OCTOBER 1, 1912 



ture of stores and abundance; whether bees 

 were overhauled, and frames changed at 

 all after final stores were gathered or sup- 

 plied ; whether the location is subject to 

 thaws or fogs, or the contrary; whether 

 snow on ground was above or below normal 

 most of the winter. 



Every one of the foregoing has its bear- 

 ing on the results; and how few of even 

 the more important ones have been men- 

 tioned by the writers! One person at- 

 tributes his success chiefly to one factor, 

 while the next man lays emphasis on quite 

 a different one; yet as a matter of fact 

 the favorable results are quite as likely to 

 be in spite of either item which these men 

 deem so important. 



In taking temperature of the interior of 

 the hive, the methods recorded are most im- 

 perfect. Putting a thermometer on top of 

 the frames over the cluster gives only one 

 item — namely, the temjoerature near the up- 

 per side of the cluster; and how near the 

 writers fail to state. Was the cluster close 

 to the top of the frames or even up over 

 them? Or wei'e the bees one, two, or three 

 inches below inch-thick top-bars? Was the 

 cushion laid on the thermometer and 

 frames, or was there an air-space? Was 

 the thermometer read through a pane of 

 glass, or was it taken out ? There is but 

 one accurate way to get hive temperatures, 

 and that is to use special thermometers 

 with long stems, placing enough of them 

 in the hive so the temperature of the air 

 near the floor, half way up and at top, both 

 near and distant from cluster, may be se- 

 cured. Also, temiDerature of cluster and 

 air directly above it should be obtained. 

 In addition, if chaff or other packing is 

 used, temperature of this over the top of 

 the cluster, and distant from it, is desir- 

 able. 



The special thermometers are made so 

 the scale to be read is above the hive, and 

 readings can be made without removing 

 the thermometer or disturbing the bees. 

 The readings should be made hourly, both 

 night and day, at least in the fall and 

 spring, Avhile in the really cold weather six 

 times in the twenty-four hours may do. 



The "curves" i>lotted from these readings 

 in hives differently protected can be com- 

 pared with "cun-es" from similar data 

 taken in unprotected hives; and with the 

 outdoor temperature a real basis for work 

 will be reached. 



Mr. Britton cites his results with glass- 

 topped hives from which he removed the 

 top packing and later substituted black 

 tan-ed paper. The disastrous results could 

 have been foretold without need of demon- 



strating. Moisture was bound to collect on 

 the cold glass, and drop back on to the 

 bees. With an entrance as small as stated, 

 and with eight to twelve inches of packing 

 around the hives, no other result could be 

 .secured. Tlie black paper could afford no 

 material relief under such circumstances. 

 His citation of results of colonies in his 

 attic serves to call attention to the fact 

 that bees so placed have their hives sur- 

 rounded by a temperature of about 50 

 degi'ees F. all winter. 



As examples of how bees thrive under 

 conditions as opposite as possible to the 

 warm-packing theories, the following may 

 be cited. These I have perhaps referred 

 to before, but they are worth repeating. 

 In the western part of New York two colo- 

 nies were left to their own devices after 

 having been set, early in the season, inside 

 of large cupboard-like structures which 

 served only to shut off the sun. Four or 

 five entrances about three by twelve inches 

 gave ample circulation of air through the 

 cupboards. The floor of these was 18 

 inches above the ground. The bees were in 

 ten-frame Langstroth hives set on three- 

 inch rims, and without cover of any sort. 

 When I saw them in jVIarch there were 

 visible several fins of comb built above the 

 top-bars, and the bees were sticking up 

 on these and hanging below the frames, 

 just rousing big colonies — plenty of air, 

 to be sure, but no dampness. 



The other example is more in Mr. Brit- 

 ton's line. A ten-frame Langstroth hive 

 made of glass, and having a top of wire 

 cloth, was placed on a slat stand about two 

 feet above the ground. Over the hive was 

 placed a box nearly a foot larger each way 

 than the hive. The front end of this box, 

 except for a narrow board at the top, was 

 knocked out. There was no bottom to it. 

 In this hive was a good colony of bees. 

 Shaded on all sides except the front, free 

 circulation of air around it, with cold glass 

 sides and ends, an entrance 14 by one-half 

 inch, and wire-cloth top allowing free draft 

 through it, that colony throve for three 

 summers and winters until put into another 

 hive. This was in Rhode Island, twenty- 

 eight miles from Mr. Britton's. 



The exponents of heavy packing are 

 asked to explain how the bees in these two 

 instances could live, to say nothing of being 

 exceptionally strong and healthy. It is to 

 be hoped that they will not all speak at 

 once. Also, they are requested not to re- 

 mark that "one swallow does not make a 

 summer," for there were three in this case, 

 and one of them made three summers and — 

 winters. 



