y'2 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



walls and an air chamber between, filled 

 with straw, and the top and sides so con- 

 structed as to allow all moisture arising 

 from the bees to escape, and at the same 

 time keep the cold out. This keeps tlie 

 bees warm and dry, and consequently 

 lively and vigorous, to resist the inroads 

 of insects in spring. The manner of its 

 construction readily meets the approval 

 of one's reason. But it will also convince 

 by the best of all reasoning, actual exper- 

 ience. This hive has not been brought 

 before the public as fast as it ought, 

 owing to the poverty of the inventor not 

 being able to properly advertise it. But 

 if any of the readers of the Bee Journal 

 wants further information concerning it, 

 they can obtain it by addressing Keyes & 

 Finn, Clyde, Jasper Co. Iowa. 



Marseilles, 111. A. F. WALBRroGE. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Stray Thoughts. 



At our convention, I failed to get up the 

 interest on some points that 1 wished. The 

 question of wintering was somewhat dis- 

 cussed, but we failed to agree half as well 

 on that point as did that "Dozen of the 

 same ilk" of Berlin, Wis. They agreed 

 at least, that 45 degrees is about the right 

 temperature to keep bees in winter. That 

 agrees with my views ali'eady expressed. 

 Many look at the surface of things only, 

 and get the habit of deciding without due 

 (consideration. We do not get all the facts, 

 which in tune I hope we shall be enabled 

 to. I wrote an essay on the subject, but 

 (lid not get it ready for the press before 

 cold weather. There had not been a 

 winter since 1871 suited to throw more 

 light on the subject than the present, eith- 

 er for or against my theory. In this sec- 

 tion, not a day through Jan. and part of 

 Dec. was warm enough for bees to fly. 

 Much of the time below zero. From Feb. 

 7th to the 15th, there was but one morn- 

 ing above zero. Feb. 7th, IG dg. below ; 

 Hth, 8 dg. below ; 9th 8 dg. below ; 10th, 

 1 2 dg. below ; 1 1 th a few degrees above ; 

 12th 6 dg. below in morning and at sun- 

 down 14 dg ; i;3th 33 dg. below ; 14th 16 

 dg. below ; 15th 4 dg. below. Bees have 

 withstood weather as cold as this in the 

 open air without harm, when there have 

 been warm days, either immediately be- 

 fore or after. But how they will with- 

 stand such a pull of two months, and the 

 coldest at the least, we have yet to see. 



One man from Saratoga Co., has just 

 written me that his bees show signs of dys- 

 cnterry now, 15th of Feb. If bees are lost 

 in any section, 1 hope we shall get the 



temperature to which they have been ex- 

 posed. 



Another point in which we failed to get 

 up the interest which I thought the im- 

 portance of the subject demands is the 

 fear of stings. I have worked some time 

 for this without much progress. A few^ 

 have got rid of the fear, and made bee- 

 keepers. I cannot advise any one to keep 

 bees that can think of nothing but stings, 

 whenever he goes near them. Education 

 on this subject should begin early. Teach 

 children facts only, and perhaps the most 

 disagreeable of these might be judiciously 

 withlield, while the child is being trained 

 in the methods of avoiding stings. I 

 think I have helped some is this matter, in 

 the smoker given to the public, even though 

 my suggestions may not be fully carried 

 out in regard to careful handling. Many 

 persons are governed mostly by a desire to 

 make money, and consequently are apt 

 to attribute the same motive to the sug- 

 gestion of others, hence my eftbrts to get 

 people acquainted with bees are probably 

 often thought to arise from a desire to sell 

 my wares. I wish more persons having 

 experience, would work in this field. 



Could not bee-keeping be taught as a 

 branch of practical education in some in- 

 stitutions, thus giving children a chance to 

 receive the right kind of instructiou. Per- 

 •haps Michigan would be central. 



Standard frames is another point occu- 

 pying considerable thought just now. I 

 fear we shall never asree, because we have 

 d'fferent interests. We have all heard of 

 the old farmer who went to mill with 

 wheat in one end of the bag, and a stone 

 in the other, to balance when it was thrown 

 across the horses back. He had done it, 

 and his father had before him, and the 

 method was sufficiently proved. Let us 

 all look at it. See how it is proved. 



I will speak of size of frames : Mr. A. 

 wants shallow frames. "He gets more 

 honey, he has' tried it." Mr. B. wants 

 small ones for extracting. Mr. C. wants 

 deep frames, "Bees winter better. They 

 have such in Russia." Mr. D. likes them 

 about square, say 12 inches. Many more 

 want light frames because they are lighter 

 to handle, &c., etc. Now it is not likely 

 we shall all want frames square because 

 D. does, for we probably have not the 

 same reasons for it that he has. I am 

 making surplus boxes 5x0 inches square. 

 I can put six of them inside of one large 

 frame, I don't want the frame any less. 

 This and other advantages,counterbalanced 

 the inconvenience of handling large frames. 

 When one has a smaller frame and to him 

 there are no counterbalancing advantages 

 in a larger one, it seems to me to be very 



