■68 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



;lap on hive slightly raised. If the 

 same rule applied to higher outside 

 temperature : 



At 35° outside, inside ther. would stand 81° 



" 40° " " " " " 8(i° 



" 45° " " " " " 91° 



" 48° " " " " " 9-1° 



" 5-2° " " " " " 98° 



If the degree of heat was main- 

 tained in proportion to the scale 

 above, the heat inside would be un- 

 endurable ; but at 41° outside the 

 bees begin to break cluster, and at 

 45° the cluster is broken nj:) and 

 they manifest a very restless dispo- 

 sition, travelling swiftly to and fro, 

 trying to get out of the hives, and 

 on such occasions the loudest roar- 

 ing is heard. This fact cannot be 

 gainsaid, for inside the experimen- 

 tal hive the thermometer registered 

 but 76°, proving conclusively to 

 me that bees endeavor to keep the 

 -temperature at from 76° to 78°, the 

 proper condition for successful win- 

 tering. I believe high temjierature 

 to be the cause of bee diarrhoea, 

 not improper stores, as my weak 

 colonies have never shown symp- 

 toms of that disease. 



Hives packed full of bees as 

 many of mine are, with the mer- 

 cury ranging from 45° to 50°, sioeat 

 j^rofusebj, the combs in conse- 

 quence soon become mouldy, honey 

 therein unfit for use, the entire col- 

 ony perish, and in the spring when 

 the hives are opened, to our aston- 

 ishment we find a putrid mass of 

 bees and the cause, jumping at 

 conclusions, is attributeil to pollen, 

 honej^ dew or poor honey. 



While it is a fact that our 

 strong colonies cannot be wintered 

 safely in a cellar wherein the tem- 

 perature rises so high as to cause 

 the trouble indicated, a weak col- 

 on}^ will remain perfectly quiet and 

 winter well in an atmosphere dele- 

 terious to the majority of large 

 swarms. 



As all colonies are not uniform 

 in size we must make the conditions 

 alike for large and small ones, 



which can be done by dividing the 

 larger and contractins; the smaller 

 by using division-boards, thereby 

 compelling them to cluster as de- 

 sired. 



I prefer medium-sized colonies, 

 but "men and mice go oft agley," 

 men especially, if, as in my case 

 the elements combined to frustrate 

 all our well-laid plans. 



In this article I have been actu- 

 ated solely by a desire to help solve 

 the vexed problem of wintering bees 

 under the ground^ and as an "ounce 

 of prevention is worth a pound 

 of cure," so is one practical scien- 

 tific fact of more value than vol- 

 umes of theoretical asseverations, 

 I have been careful not to "submit 

 positive assumptions ui)on the tot- 

 tering platform of unverified theo- 

 ries." 



Madison, Neb., Dec. 16, 1887. 



The American Apiculturist. 



jfiiblished Monthly. 



MANAGER, 



TERMS: 75 CTS. PER YEAR. 

 Wenham, Naass., March 1, 18S8. 



THE MANAGER'S COliNEB. 



Perforated Zinc Honey-Boards.— We 

 have watched the argiuneiit that lias been ad- 

 vanced concerning the use of (jueen-exclud- 

 ing honey-boaids. As yet there is no good 

 practical reason sliown why such a device 

 should be used to prevent queens from enter- 

 ing ilie sections. We do not use them lor 

 tlie lollowiug reasons : 



First. Where they are used there nuist be a 

 bee-space below and above tlie honey-board; 

 this, of course, necessitates two shallow 

 chambers or bee-spaces where there should 

 be but one, yet one sucli chamber we cou- 

 siderqnite necessary. Themore such useless 

 room Ujere is lor bees to loaf in, the less honey 

 will be stored in the sections. Tlien, againi 



