•THU MMERIcatN wmm JQUmMRI^. 



5G9 



Efficient ventilation is provide*! in 

 tlie following manner : The external 

 air enters the hive through the bee- 

 entranee at the bottom of th(? brooil- 

 chamber, is ilittuscd throught the shal- 

 low apat^e beneath the arrangement of 

 frames, separators and partition-boarils, 

 fills the free-air spaces situated laterally 

 between the i)artitiou-boards anti side- 

 walls of the brood-chamber, and per- 

 meates generally npwards through the. 

 passage-waj's between the frames and 

 separators in the brood-nest and sur- 

 plus chamber. In these two compart- 

 ments it is largely deprived of the 

 oxj-gen, through its inhalation by the 

 bees, and its temperature is increased 

 by the exhalation and the heat of com- 

 bustion emitted from the bodies of the 

 bees ; and being thus, to a large ex- 

 tent, rarefied, it is readily disseminated, 

 throughout the free-airspace, previou.s- 

 ly described as being bounded by the 

 external walls of the surplus chamber 

 and the internal surfaces of the mid- 

 dle section or rim, and of the peak 

 roof. 



From this reservoir it makes an eas3- 

 and continuous escape, aided b}- the 

 steady atmospheric pressure from 

 belosv, through the four gauze-covered 

 ventilators above alluded to. 



The ingress of the pure air, and the 

 egress of the vitiated, is so unbrokenly 

 and smoothly assured as to preclude 

 of a sudden or irregular displacement, 

 thus avoiding draughts and dangerous 

 alternations of temperature. An equa- 

 bility of temperature, together with an 

 abundant supply of pure air, as demon- 

 strated in this hive, I claim to be a 

 consideration of the highest impor- 

 tance, as under such a condition there 

 need to exist no anxiety in respect to 

 chilled brood, bee-diarrhea or "foul 

 brood." So much of an unsatisfactory 

 character hes been published concern- 

 ing the last-named scourge, that I hope 

 to be pardoned for yielding to the 

 temptation to repeat the opinion of a 

 medical friend, in answer to mj- in- 

 quiry, some years ago. The doctor 

 wrote thus : 



The Cause an<1 Prevention ot 

 Koiil Itrood. 



" Foul-brood, so-caXled, is (ijplms, a 

 disease not necessarily introduced into 

 the hive from the outside, but a con- 

 dition of death and decay most fre- 

 quently originutiufj ivUliin the hive, as 

 a necessarj- consequence of the absence 

 of pure air, and a llieoretical disregard 

 of correct metliods of ventilation and 

 shade. At times the bees are noticed 

 to be very active in fanning at the en- 

 trance of their hive ; they are not 

 blowing air into the hive, as some 

 learned writers assert, but are Irijing to 

 draw llif. hot air out of the hive. This 

 is very easil}' proven by dropping a 

 feather or light piece of paper in front 



of the opening when it^vill immediately 

 be blown some distance away. • 



"During a heated spell oi weather 

 a hive becomes so hot inside (no effi- 

 cient means of ventilation being pro- 

 vided), that a steaming atmosphere 

 laden with detritus and fetid exhala- 

 tions is the nornuil condition, the re- 

 sult being that the exposed brood is 

 directly poisoned, whilst that in the 

 capped cells snttVrs a like fate upon the 

 bursting of the caps, if it has not al- 

 ready been destroyeil by the pressure 

 of the confined and expanded air. 



' • Decomposition is rapid and highly 

 ofiensive, destroying the product of the 

 hive, disseminating disease throughout 

 the colony, and risking the infection of 

 the whole apiary. Thus, in my opin- 

 ion, is solved the secret of the cause of 

 ' foul brood.' We may well leavb the 

 interesting investigation of the bacillus 

 alrci to tlie microscopical experts. If 

 a bee-hive can be constructed in such 

 a foi'm or manner that it can, at all 

 times, be as thorouglily supplied with 

 pure air without draughts, as the most 

 approved dwelling furthe use and com- 

 fort of man, we may confidently antici- 

 pate for our aiiiaries an immunity from 

 bce-li/p/ms, and the disheartening ex- 

 perience of former j'ears with • foul- 

 brood ' will be merely a dim and fading 

 remembrance, and it would certainly 

 be more joyous tidings to apiculturists, 

 to learn that the fearful scourge could 

 be avoided, than to be instructed in 

 any number of methods for curing, 

 disinfecting or destroying." 



