many bees for tlie amount of circulation in 

 tiie room. 



As the oxygen is consumed, tlie nitrogen 

 becomes liglit and ascends upward, leavinji; 

 the carliolic acid j?as to effect tlie bees at 

 the floor. 



If the air is pure and the motion strong, 

 50 or 55° is not too warm. 



HOW TO VENTILATE THE KOOM. 



Every bee house should be furnished with 

 a refrij?erator, an underground air duct, 

 which will at all times, not only furnisii 

 fresh air, and a stronj; current, but cool air 

 when tlie atmosphere is warm, and warm 

 air, comparatively, in cold weatiier. 



Atmospiieric pressure being 14 lbs. to the 

 square inch, run an air duct througli tiling, 

 of 6 in. capacity, 5 feet underground, for 

 200 or 300 feet; the opposite end from the 

 house, or mouth of tlie refrigerator in tlie 

 house, about <5 feet the lowest, with the 

 ■slant ot the ground, and a wonderful cur- 

 rent of air is created in tlie liouse, on condi- 

 tion that it is permitted to escape above. 



When the temperature of the atmospjiere 

 in tiie bee house and out doors are tlie same, 

 the air would stand still in the air duct, and 

 must be started by a stove-pipe, connected 

 with the flue or chimney in an upper room, 

 while the air ruslies in at the base of the 

 chimney in the cellar or bee house. 



WILL IT PAY? 



When we take into account the pure, 

 healthy, and cool (not too cold) condition 

 that our bees are in, and the amount of 

 honey saved by housing, — and not only so, 

 but how this cool, pure air can lie utilized 

 in summer— saving milk, butter, meat, etc., 

 forbiding everything to rust or corode, it 

 must pay. 



This warm winter admonishes me that 

 my bee house is incomplete without a 

 refrigerator, and it shall have it. 



I removed the last of my 237 colonies 

 from their winter quarters, on March 1st, 

 without the loss of a colony or queen 

 during the winter. 



This establishes one fact, that plenty of 

 heat and fresh air is the great secret in 

 wintering bees. 



The loss of queens in a temperature of 35° 

 or 40° fahr. will average about 1 to every 25 

 colonies. 



I had my 237 colonies and some of my 

 neighbors' bees in a room 25x12 ft., and the 

 most of the winter, the muicury stood 55° to 

 60° fahr., with the doors and windows open 

 nights. 



Camargo, 111. A. Salisbury. 



» » > • < 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Dadant against himself. 



Mr. Editor:— If any of your readers will 

 take the trouble to go back to vol. 12, page 

 188, tliey will find a short article, read 

 before the Michigan Bee-keepers' Associa- 

 tion, on the improvement of the Italian 

 bee. My object, in that paper, was to 

 draw attention to the fact that the Italian 

 bees were ?iot uniform in color— not yet a 

 fixed variety. I pointed to the drones, as 



one of the means whereby we might obtain 

 a more uniform color; and also stated that 

 there were a great many dark, and even 

 black bees in Italy. Thus showing the 

 necessity of a more careful method of 

 breeding. 



Mr. Dadant, on page 205, has criticised my 

 remarks, and says there are no black bees 

 in Italy; and, as I understand him, not 

 even hybrids. And further, offers to pay 

 $200 to any one that will prove it. 



Now, seeing I am included among those 

 who believe that there has been black bees 

 there, if not now; and, of course, plenty of 

 hybrids, I endeavored, in vol. 13, page 127, 

 to "give a reason for the faith that is in 

 me," by giving the testimony of some very 

 eminent men upon the subject. Men, too, 

 whose evidence will be hard to set aside. — 

 I also gave the evidence of Mr. Dadant 

 himself. I extract the following from my 

 reply as then given: 



'* Vol. 8, page 86, Mr. Dadant was in Italy, 

 as late as 1872. He writes: ' Sartori says 

 that there is some black blood mixed with 

 tlie Italian, on the frontiers of Italy.' — 

 Again, on page 87, Mr. I), makes this 

 remarkable statement: 'I am now wonder- 

 ing why Mona wrote that all the bees of the 

 Italian peninsula were pure Italian, when 

 he ought to have known that there were 

 such enormous differences in tlieir color and 

 character.' " 



Now, is it not very plain, that when he 

 wrote the above, that he believed that there 

 were impure or hybrid bees in Italy? I 

 have no knowledge, however, of xohen, or 

 why he changed his views. In my last 

 reply, I said nothing about his offer; but, 

 seeing that he paid no attention to the 

 evidence given, and has made another bold 

 challenge in vol. 13, page 308, I now claim 

 the $200. I liave no idea, however, of let- 

 ting Mr. Dadant be the judge or jury, but 

 suggest that you appoint as many intelli- 

 gent bee-keepers as you think best, your- 

 self included, and let them say whether I 

 am entitled to the money or not. I will 

 clieerfully abide their decision. 



George Thompson. 



Geneva, Kane Co., 111. 



[ We are sorry to be called upon to select 

 a committee to decide this question — much 

 preferring some other person to do- it. But, 

 as it seems to be so decided by friend 

 Thompson, we will, if friend Dadant acqui- 

 esces in such appointment, suggest that 

 friends A. I. Root and A. J. King act with 

 us, as such committee. — Ed.] 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Division Boards. 



Dear Editor:— I have derived so much 

 benefit from the pages of the Journal, 

 that I desire to contribute my mite. 



Now that the use of the division board is 

 becoming so important to the successful 

 wintering of bees, what we need is one that 

 will meet the requirements. I think every 

 bee-keeper will agree that absolute accu- 



