TEE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



261 



[For the Americau Bee Jourual.] 



Ventilation Again. 



Mu. Editor :— I am a constant reader of the 

 " Bee Jouknal and find a yreat deal of valu- 

 able information therein contained, bes'rdes some 

 that I think not so valuable. Although my 

 experience iu bee-keeping has been somewhat 

 limited, still I think I have gained some knowl- 

 edge of the .business, which may be useful to 

 those who have had less experience than myself: 

 I would not assume to teach any old beekeepers, 

 but simply to throw out a few hints of what I 

 regard as " sound doctrine." 



I propose to say a few words on the subject of 

 the true theory of ventilation^ on which I am 

 aware there is a wide difference of opinion. 

 Some believe in abundant upward ventilation in 

 winter ; some in abundant ventilation from be- 

 low ; others, again, in little or no ventilation at 

 all. Now, I conceive the great desideratum i'or 

 successful wintering is, to keep the bees as dry as 

 possible, still retaining all we can of the animal 

 heat. If we accept this as our text, we have got 

 a foundation upon which to build a true theory 

 of ventilation. 



I take it to be a fact that dampness is the great 

 enemy to successful wintering, causing mouldy 

 combs, fermentation of honey and pollen, disease, 

 and death. There are two ways to dispose of 

 this dampness ; first, by abundant upward ventila- 

 tion, second, by ventilation from beloic, with ab- 

 sorbing materials above. Now let us look at the 

 merits of the two. In the first case, then, abund- 

 ant upward ventilation may do very well, where 

 bees are wintered in a special repository, like 

 Novice's, described in vol. v. p. 131, and the re- 

 quisite temperature is maintained. But for un- 

 protected out-door wintering, it allows too much 

 animal heat to pass off with the dampness, thus 

 causing a greater consumption of honey, and 

 perhaps starvation. In the second case, by ven- 

 tilation below and absorbing materials above, we 

 get rid of the dampness as effectually, as in_ the 

 first case, while we retain nearly all the animal 

 heat — supplying the bees with pure air, without 

 a draft through the hive, which is unnecessary 

 and should not be allowed in any case whatever, 

 Therefore the second case has the advantage over 

 the first, in retaining tlie, animal heat, lessening 

 the consumption of honey, and saving the lives 

 of the bees. 



In preparing bees for out-door wintering in 

 movable frame hives, I would remove one frame, 

 spreading the others somewhat to allow more 

 room for clustering. Make a hole in the bottom 

 board, equal to three or four square inches, cov- 

 ered with wire cloth on the inside for ventilation, 

 as recommended by Mr. Cox, Mr. Quiuby, and 

 others. Then remove the honey board, and 

 place in its stead some good absorbing material 

 and non-conductor of heat, like paper, woollen 

 cloth, straw, &c. I have a very favorable opinion 

 of the paper quilt recommended by Mr. C. Hast- 

 ings, Bee Journal, vol. v. p, 44. I have used it 

 this, winter, to my advantage. Put the paper 

 quilt upon the frames ; make four one inch holes 

 iu opposite sides of the cap ; fill the cap with 



good dry straw or hay, and put it upon the hive. 

 Close the entrance to half an inch. Bees pre- 

 pared in this way are in good condition for out- 

 door wintering. 



To winter In a special repository, give the 

 ventilation in the bottom board ; remove tliecap, 

 and place the paper quilt upon the frames. 



I liTive drawn this article longer than I in- 

 tended, and fearing that I may weary your 

 patience, I will close with greetings to all my 

 fellow beekeepers, 



P. R Russell, Jr. 



Lynn, Mass., March 14, 1870. 



[For the Americau Bee Journal.] 



Great Fatality. 



Mr. Editor :— I heartily agree with Mr. Ilar- 

 desty that all beekeepers give their experience in 

 wintering as soon as the job is done. Loss iu 

 wintering is the great drawback in this locality. 

 "When my bees went into winter quarters, I was 

 the possessor of forty-eight colonies. To-day I 

 have but six still alive. "Nine were in box hives, 

 three miles from our village, on their summer 

 stands ; six died apparently of dysentery or bee 

 cholera. The locality for bees is what I call a 

 good one. Fruit blossoms and white clover 

 quite plentiful. Basswood, whitewood, soft and 

 hard maple, sycamore, elm, and all honey-pro- 

 ducing trees, native to this country, in great 

 abundance. Seas of goldenrod and boneset ; 

 also considerable wild sunflower, catnip, and 

 (to top off with) a small field of buckwheat. 

 All this forage is within three-quarters of a mile 

 distance. Soil clay, land heavy timber, border- 

 ing on a large swamp, twenty miles long, and 

 from one-half mile to .three miles wide. Yard 

 well sheltered. 



These colonies were partly new and partly old 

 ones. My home apiary consisted of thirtj^-nine 

 colonies ; seven in Langstroth hives (four of 

 them shallow form, and three deep ones), and 

 thirty-two in double wall hives with paper quilt 

 (described by Charles Hastings) over them. 

 These double wall hives are topbar hives, 13:^ 

 inches square and 12 inches deep. About one- 

 fourth of the bees were Italians and hybrids. 

 Thirteen colonies were in a large, airy, and dry 

 cellar, with temperature ranging from 35» to 40" 

 F. ; six were buried (on the Bidwell plan, below 

 the surface, with no ventilation) ; and the rest 

 remained on their summer stands. 



The first to die was an Italian colony in the . 

 cellar, with pure queen purchased of Adam 

 Grimm. The coh)ny was strong in numbers, was 

 in a shallow form Langstroth hive, and left 

 about fifteen pounds of honey. The next was a 

 colony of black bees, in the cellar and same kind 

 of hive, leaving some honey also, the hive not 

 being much besmeared. Next, I discovered 

 seven colonics dead, out of doors ; all were strong 

 with bees, and left plenty of honey. The re- 

 maining ones were then (February 3d) put into 

 the cellar, wlttJie they died off one by one, till 

 only six were alive when set out on the 29tli of 

 March, and three of them have gone the way of 

 all flesh since. Nearly all the hives and combs, 



