the whole covered by a cap having holes 

 \% to 2 inches in diameter cut upon op- 

 posite sides, and covered with wire- 

 cloth to exclude the vermin. These 

 holes allow free evaporation, without a 

 circulation of air up through the mass 

 •of bees from below. The principle 

 eliminated is that the moisture exhaled 

 by the bees is absorbed and radiated by 

 the chaff or other packing, but the heat 

 is retained, owing to the non-conducting 

 materal used. The carbonic gases and 

 the exhalations of the bees, being 

 heavier than air, flow out from the en- 

 trance below, and is replaced by pure 

 atmosphere. 



Thus from the foregoing we deduce 

 the following conclusions : 



1st. We should not rob bees too close 

 at times when they have no chance to 

 replace it. 



2d. Do not bore holes through the 

 combs for the bees, but let them have a 

 passage in winter over the top-bars or 

 frames, protected by a non-eonductor of 

 heat, but to be no less an evaporator of 

 moisture. 



3d. Only during warm weather in 

 winter clear the entrances, which may 

 have become partially or wholly closed 

 by snow, ice or dead bees. 



4th. Let the bees choose their own 

 time for purifying flights, and, if snow 

 covers the ground, sprinkle with a little 

 straw, chaff, or anything of that nature, 

 to afford the bees a better opportunity 

 to rise again than from the snow. 



5th. Otherwise, let the bees "severely 

 alone ;" but see to it that no loose, clat- 

 tering boards or covers of hives can 

 molest or annoy the bees by jarring the 

 hives in stormy weather, when the bees 

 are enjoying their wonted winter repose. 



I will sum up by recapitulation : For 

 wintering — 



1st. Have everything done in its 

 proper season. 



2d. Do not do too much ; but do that 

 little well, and disease will be unknown. 

 A. E. Wenzel. 



Callicoon, N. Y., December, 1879. 



Implements Exhibited. 



Langstroth Hive, &c— Erastus Weeks, Jackson, 

 Michigan. 



Wired and Thin Flat-Bottomed Foundation— J. 

 Van Deusen & Sons, Sprout Brook, N. Y. 



Comb Foundation and Sweet Clover seed— S. & G. 

 Perry, Lansing. Michigan. 



Bingham & Hetherington Uncapping knives and 

 Bingham Smokers— Bingham & Hertherington, Ot- 

 sego. Michigan, 



Letters were received from some 

 prominent bee-keepers regretting their 

 inability to be present, and wishing the 

 Convention " great success. " Albino 

 bees were shown, and the Secretary 

 would like to hear from the person who 

 sent them V T. F. Bingham, Sec. 



fetter jprawjer. 



Breakabean, N. Y., Nov. 13, 1879. 

 In the fall of 1878 I wintered 97 colo- 

 nies on their summer stands and lost 30 

 of them ; 15 in the cellar, loss 5 ; 30 in a 

 bee house, loss 10 ; 32 in my own hive 

 without sawdust or chaff, on their sum- 

 mer stands, loss 3. In the season of 

 1878 I got 1,000 lbs. of honey from 97 

 colonies; in 1879 I got 1,500 lbs. from 

 100 colonies. Last fall 50 out of the 97 

 were weak, now I have but 1 weak, out 

 of 100 colonies. Wm. B. Burgett. 



Bernardo, Cal., Nov. 17, 1879. 

 Our prospects here are very gloomy ; 

 besides the bad season that we have 

 had, the most extensive fires ever known 

 have been raging, leaving the country 

 for some 75 miles as bare as your hand ; 

 it will be 3 years or more before vege- 

 tation can be restored. Many have lost 

 as high as 50 per cent.; one of my neigh- 

 bors, 60 per cent. My loss so far is just 

 27% per cent. Then the colonies being 

 so weak for winter, many will yet die. 

 We have just had a glorious rain ; more 

 of it for thus early in the season than 

 ever before known ; but for 3 days a gale 

 from the desert has been blowing, look- 

 ing as if it would drink up every particle 

 of moisture. Under the best of cir- 

 cumstances you may count on nothing 

 wonderful for California next year. I 

 find my comb foundation does not sag 

 near as much here as it does east, ana 

 can account for it only by the very cool 

 nights we have. Rufus Morgan. 



Nassagavveya, Ont., Dec. 3, 1879. 

 My grateful thanks are due to Mr. G. 

 M. Doolittle for the appropriate articles 

 published during the past year in the 

 American Bee Journal. May he 

 long be spared to give us regularly his 

 practical experience in the manage- 

 ment of our bees and care of our honey. 

 I have been greatly benefitted by his 

 advice in the Journal and also by 

 other scientific and common sense arti- 

 cles, and in fact I am extremely well 

 pleased with the American Bee Jour- 

 nal. I cannot keep bees and do with- 

 out it. Right here I must express my 

 feelings towards the editor of the 

 Journal for his ability to conduct and 

 instruct. There is no man that the 

 apiarists of this continent ought to be 

 more proud of; with him their intersts 

 are in safe keeping; and fraud and 

 adulteration is denounced by him as it 

 should be. Long may friend Newman 

 be spared at the head of the American 

 Bee Journal, R. L. Mead. 



