392 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



also try, to g'et near a running- spring- 

 of water, one into which I could get a 

 ^X inch pipe if I should so desire. I 

 am supposing that a cellar is to be 

 built under the house-apiary. It is an 

 advantage to have the house-apiary 

 partly protected frem the wind, but 

 not entirely so, as it would then entice 

 the bees away on too cool days, when 

 they would be chilled and unable to 

 return. The drive to the apiary door 

 should slope from the house, so one 

 could draw a loaded wagon away a 

 short distance in case the bees should 

 become cross. It is best to buy the 

 site, and get a deed of it. A piece 6x8 

 rods is large enough, and, when from 

 the corner of some farm, ought to be 

 bought for $50. 



Don't encroach on territory occupied 

 by another; and be sure to beep on 

 good terms with all the neighbors. 



THERE SHOULD BE A GOOD CELLAR 

 UNDER A HOUSE-APIARY. 



The first step in building- is to dig- 

 the cellar, and I would plan to have it 

 all under ground, as this will greatly 

 aid in maintaining an even tempera- 

 ture. As to size, 12 x 20, outside meas- 



NO. 1, SHOWING GENERAL VIEW OF 

 INTERIOR. 



urement, with a two-foot wall all 

 around, leaving an inside room 8x16x6 

 feet high, will accommodate 100 colon- 

 ies, and not be crowded. Have a g-ood 



drain, and a cement bottom with a little 

 trough all around next to the wall. 



Now for the spring water I spoke of 

 before. Pipe it into this cellar, and 

 let it run in the cement trough, unless 

 you want to g-o to the expense of put- 

 ting- in a coil of pipes around the cellar 

 near the bottom. I let mine run in the 

 trough, and see naught but good from 

 it. We dugout a spring- at my Wilcox 

 yard, and the water controls the tem- 

 perature to a degree, all winter, no 

 matter how cold or warm it may be 

 outside. A temperature of 41 degrees 

 is i-naintained, from fall to spring, 

 with a 5-inch ventilator working all 

 the time. I stop the large ventilator 

 all up except a 5-inch stove pipe 

 packed in tight. 



BEE CELLARS NEED VENTILATION. 



I tried no ventilation but did not like 

 it. The air was so dead that it would 

 scarcely keep a lantern burning; which 

 showed that the oxygen was lacking, 

 I know my bees are more quiet when 

 surrounded by a good pure atmos- 

 phere. None of us can live healthfully 

 without a goodly supply of oxygen. 



My ventilatoi', when open in full, is 

 1x3 feet, and 25 feet high; taking air 

 from the bottom of the cellar. I have 

 never opened it to its full capacity 

 when the bees were in the cellar, as I 

 originally intended to do in the spring 

 months. There seems to be no call for 

 so doing. 



The top of the cellar is very impor- 

 tant, and must be a series of air-spaces 

 and non-conducting material. Mine 

 has lath and plaster, a three-inch air- 

 space, one-inch floor, two thicknesses 

 of tarred paper, one-inch floor, four 

 inches of sawdust plaster, a four-inch 

 air-space, and then the floor of the 

 building. This top is such a perfect 

 non-conductor that there is no conden- 

 sation of moisture dripping from the 

 ceiling. This cellar will cost about 

 $75. 