I make no comment on the doctor's 

 opinion, but there can be no question 

 tliat the subject of ventilation and shade 

 has not hitherto received the attention 

 it demands. My bees do not desert 

 their hives even on the' hottest daj's, 

 but keep at work right along, simply 

 because the provision for ventilation 

 and shade secures their entire comfort. 



Reversiiis: and Uncapping:. 



On page 427 is a letter from Mrs. 

 AdaDorsej', in which she saj'S, "M'ho- 

 ever that was that advised reversing a 

 hive and uncapping, ought to have a 

 shaking ; for I liave just tried it, and 

 lost lots of honey, and several colonies. 

 No more uncapping for me." Now, 

 although reversing and uncapping 

 enter so largely into my method of 

 management, I do not see how she 

 could have been misled by my writings, 

 and therefore I fcrl safe in hoping that 

 I am not the culprit to whom the shak- 

 ing should be administered. 



Reversing en hluc has always been 

 condemned hy me as utterly unpracti- 

 cal. It can only result in chagrin, 

 disaster and destruction. If Mrs. Dor- 

 sey will try my system of uncapping at 

 the right moment, and reversing each 

 frame singly, as it jiresents the proper 



condition for manipulation, she will 

 derive abundant satisfaction all around; 

 will find fidl frames of brood, full 

 combs and sections of honey, no spill- 

 ing of honey or destruction of bees and 

 combs, but everything clean, neat and 

 pleasant. Experience is a rough tutor 

 at times, and I am truly sorry for the 

 ladv in her misfortune. 



SHADE. 



How lo make a Roof for Sliad- 

 iiiK Hives. 



Written for the American Bee Journal 

 Bi' A. M. VANNOV. 



I am not engaged to any very great 

 extent in the apiary, nor do I propose 

 to set myself u|) for a pattern for others 

 to follow, Ijut I want to say that I have 

 demonstrated to my own satisfaction, 

 that shade of some kind is both desir- 

 able and essential to the ajnar}- in this 

 part of Iowa ; also for my own use, the 

 portico hive is best. I shade my hives 

 by making roofs of shingles, thus : 



On a piece of scantling (2x4 inches is 

 best), lay the shingles, on the 4-inch 

 side of the scantling first, so that the 

 butt (thick) end will be even with the 

 2-inch side ; nail them fast with 4- 

 penny nails : now turn the stock over, 

 and lay the shingles on the 2-inch 

 side, so that the butts will project I 

 inch above those on the 4-inch face of 

 the scantling. This makes a very neat 

 "comb" to the roof ; nail all fast as 

 before, when you have a cheap, hand- 

 some and durable shade, at a nominal 

 cost (not to exceed for everjthing, in- 

 cluding labor, 15 cents per hive). 



These roofs protect the hives from 

 rain as well as sunshine, and gives to 

 the apiary a most unique appearance. 



When I have no scantling at hand, I 

 take two pieces of boards, say 3 to tJ 

 inches wide (old, broken-up fence- 

 boards are just thi' thing), and as long 

 as I want my roof (usually 30 inches is 

 enough); nail the boards together like 

 a trough, V-shai)ed, then nail the 

 shingles to the trough on the outside, 

 letting the butts project as before ; 

 also in nailing on the first side, lay the 

 shingles so as to nail to both pieces of 

 the trough, thus breaking the joint 

 made in nailing the trough together. 



I have had such roofs now in use for 

 5 years, and I liey are good yet. The 

 roof made with the plank fits the hive, 

 and stays on better than those made 

 with the scantling. 



The prospects are good for a lai'ge 

 crop of honey in southeastern Iowa. 

 Golden-rod is just beginning to show 

 tlie yellow. White clover is still in 

 bloom. Smart-weed is our best fall 

 honey-plant, in this part of the State, 



