226 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



No. 4, in the cellar, and Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 

 6, of those buried, were box hives. All the rest 

 were movable frame hives of the Quinhy form. 

 Caps and honey boxes were removed from the 

 box hives, and the holes left open. Honey 

 boards were removed from the frame hives, and 

 all entrance holes left open. 



Fewer bees left the hives of those buried, 

 than of those put in the cellar ; and there were 

 fewer dead bees in the hives. 



Too much ventilation in winter, I believe, 

 increases the amount of honey consumed, and 

 the number of bees that die. I doubt the utility 

 of a circulation of air through the hive. Either 

 the top or bottom of a hive, I believe, should be 

 closed air-tight, or nearly so. 



I should hke to see the experience of others, 

 in this direction, published in the Journal. 



Avery Brown. 



Delay AN, Wis. 



[For tbe American Bee Journal.] 



Ventilating Bees. 



Mr. Editor : — I crave a small space in your 

 valuable Journal, in reply to Mr. Adair's ar- 

 ticle, in the April number, on ventilating bees. 



In his article in the February number, 1868, 

 he says : — " If these learned apiarians would go 

 out into the rural districts, and there talk of 

 smothering bees to death, they would be laughed 

 at for their ignorance." 



It was to those people that I referred when I 

 said, "the ignorant are wise in their own 

 conceit," and not to Mr. Adair personally. 

 But if he choofes so to apply it, I have not the 

 slightest objection, as when he undertakes to 

 convince practical bee-keepers that bees cannot 

 be smothered, it seems to bespeak a want of 

 due information on the subject himself, or that 

 he relies nmch on the ignorance of his readers. 

 Possibly he has a different variety of bees. Or, 

 does lie claim it as a patent peculiarity of his 

 " Section Hive " that bees can live in it without 

 air? 



I thank him for his advice to " think and ex- 

 periment a little for myself, and not believe all 

 that is taught by otliers," »&c. But does he really 

 think any one acquainted with the physiology 

 of the bee, will have the credulity to believe 

 that they cannot be smothered ? There are too 

 many bees lost here, in New England, by 

 smothering particularly when wintered out of 

 doors, for his statement of facts, wliich are such 

 conclusive evidence to liim. 



I might refer to quite a number of mishaps of 

 my own ; of having occasionally lost a fine 

 stock bj^ the entrance getting closed accident- 

 ally, when there was no upward ventilation ; 

 and sometimes by ice closing all the air holes ; 

 when I would have the mortification of finding 

 every bee dead, for the want of fresh air and 

 notJdng else. And how many arc there that 

 have kept bees any length of time, who have 

 not had the like "mishaps':*" Again, a single 

 glance at a full hive on a hot day in June, 

 shows that a portion of the busy workers cease 

 other labor, to attend to that all important re- 

 quisite — supplying the hive with fresh air. 



Claiming no superiority over any one, I am 

 perfectly willing tlie subject should rest on its 

 merits with intelligent bee-keepers, as pre- 

 sented in the articles referred to. I am always 

 willing to be taught, and am quite ready to 

 place my experience and success by the side of 

 Mr. Adair's ; although my experience has been 

 with bees that could be smothered, and such as 

 could sting without first discharging the honey 

 from their sacs. 



Now, Mr. Editor, anything personal in a 

 public journal is decidedly out of place, and 

 generally of little interest to others. But your 

 Kentucliy correspondent, after acknowledging 

 that the best and wisest in bee-culture teach di- 

 rectly contrary to the absurd idea he advances, 

 brings my name before your readers, with a 

 slur. Siiil I will drop the subject, and write of 

 something of more general interest. 



Bees have wintered better here, notwithstand- 

 ing our unusually cold winter, than is usual in 

 this section of the country. The temperature 

 was more uniform than for many years before ; 

 and about the 20th of March, Ave were able to 

 get our stocks out of wmter quarters, which is 

 about ten days sooner than the average of years 

 past. The most of my stocks are in the stand- 

 ard Langitroth hive, and in preparing them 

 for winter, I removed the honey board, putting 

 on a frame filled with a double thickness of corn 

 cobs. This I like better than putting the cobs 

 immediately on the top of the movable frames, as 

 it allows free access across the top of the frames, 

 and permits the bees to cluster closer to the 

 cobs. I then Returned the super, which has an 

 inch and a quarter hole bored in each end, just 

 below the top, for ventilation. 



Of thirty-six stocks in an underground clamp, 

 put in in that way, all came out in good condi- 

 tion, and with more or less brood. I also had 

 two straw clamps above ground. In one of 

 these I placed a few stocks just as they came 

 from their summer stands, without any upward 

 ventilation. These wintered the poorest of any. 



The temperature in the underground clamp 

 scarcely varied a degree during the entire win- 

 ter, being about 34°. I think as much judgment 

 is required in putting bees in winter quarters, 

 as in any other part of their management. To 

 attempt to winter them cmt of doors, in our cold 

 climate, and expect good success and profit, too 

 often proves a failure. 



I would like to hear from others on this sub- 

 ject, through the Bee Journal. 



D. C. Hunt. 



Sharon, Vt. 



When the larvae of the beo has attained its 

 full growth, and the cell is sealed over or cap- 

 ped by the Avorkers, it spins its cocoon, and as- 

 sumes the pupa or nymph state, preparatory to 

 its final metamorphosis. The worker and drono 

 larvce spins an entire cocoon, that is, one in 

 Avhich the pupa is completely enveloped. The 

 queen, on the other hand, spins one enveloping 

 only the head and thorax, leaving almost the 

 entire abdomen bare or unprotected. When 

 the insect is mature, it emerges from the cell, 

 leaving its cocoon attached to the base and side^ 

 walls of the cells. 



