THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



229 



mcr night. (Sec Langstrotli, for opinions of 

 Gcrni.iu -writers on this subject.) If it were 

 not for the fuc-t thut tlic bees may chill in a 

 temperature one degree above the freezing 

 point, remain so for thirt.y-slx hours and still 

 recover, they could not endure the evil eflects of 

 upward ventilation, for their vital temperature 

 Is about tliat of the human body. There is an 

 account of a buried SAvarm in England, living 

 two and a half monthson three ounces of honey. 

 Mr. Adair says they can live without air, the 

 source of water. It seems the way to keep 

 tiiem dry is to keep them warm. 



No doubt upwarJ ventilation saves the un- 

 covered comb I'rom mould, as it is colder and 

 the exhalations that escape the hees pass off. 

 But tlie cold compels the bees to pack closely, 

 confining the moisture among the bees. The 

 inner bees want air, and the outer ones honey 

 and warmth. The inner bees burst through the 

 crust to get air, thereby warming the outer 

 bees and enabling them to come to the centre 

 for honey and protection, before death ensues. 

 These great and frequent agitations shorten the 

 term of life, and destroy the vigor for spring 

 labors. With air- tight tops the bees are warm, 

 cluster loosely, require little honey or air, 

 seldom need to change places, and can do so 

 without much disturbance. 



I was an upward ventilation man, but found 

 on examination, it was not only contrary to 

 nature but to all kinds of common sense. 



F. H. Miner. 



Lemokt, III. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Producing Fertile Workers. 



I noticed an article in the March number of 

 the Bee Journal, from the pen of Mr. Town- 

 ley, untler the above head. Although he is a 

 very good reasoner,yet I cannot luUy agree 

 with him. Wishing to be as brief as possible. 

 I must refer the reader to his article, and not 

 go over his ground. He says : — '*It will at once 

 be seen that none of tliese workers, when in a 

 larva state, could even have tasted royal food;" 

 and further, "I have since had such workers, un- 

 der similar circumstances, when I was quite cer- 

 tain they never had been fed royal jelly." 



Now, how could Mr. Townley be certain that 

 they never tasted royal food, or through what 

 means the royal food is given them V I am 

 quite satisfied they had the necessary food, from 

 the fact that they were developed to fertile 

 workers or queens. Again, there being no 

 queens in his artificial swarms, is not a proof 

 tluit the larva) were not fed royal food from royal 

 lips, for it, is not the queen's place, nor is it her 

 nature, to feed and nurse a royal rival. It is 

 the duly and function of the worker hees to fur- 

 nish the royal food ; and it is not likely that 

 this food is laid up in store, but is prepared and 

 supplied as wanted. J. N. Clarke. 



Caledonia, III. 



[For the American IJee Journal.] 



How I became an Apiculturalist. No. 3. 



He who with health would live at case, 

 Should cultivate both fruit and bees. 



Looking forward to the swarming season, 

 and l)elieving it impossible to watch my roof- 

 standing hive properly at that interesting pe- 

 riod, I conceived the idea of resorting to artifi- 

 cial swarming. Feburier, in his treatise on 

 bees, gives all the necessary information, and 

 following that author closely, I manufactured 

 two leaf or Iluber hives, witii some impmtant 

 improvements. The hives were constructed of 

 eight frames fastened together by two iron rods, 

 and covered with an outer box. Into one of 

 these hives I was to transfer my colony, and 

 the other was to receive the expected swarm. 



In April following, after many delays as I 

 was reluctant to disturb my bees, on a bright 

 morning I ascended the roof with all the appa- 

 ratus supposed to be necessary for so big an op- 

 eration. After blowing some smoke in at the 

 entrance, according to the instructions of the 

 book, I inverted the hive. But like all begin- 

 ners, I acted with too much precipitation ; for 

 before the empty box could be jiroperly adjus- 

 ted over the inverted hive, a multitude of bees 

 rushed out in anger, assailing and slinging me 

 on all sides. Never before had I been in a sim- 

 ilar situation. Like a recruit in his first battle, 

 I was ready to flee from the spot. But, re- 

 flecting that my comrades, who were always 

 ready to quiz me about my hobby, Avould never 

 cease teasing me if I now shrank from the un- 

 dertaking, and unwilling to become their laugh- 

 ing-stock, I persevered firmly, though multitudi- 

 nous stings were piercing me tlu'ough my 

 clothes. The result was a complete success. 

 Everything turned out as the book had pre- 

 dicted. Tlie bees were driven out by my rap- 

 ping, and I could cut the combs and fix them 

 in the frames, Avilh no further difficulty. The 

 bees being soon gorged with honey, became 

 peaceable as flies, and I ventured to dispense 

 with my gloves and throw off my wire mask. 



Eight days thereafter I disturbed my bees 

 once more, to remove the fastenings from the 

 combs. All was right, and I was c^uite elated 

 with my success, so that I disregarded and 

 scarcely felt the numerous stings with which 

 the bees complimented my visit ; for deeming 

 the smoke needless and inefBcacious, I had 

 opened the hive without preliminary precau- 

 tion. This disrespectful treatment so irritated 

 my bees and fixed their ill temper that for weeks 

 after I could not show my head on the roof, 

 without being at once rancoiously assailed. , 



Three weeks subsequently, observing some 

 bees clustering out, I resolved to divide the 

 colony. I was the more ready to undertake 

 this,, as I was to be absent some fifteen or twen- 

 ty days on a canvassing jaunt. By reperusiug 

 Feburier and some otlier apicultnral works, I 

 had acquired a better knowledge of bee manage- 

 ment, and went to work with more calmness 

 and deliberation. Using smoke I opened the 

 hive, loosened the frames, and searched the 

 combs for young brood, without irritating Uie 

 bees. Good weather previously having favored 

 the blossoming of the rape, forage was abund* 



