AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



413 



the candle after this would not burn 

 right any more, even the first entry, and 

 we concluded that something was wrong 

 with the candle. 



So I got another, which burned nicely 

 until we got to the inner door, when it 

 became dim, and with the least move- 

 ment in going into the cellar it went 

 out. We lighted it again outside, and 

 got as far inside to barely see the regis- 

 ter of the thermometer which was at 

 80^ above zero, when the light went out 

 again. I tried the candle once more, 

 held it up high, and then low on the 

 ground, but it would not burn anywhere, 

 and no difference was noticeable when 

 high or low. 



The bees were noisy, and that low 

 contented murmur, as when everything 

 is right, was heard. There had been 

 only one degree difference in the tem- 

 perature since Jan. IV), when no gasses 

 were iToticeable. I would also say that 

 it seems as if the gasses penetrate the 

 wick and mix up with the soft and liquid 

 part of the candle, as it took from five 

 to six minutes when burning, in pure 

 air, before it would give its full flame. 



After this experiment I opened my 6- 

 inch underground ventilator, also the 

 two upper, which latter were closed to 

 within 3^ inch in the center with white 

 frost, and let the cellar rest until after 

 dinner, when I lighted the candle again, 

 and went in. I found that considerable 

 gas had gone out, although the candle 

 would hardly keep alive, and burned so 

 feebly that I had to move very slowly, 

 and hold it occasionally to the lower ven- 

 tilator to give it new life. In going 

 around I found the gasses less condensed 

 around the walls, and most condensed in 

 the middle of the cellar; no difference 

 was noticeable if held high or low ; but 

 after moving through a number of times, 

 it seemed that the gasses parted in 

 clouds, like smoke in a room where a 

 number of persons have commenced 

 smoking. 



After these tests, I went to the door 

 (the two outside doors were shut) on the 

 inside, and opened it about % of an inch 

 to see whether any gasses would go out 

 of it, and how it would ventilate. I held 

 the candle to the opening, and slowly 

 moved it up and down, and found a draft 

 of pure air going out of the upper part 

 % the way down. The current was 

 strongest at the upper end, and became 

 weaker downward, until it reached a 

 perfect stand-still for about 2 inches in 

 length, in which the gasses were so 

 strong that the candler would almost go 

 out. Passing on down, the current 

 slowly came inward, mixed with gasses, 



the inward current was the strongest at 

 the lower end, and right in the corner 

 the light whirled around horizontally, as 

 in a whirlwind. I have spent 15 or 20 

 minutes at this door, testing this matter. 

 There are 130 colonies in this cellar, 

 the ground being sandy loam. 



My bees would have been badly 

 aroused if I had no ventilators, by open- 

 ing the doors, or would have been suf- 

 focated in the gasses. This cellar will 

 nearly always accumulate gasses when 

 the doors and ventilators are all closed, 

 and the ground is frozen hard on top of 

 the roofing. Since this experience, I 

 have left all the ventilators open, and 

 the air has kept pure, at 40^ above zero, 

 but we have had no zero weather since 

 then. 



MINNESOTA STATE CONVENTION. 



On the morning of Jan. 19, it was 30^ 

 below zero, and I was undecided whether 

 or not to attend the convention of the 

 Minnesota Bee-Keepers' Association at 

 Owatonna ; but I finally decided to go. 



Arriving at Owatonna, I found quite 

 a number of bee-keepers gathered from 

 all parts of the State — more than I had 

 expected, considering the weather and 

 much sickness everywhere. Essays were 

 read, and the different topics on bee- 

 culture were discussed. The subject of 

 spraying fruit-trees was well ventilated 

 at a half-day's meeting with the horti- 

 culturists. 



A number of different bee-escapes 

 were shown, such as Porter's and others. 

 Mr. B. Taylor showed one of his own 

 invention, which was a little thing, made 

 of tin. It received much inspection. 



A number of bee-hives, sections and 

 shipping-crates were exhibited and ex- 

 amined. The writer exhibited the 

 Alpaugh combined section press and 

 foundation fastener, which is probably 

 the most simple and perfect machine for 

 securing straight combs, and have the 

 foundation solidly sealed to the sections. 



Mr. Taylor was correct when he held 

 one of the sections of honey in his hand, 

 and said : "It is no wonder that Mr. 

 Theilmann can produce straight combs 

 without separators, when the founda- 

 tion hangs right in the center of the 

 section straight, and nearly full sheets, 

 solidly sealed, as you see it in this sec- 

 tion." 



Cellar ventilation was thoroughly dis- 

 cussed, and the conclusion arrived at 

 that in most cellars ventilation is needed 

 in some way. Some ventilate through 

 the doors or windows, and think it just 

 as good as regular ventilators made for 

 the purpose. 



