T52 AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



reached. I have wintered hundreds of colonies in the same cellar since, but I gave 

 them plenty of air. 



I will never forget the bitter disappointment I felt over the loss of those bees that 

 first winter ; but I had faith in the business, and also what at that time I regarded 

 as much better — a young horse which my father had given to me when it was a colt ; 

 this I sold, and invested all the proceeds in bees, hives and bee-books, and as a rule, 

 since, I have had good luck. 



There are other things and conditions which make our success in wintering to 

 vary, and unfortunately some of these are very hard, or impossible, for us to control. 

 But I know from a good deal of experience that it is much better for the tempera- 

 ture to go considerably lower than the prescribed limits of 45° and 48°, than to 

 keep it at that by means of foul air, or air that has been breathed and re-breathed 

 by the bees. 



Now, I do not want any who winter their bees in house-cellars, and have to give 

 ventilation by means of windows, to think it is necessary to have two windows open 

 at once — a continuous direct draft is to be avoided, if possible ; one window partly 

 or wholly open will usually be sufficient. No exact rule can be given, as it will 

 vary with the size of cellar, number of colonies, etc.; but I will say that if the air 

 where your bees are confined is such that you would not like to breathe it very long 

 yourself, you may be very sure the bees won't like it very well either. I try to keep 

 the air in both of my bee-cellars so that I would not mind staying there all the time 

 myself, as far as the air is concerned. Southern Minnesota, Nov. 7. 



SOMEXHI?«JG ABOUX FRAME XOP-BAR.S. 



BY PHILO S. DILWOKTH. 



When the wider and thicker top-bar craze was in full blast, I used all my in- 

 fluence against jumping to the saw-log top-bar at once. I urged a gradual increase 

 until we would find just how much increase was necessary. The old style of top- 

 bars were %-inch wide. The tin corner bars were about Ji thick, and the all-wood 

 frames were % thick. I begged that the increase the first year should be to 1 inch 

 wide and % thick, and spaced % exact. I had so much confidence in my idea that 

 I ordered some made that way on a special order. Up to this time I have no reason 

 to regret ray order. If you have any old-style slatted honey-boards, you will prob- 

 ably find the slats one inch wide, and spaced %. Probably you always supposed the 

 reason the bees built no burr-combs above the honey-board was, in some mysterious 

 way, on account of the double arrangement. Look again, and see if you don't think 

 the cause was the width of the top-bars, the % bee-space, the small space between 

 the slats and the supers, and because of no sagging. Then give my top-bars a trial 

 in a few hives. 



To put my top-bars on the old-style all-wood frames is a small matter, even with 

 the old combs in them. I do not know of any better way to transfer the combs 

 than to simply change the top-bars. If your supply-dealer has not these bars, he 

 can get a sample from me to use as a pattern to make yours. This article refers to 

 swinging frames. I use Root's old-style wiring with tin bars in the middle. I flat- 

 ten the tin bars and wax them to get the bees to build worker-cells on them. I try 

 to get my foundation started by colonics known to be good comb-builders. 



Some bees are better comb-builders than others. Some bees seem to have a 

 natural propensity to mutilate foundation or partly-drawn combs. Some seem to 

 require bait sections to get them to work in the supers. Others seem glad to go into 

 the supers as soon as they have anything to go with. My plan is to supersede all 



