THE AxMKRICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



235 



[For tlio Amc.ric:ta Bcc Journal.] 



Upward Ventilation. 



Without prcsumim,^ t(i iulvauce ivny ideas that 

 arc new, I wish to say a lew words respecting 

 moisture in hives. 



Every observant apiarist knows that vapor i.s 

 constantly generat 'd and thrown olT by the 

 chister ot" bees. This vapor conies in contact 

 with cooler air, and is condensed; and in severe 

 coUl weather it accumulates in tin; hive in tlie 

 form of frost, often within an inch or two of the 

 cluster. If the cold weather is very long con- 

 tinued, and the bees consume what little honey 

 there is iu the combs covered by the cluster, the 

 colony starves with plenty of honey in the hive. 

 If the cold weather is of short duration, and a 

 day following sufhciently warm with the heat 

 fr<)m the bees, to melt the frost, the water runs 

 down the sides of the hive to the bottom board. 

 There it again freezes, sometimes closing the 

 entrance of the hive with ice, and causing the 

 death of the bees by suffocation. 



If we house them during the winter, unless 

 we ventilate upwards, we still have the mois- 

 ture, an": often have mould}' combs. But when 

 housed, even in aroom where it doesoccasionally 

 freeze, if we give them abundant ui)ward venti- 

 lation, we get rid of the whole difficulty, Avith- 

 out any perceptible injury to the coIom}"-. At 

 least this has been my experience for the last 

 eight years. 



1 introduced an Italian queen to a colony of 

 native bees, iu October, 18GG. Ou the lirst of 

 December there were no Italian bees or brood 

 to be found in the liive. They were housed, 

 •with the honey board removed, in a room Avhere 

 it often freezes in winter. About the twentieth 

 of February, they were set out for an airing. 

 The colony was quite as strong as when they 

 ■vvere housed, and at least one-fourth of the bees 

 ■were Italians. On examination, the combs 

 showed brood throughout a large part of the 

 cluster, proving conclusively, in this instance 

 at least, that, with all the upward ventilation 

 that could be given them, there was sufllcient 

 moisture nnd heat retained in the hive for breed- 

 ing purposes. 



I have wintered bees in the room referred to, 

 both with and withovit ventilation, and much 

 l)refer the former method. 



We are referred to the home of the bee in the 

 ■woods, to show that such ventilation is not ne- 

 cessary. But, what is that home? My first 

 bee tree was found iu 1843. Since that time I 

 have found and helped to find and cut nearl)' a 

 hundred more. ]\Iany of them were much bet- 

 ter liomes for bees than auy T have ever seen 

 constructed by man. If our hives were made 

 of some material that would absorb all the mois- 

 ture generated in them, upward ventilation 

 would be unnecessarj'. And tliis is iirecisely 

 the condition of many of these natural homes. 

 The hollow is formed by the decay of the tim- 

 ber, and is lined with wood more or less decay- 

 ed ; and this dry rotten Avood is one of the 

 best moisture al)sorbing materials that could be 

 used. 



In the study of bees, in contemplating the re- 



sults of their labors, we learn to look beyond 

 th(!m to the Great Creative Power. Even na- 

 ture's home for them shows us the wisdom of 

 the Creator, who, in providing them with a hab- 

 itation, has supplied llieni with one so well 

 adai)ted to their requirements. And it should 

 teacli the apicullurist — whether lie winter his 

 bees in doors or out — to adopt some means to 

 keep the interior of his hives dry. 



J. il. TOWNLET. 



ToMi'KiNs, Micn. 



[For tlio American Bee Journal. J 



Patent Hives and Claims. 



Mn. Editor: — I am already convinced, from 

 my short experience in bee-culture, that, to 

 make this pursuit profitable, we need the best 

 bee hive that can be invented for the use of the 

 apiculturist and habitation of the bee. We are 

 greeted on every hand by the claims of patent 

 venders, and of course they are not all best ioi 

 stuceeasfal operation with bees. For the new 

 beginner, who has no experience of his own, 1 

 find it is not only a great waste of time but a 

 great waste of money, to be compelled to pur- 

 chase every patent that may be presented, it' we 

 would learn wliich is l)est. I the efore think that 

 you would greatly enhance the public interest in 

 bee-culture, by calling on every owner of ;)a<e)iY 

 claims to present a copy of them for publication 

 in the Bee Journal, witli explanations, and 

 cnt!> illustrative of the hives, and of t!ie different 

 portions of the same that may need illustration, 

 to render them more easily understood. We 

 could then, from such explanations and illus- 

 trations, judge better of the value of tlie claims 

 and the worth of the hive ; and more easily de- 

 cide what is adapted to our wants. We miglit 

 thus too be enabled to avoid an unnecessary ex- 

 penditure of money, while promoting our best 

 interests in scientific and practical bee-cultuie. 



Of course no patentee could ol)ject to this, if 

 he thinks his patent worthy of public confidence 

 and patronage ; for their public exhibition, in 

 comparison with the claims of others, would 

 bring their good qualities into more general 

 notice and adoption. These illustrations would 

 also be gratifj'ing to the readers of the Journal, 

 since all like to have before them a picture of 

 wliat they are reading about. And to bee- 

 keepers it is especially important to have placed 

 before them every patent claim, so that each 

 can ascertain whether he is tresjiassing ou the 

 rights of otiiers, by inadvertantly using that to 

 wliich some patentee lias a legal claim. All 

 those clairzs also that need explanation, 

 should be so plainly presented that the con- 

 struction and use of the different fixtures may 

 be readily understood, and every patentee should 

 be willing and ready to do this in the pages of 

 a .Tournul designed ti) promote bee-culture and 

 devoted to the interest of bee-keepei-s. 



J. Davis. 

 Charleston, III. 



The smell of balm is very a'_rree.able to bee.s, 

 and it is well to have this fragrant plant grow- 

 ing iu the neighborhood of the apiary. 



