FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 309 



fire started Dec. 21 was kept for three days. Another. 

 Jan. 27, lasted one day. A third started Feb. 3 lasted 

 seventeen days. I think the outer temperature was at no 

 time more than 15 degrees below zero. 



HEAT FOR DIARRHCEA. 



I do not know for certain, but I think I have had 

 good results at a time when diarrhoea began to trouble 

 the bees in the cellar, by making a hot fire and running 

 up the temperature above 60 degrees. The bees would be- 

 come very noisy, but after the cellar cooled down to the 

 normal 45 degrees they were quieter than before, and I 

 suspect the bees felt better. 



VENTILATION OF CELLAR. 



I believe heartily in the doctrine of pure air and 

 plenty of it for man, beast and bee. So I consider ven- 

 tilation a very important affair. With a two-inch space 

 under the bottom-bars and a 12x2 entrance, there is no 

 trouble about the ventilation of the hive; but no matter 

 how well ventilated a hive may be, if the cellar in which 

 it is placed contains nothing but foul air, how can the 

 air in the hive be sweet? 



FIRE FOR VENTILATION. 



I am not sure but I should want a fire in a cellar for 

 the sake of ventilation even if not needed for heat. 



For the purpose of ventilation alone, the warmer the 

 weather the more the fire in the cellar is needed. Of 

 course there must be some limit to this, for when the 

 temperature of the cellar goes above 60 degrees, the bees 

 show signs of uneasiness. 



WARM SPELLS IN WINTERING. 



The most difficult time to keep the bees quiet in the 

 cellar, is when a warm spell comes in the fall soon after 



