THE AMERICAN BEL-KEEPER. 



73 



not be worth much unless they are fed 

 syrup. 



Wishing you the greatest success, I 

 remain, Yours truly, 



John H. Kemper. 



Southport, Ind., April 3, 1891. 



CHAFF PACKING VS. AIR SPACE. 



Mr. Editor: There has been a great 

 deal of comment on this question, and 

 I think the reason is that it has never 

 had a fair test. The proper way to 

 test it is to take a cold winter, not 

 uuch winters as we have had in the 

 last thsee years, and take colonies of 

 all sizes from weak to strong. Usually 

 they take colonies so strong that they 

 would winter in a paper box. My ex- 

 perience is, the warmer an 1 dryer you 

 can get your hives the better bees will 

 winter, and it looks very reasonable 

 that five or six inches of chaff, well 

 packed, will keep out more cold than 

 two £ boards, if not, why is a log 

 house plastered and sided warmer than 

 a frame house with the same thickness 

 of wall ? Let some of the dead air 

 men take a hive and pack in on one 

 side and they will find the first cold 

 snap they have their bees will be clus- 

 tered against the side packed. I win- 

 ter in chaff hives, and left one good 

 colony without a cushion on and ex- 

 amined it often and never found it 

 clustered at top of frame, while the 

 others would be clustered against the 

 cloth at all times. 



Geo. W. Abel. 



Kilgrove, 0., April 13, 1891. 



Friend Abel: We agree with you 

 that the warmer and dryer you keep a 

 swarm during winter and spring, the 

 safer you can keep them, but we believe 

 it is not dry cold but dampness that is 

 most fatal to the swarm, and for that 



reason we believe a double walled hive 

 without packing on sides is superior, 

 for the moisture certainly passes off 

 much more rapidly. Your example of 

 a log and double walled house is good 

 as an argument against cold, but not 

 so when we consider moisture. A stone 

 house everyone knows is very warm, 

 but it is also very damp. — Ed. 



Editor Am. Bee-Keeper, Dear 

 Sir: On page 53 of the April number 

 is a communication from Mrs. Axtell 

 on " ants." Let me say to the dear 

 sister to get her a spring bottom oil 

 can with a small discharge, fill it with 

 kerosene and throw into each ant hole 

 a small spray of this, and she will have 

 the satisfaction of knowing, in a few 

 days, that she has the better of the 

 ants. I keep a filled oil can standing 

 in the bee yard throughout the season, 

 and it is a source of much pleasure to 

 me that I cau subdue the ant pest, 

 having been badly afflicted with them 

 years ago. I keep my ground clear of 

 all weeds. Yours truly, 



James Andrews. 



Pattens Mills, N. Y., April 4, 1891. 



Gentlemen: I just unpacked my 

 supplies received from you, and am 

 more than pleased with the same. 

 Your manner of packing is excellent. 

 I never saw a finer lot of foundation. 

 The freight on these goods was very 

 low. As long as I receive goods like 

 these you can reckon on me as a cus- 

 tomer. Yours respectfully, 



T. Garion Fisher. 

 Topton, Pa., April 15, 1891. 



Ed. Bee-Keeper, Dear Sir: I 



must say the shipment you sent me of 

 hives, etc., was the best I have yet re- 

 ceived in the supply line. Yours, &c, 

 Muncy Station, I'a. H. L Cromley. 



