AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



349 



charged as being afflicted with diarrhea. 

 I have noticed some diarrhetical appear- 

 ing colonies which seem to be in bad 

 condition, that lived until Spring and 

 then built up to good colonies. Other 

 times they soon dwindled out in spite of 

 all that could be done. One seems to be 

 tenacity to life, and the other tenacity 

 to death ; yet they are mistaken for the 

 same sort of affection. 



As I was about to close this article the 

 thought came to me to test the tempera- 

 ture of this colony in both its quiet and 

 disturbed conditions. On going to the 

 colony, now, after it had been quiet five 

 days, I found the thermometer where I 

 had left it above the cluster, lying on 

 the top of the brood-frames, with bees 

 on both sides of it, and two or three 

 around the bulb, and it registered 59^. 

 When it was raised 3^ inch above the 

 frames it was 58^. Another thermom- 

 eter which leaned against the hive and 

 rested upon the floor of the repository 

 registered 57^. Four feet above the 

 floor it registered 60^. Twelve hours 

 ago it was 64-. 



Not disturbing the thermometer lying 

 on the frames, a piece of newspaper was 

 quietly laid over it, and then several 

 thicknesses of quilts over the paper. 

 After ten minutes the" mercury had 

 risen from 59^ to 61". At the end of 

 45 minutes it was 68'^, with considerable 

 excitement. At 75 minutes, it marked 

 78^3, and was still on the rise, and the 

 quilts and paper were taken away. 



Two healthy colonies were tested un- 

 der quilts, and in one the temperature 

 was 63^, and in the other 61^. Two 

 colonies which were afflicted with diar- 

 rhea three weeks ago, and kept up an 

 uproar for ten days before they were set 

 in the warm repository, are now com- 

 paratively quiet, and the temperature 

 under the quilts was 64° in one, and 

 66° in the other. One of them objects 

 to any covering to the brood-chamber. 



As Mr, Muth speaks on page 191 of 

 being tired of speculative articles, and 

 having advanced more or less theory in 

 some former communication, in this I 

 have intended to deal with facts only. 



Clinton, Wis., Feb. 23, 1892. 



Shiiiks ill tlie Apiary. 



A. F. BROWN. 



For the beneflt of those who are 

 troubled with skunks about the apiary, 

 I should recommend a little "strych- 

 nine " beat up in an egg, as the most 



satisfactory means of destroying them. 

 Ten cents worth in a couple of eggs will 

 get rid of all the skunks in the neigh- 

 borhood. 



I think it will be found to be a much 

 more satisfactory method than fussing 

 with a half dozen (more or less) traps, 

 as recently recommended by a corres- 

 pondent. For not one man out of a 

 dozen would kill a skunk with a shot- 

 gun, as recommended by another corres- 

 pondent, without perfuming the whole 

 neighborhood with the musk from the 

 skank. But when using strychnine, 

 there is no such danger of " advertis- 

 ing " one's work. 



I used to hunt and trap for the trade 

 a good deal, and as skunks' pelts 

 brought good prices, I made a special 

 study of their habits, and the best means 

 of killing them. From my experience I 

 would say, as a hint to those who prefer 

 to use the " shot-gun," to always shoot 

 the " skunks " through the middle of the 

 back, and then there will be no danger 

 from there musk. 



Another very satisfactory way, where 

 you have one in a trap, and are near 

 water, is to drown the skunk. By the 

 means of a fishing-pole 15 or 20 feet 

 long, slip the chain of? from the stake, 

 and lead the skunk right out into the 

 water ; when out beyond its depth, draw 

 it under the water, and the job is 

 finished. Work carefully, and you will 

 have no trouble. 



There is not a particle of danger of 

 being " perfumed," as a friend puts it, 

 if you work carefully and take your 

 time to it. 



To the novice at this work, I will say 

 that more than once have I taken skunks 

 out of both steel and box traps with my 

 hands, and I never had the first bit of 

 trouble. 



Huntington, Fla., Feb. 14, 1892. 



(jraJini of Comli-HoDey, Etc. 



M. H. MANDELBAUM. 



About thirty members of the North- 

 western Association were in attendance 

 at the convention in Chicago, and that 

 so small a proportion should be able to 

 draft a set of faultless resolutions, seems 

 improbable. On the last day, in fact 

 the last two hours before adjournment, 

 the resolutions on grading of honey 

 were adopted. Our President, Dr. C. C. 

 Miller, then congratulated us on having 

 accomplished so much. 



