the temperature out 

 doors does not go very much below 20 above 

 zero most of the winter, and remains at zero for 

 only two or three days at a time, much the best 

 results will be secured from outdoor wintering. 

 This is especially true where there are a good 

 many open fiy days, when the bees can go out 

 and return to their hives. But at such times 

 there is likely to be considerable loss if there 

 be snow on the ground at the time, as many bees 

 will be chilled, never to return. This flying-out 

 can be obviated to a certain extent by leaning a 

 board up in front of the entrance, to shut out the 

 sunlight, and yet not obstruct free ventilation; 

 but a real bright day will bring out the bees in 

 spite of this storm-door board. 



Winter cases may be relied on to do good 

 work providing a good thickness of newspapers, 

 quilts, sacking, or some sort of packing material 

 be interposed between the paper case and the hive 

 itself. One can usually get old sacking by going 

 to the feedstores, and at a very moderate price. 

 This, in connection with what newspapers one 

 may have, will provide a good warm packing 

 around the hives. A fair grade of manila paper 

 or flour-sacking is good for winter cases. But 

 this should be painted with linseed oil before it 

 is folded up into a sort of hood around the sack- 

 ing. It should then be tied, or, better still, the 

 bottom edges be secured with wooden strips held 

 on with nails. 



For outdoor-wintered colonies we recommend 

 about 25 lbs. of sealed stores. It is advisable to 

 allow the bees to make their winter nest in the 

 midst of these stores. For indoor colonies we 

 consider 12 or 15 lbs. sufficient. 



But perhaps the reader will ask, "Why not 

 winter indoors, and save this 8 or 10 lbs. per col- 

 ony of stores?" But those who winter outdoors 

 argue that this extra consumption means more 

 bees in early spring, and therefore a larger harvest 

 for the season, so that it is not clearly proven yet 

 that the extra outdoor consumption is not more 

 than made up by a larger crop of honey during 

 the honey-flow. 



WHY THE BUYERS AND COMMISSION MEN PREFER 

 SQUARE CANS TO BARRELS FOR EX- 

 TRACTED HONEY. 



The following letter came from Dr. D. Everett 

 Lyon; and as it touches on this general subject 

 of shipping extracted honey in cans and barrels 

 we thought best to present his letter so we might 

 discuss its contents in this department: 



Mr. Root: — In your columns you have overlooked a subject 

 which constitutes a gross injustice that is being done the bee- 

 keeper, and I think it about time that we banded together and 

 took some action looking to putting a stop to it. 



I have noticed lately that many commission men, and other 

 buyers of honey for bottling, almost insist that the honey-pro- 

 ducer shall send his extracted honey in 60-lb. cans for the con- 

 venience of the fellow who bottles honey. 



Now, this is all right as far as it goes; but I do think the buyer 

 of honey has an awful nerve to advertise these cans for sale at, 

 say, 25 cts. apiece when the honey-producer isn't allowed a cent 

 on the cans, even when he at considerable expense provides nice 

 new ones. 



Wouldn't it be fair for the buyer of honey to allow the pro- 

 ducer half price on the can, especially when the buyer sells them 

 second hand? What do you think of it? 



Rye, N. Y. D. Everett Lyon. 



So far as we know, it is the prevailing rule 

 among commission men and honey-buyers to 



