THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



153 



H. A. Kuapj) wintered in a cellar several | 

 years without ventilation, and lost heavily. 

 The past two winters had taken oil' honey 

 boards, tilled the cups with straw, and liad i 

 jiood success. 



Pres. Balcii. — Did you winter in a house 

 cellar ? 



H. A. Knapp. — I did. 



Pres. Balch. — That at'counts for the loss. 



H. A. Knajip- — I think not. The t^vo 



past winters I had the bees directly under 



a living room — never had better success. 



My cellar is very dry. 



James Heddon. — It seems from reports 

 that bees have wintered well with and 

 without ventilation, and vice versa. One 

 tiling is certain : long continued coufine- 

 >uent and severe cold weather produce dis- 

 astrous results. 



H. A. Knapp. — Ventilation should be 

 _iven so as to avoid direct currents of air 

 lirough the brood nest. 



T. F. Bingham. — Xotwitlistanding this 

 learned discussson on ventilation, success 

 depends altogether (!) on luck. 



The secretary read a paper entitled a 

 ''New Method' of Wintering" by H. E. 

 Bidwell, detailing the success attending 

 experiments made with a view of attaining 

 complete and uniform success in wintering 

 bees. This method gives promise of being 

 a simple and efficient safeguard against loss 

 In '• Winter Bee-Keeping." 



T. F. Bingham. — Mr. Bidwell's plan is 

 certainly unique ; and if it shall prove 

 what is now hoped for it, will be one of 

 the greatest achievements of modern api- 

 culture. I am convinced that one-day's fly 

 with the mercur}^ at 45 degrees is only an 

 aggravation. Not until the bees had flown 

 uhree or four days in succession with the 

 temperature at 6(t degrees, w^as dysentery 

 checked in my own apiary. It is a disease, 

 just as much as typhoid fever. Cold may 

 aggravate the disease, but does not cause 

 it. An afiected swarm will communicate 

 the disease to those around it, either by 

 contagion or the uneasiness caused by ex- 

 citement. Gave lower ventilation — none 

 above. Think the last immaterial. Bees 

 must fly at least once a month, commenc- 

 ing in December. 



James Heddon. — I tried Mr. Bidwell's 

 plan ; success limited. 



C. I. Balch.— When I learned of the 

 " Bidw^ell method " I decided to test it at 

 once. Did so and failed. I then visited 

 Mr. Bidwell and found it a complete suc- 

 cess with him. Jly own failure was own- 

 ing to non-compliance with the requisite 

 conditions. 



T. F. Bingham. — Much has been said in 

 reference to dysentery being caused by 

 honey. Close observation convinces me 

 that, while honey may aggravate the dis- 

 ease, it is never the prime cause. "Novice " 



has lauded sugar syrup to the skies, assert- 

 ing that it will winter bees without loss. 

 Had he not better demonstrate that Jie can 

 do this, before making such sweeping 

 assertions. 



Jas. Ileddon. — I wintered in a .special 

 repository. Sugared one half ; all winter- 

 ed equally well. Those left out-of-doors 

 in 1872 all died before those inside had any 

 disease. 



Dr. Southard. — Have fried many plans, 

 and lost in nearly all. Wintered in cellar 

 the past winter. Bees went into winter- 

 quarters very strong. Combs moulded 

 badl}', but lost only one swarm when set 

 out ; lost very many since. Honey was of 

 a better quality than the year before, but 

 lost more bees. 



C. I. Balch. — Have had more candied 

 honey the present spring than ever before, 

 and have lost more bees also. 



T. F. Bingham. — I used artificial heat in 

 my building the past winter, and think it 

 indispensable. Had no dampness — no cold 

 — and not a mouldy comb. Every comb 

 is bright and clean — the bees leaving the 

 hives to die. Think 35 degrees the right 

 temperature. High temperature and breed- 

 ing go together. Science may aid us, but 

 after all we must trust to luck (?) and Pro- 

 vidence for results. What are moth-proof 

 store-combs worth, provided they can be 

 made? 



James Heddon. — Double value ; that is, 

 if natural combs are worth $6 per hive of 

 ten combs, artifical ones would be worth 

 |12. I would willingly make that difter- 

 euce. 



T. F. Bingham. — If ^sve can procure 

 drone comb for wintering, w^e can avoid all 

 disease. Bees gormandize pollen and rear 

 brood, which is the cause of dysentery. 



James Heddon. — -In feeding sugar syrup 

 last fall found little or no brood — abund- 

 ance of pollen. Deprived a portion of 

 natural stores and pollen, substituting the 

 sugar. All wintered equally well, and all 

 .breed alike this spring. Had all young, 

 vigorous, Italian queens. 



T. F. Bingham. — We continually hear of 

 i the wonderful workings of the bee : its 

 skill in science, and proficiency in archi- 

 ■ tecture ; the hexagonal cell, etc. The 

 truth is, bees build the hexagonal cell be- 

 cause they could not do otherwise ; were 

 compelled to this in order to perpetuate 

 their own species. 



Pres. Balch. — So far as my own experi- 

 ence goes, all insects work by instinct, not 

 science. In wintering, I experience more 

 difficulty in spring, the warm days enticing 

 them away from home in search of food — 

 than in cold weatlier of winter. 



After further discussion, the subject of 

 time and place for the next annual meeting 

 was taken up. Many were opposed to 



