THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



turo, about 40° or 50° above zero «jeing 

 the best. 4th. No disturbances of any 

 kind, with a proper exclusion of Ught — ■ 

 total darkness and stillness being the best 

 for keeping the bees quietly confined to 

 their hives. A good method of out-door 

 wintering is to set up and tie a shock of 

 corn stalks around the hive, enough to 

 break the winds and keep the hive dry, 

 at the same time packing plenty of hay 

 or straw around and over the frames, after 

 properly ventilating and protecting the 

 bees from the mice, and also securing the 

 bees a small and suitable passage to and 

 from the external atmosphere. The straw 

 and fodder will absorb the moisture col- 

 lecting around the bees, conveying it to 

 the external atmosphere and also more 

 fully protect them by confining their ani- 

 mal heat. 



I hope the foregoing may enable some 

 of my fellow bee-keepers to be more suc- 

 cessful in feeding and wintering their bees 

 tlian heretofore. A. T. Wright. 



Chicago, III, Dec. 1, 1873. 



For The American Bee Jourual. 



Adam Grrimm's Bee-feeder and Smoker. 



In the December Journal, Mrs. Lucinda 

 W. Harrison wants to know Avhy I did not 

 describe Mr. Grrimm's bee-feeder and smok- 

 er. I thought I would leave that for Mr. 

 Ct. to do, but as he has not done so, I will 

 do it now. Ladies are said to have a live- 

 ly imagination, so. Mrs. H., please try and 

 imagine this description. 



Bee-feeder, — a tin can tour and one 

 fourth inches in diameter, and four inches 

 high; a hole in the center of the end, one 

 and one half inches in diameter, covered 

 with perforated tin, soldered on ; a small 

 hole near the edge of the same end, on 

 which is soldered a screw cap, the same 

 as on kerosene cans, with the rim of the 

 cap cut down so as not to project over 

 five eights of an inch from the can. A 

 rim is soldered on to the end of the can, 

 tln-ce fourths of an inch wide, so tbat 

 wlioi the can is turned wiih the hole 

 doAvnwards, there will be room for the 

 bees to come u]) under it, and eat honey, 

 syruj), or water through tlu' perforated 

 tin. Fill the can with a tunnel thi-ough 

 the screw cap, turn the cap on tight, and 

 with a quick motion tuni tlie can bottom 



up over the bees, when the atmospheric 

 pressure will keep the liquid from running 

 out, except at first, when a teaspoon-full 

 or so will drop, which the bees will take 

 care of The hive should be as near level 

 as possible. Sometimes when the bees do 

 not care for the food, or the weather is too 

 cool, drojjs of moisture will gather on the 

 can, and form a draft for the syrup, which 

 will act the same as a half dozen bees, and 

 the feeder will leak a little. The can 

 must be perfectly air-tight. I give mine 

 a couple of coats of paint, outside, which 

 keeps them from rusting. 



Smoker, — a tin tube, one and one-fourth 

 by six inches, ends covered with perfora- 

 ted tin, pressed inwards ; two mouth pie- 

 ces fitting over the ends of the tube, re- 

 movable, and tapering to a point, with a 

 knob on each to hold between the teeth 

 like the stem of a pipe. To use it, fill one 

 of the mouth pieces with tobacco (I sup- 

 pose fine rotten wood would do), light it. 

 and crowd it on to the table, then blow 

 through the other mouth-piece, and there 

 is your smoke. For those who nse the 

 weed, it is very handy, for it can be held 

 between the teeth, through a hole in the 

 vail, and the smoke directed to different 

 places, while both hands are at liberty to 

 handle frames, etc. But for those" who 

 do not use tobacco, and certainly ladies, 

 I think a piece of rotten wood is fiar 

 preferable. A little cup with handle and 

 perforated tin bottom, is a nice thing to lay 

 the wood in. when the smoke can be 

 blown down through it, and Jio danger 

 from fire when it is set down. If Mrs. H. 

 does not understand the description of the 

 feeder, I will send her a sample by express 

 for twenty-five cents, and her tinman can 

 make them from it. ^Y. M. Kellogg. 



Oneida, III, Dec. 10, 1873. 



Honey may be kept in perfect purity 

 for years by boiling the strained or ex- 

 tracted article, then skim it carefully, and 

 seal it up air tight, as fruit is canned, then 

 kcc]-) it in a cool, dark place. 



As a su])ply for the Winter, a strong- 

 stock should, on the first of November, 

 contain at least one pound of honey for 

 every thousand bees ; and a weak stock 

 should then have a pound and a half for 

 evorv thousand bees. — Hoffman. 



