188-1 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE. 



163 



they would not stand the light. I think if my sub- 

 ventilation pipe wore 300 feet in leng-th, and G inches 

 in diameter it would be better. Jan. 5 the mercury 

 outside went down to 37° below zero. The next day 

 the air came into the cellar, through the pipe, at 37 

 above zero, and that is the lowest it has been this 

 winter. If I did not put a flre in the cellar, I think 

 the temperature of the cellar would be all the time, 

 during cold weather, nearly the same as that of the 

 air coming in through the pipe. 



But I intended, when I commenced, to tell how I 

 was differing this winter in taking care of my bees. 



CLEANING OUT DEAD BEES IN WINTER. 



Last spring, on taking the bees out of the cellar, 

 the entrances of many of the hives were badly chok- 

 ed up with dead bees; some of them so badly that 

 not a single bee could get out. I thought it might 

 be a good plan to try to avoid this in future; so last 

 fall, when the bees were put in the cellar, two rows 

 of hives were placed back to back (they were piled 

 5 high), then an alley-way left, then another two 

 rows back to back, and so on. This leaves it so that 

 I can get at the entrance of each hive in the cellar. 

 I have twice already cleaned out the dead bees from 

 the entrance of each hive, and for several inches 

 back in the hive whore possible; for in many of 

 them the cluster of live bees extends down to the 

 bottom-board, and in some of them clear out to the 

 entrance. There is a great difference in the number 

 of dead bees in different hives. In some of them, 

 during the first two months uf their imprisonment, I 

 have found two or three pints of dead bees; in 

 others, not as many tablespoonfuls. I also sweep 

 up the alley-ways, and I can not help but think the 

 bees will be the bettef off to be free from the smell 

 of so many decaying bodies of their dead compan- 

 ions. 



FIRE IN BEE-CELLAR. 



For several years I have had a stove in the cellar, 

 and have occasionally put a slow tire in it when the 

 cellar appeared damp or very cold. Formerly when 

 I put in a flre, a great hubbub was raised among the 

 bees, which subsided after a time, and then they 

 were quieter than before the tiro was put in. If I 

 put in a flre in the evening, and raised the tempera- 

 ture a few degrees, in the morning I found the bees 

 all quiet, and at flrst attributed it to their being 

 warmer; but the thermometer would show the same 

 temperature in the morning as before the flre was 

 put in, so they could not be quieter because warmer. 

 Was it because the flre had increased the ventilation, 

 and given them purer air, or did they take the chance 

 while it was warmer to turn over in bed and settle 

 down more comfortably? Much the same thing oc- 

 curred it I opened window and doors on warm nights 

 in spring. The bees made such a roaring that at 

 flrst I was quite alarmed, for fear many were leaving 

 their hives; but in the morning all was very quiet; 

 and if the bright rays of the sun shone directly into 

 the cellar, and on the hives, not a bee stirred. This 

 winter I kept the cellar open nearly every night, 

 and sometimes days, until the very cold weather came 

 in the middle of December, and there was no excite- 

 ment noticeable among the bees on opening the eel-: 

 lar. Since the cold weather I have put in flre near- 

 ly every day, and it is so dry that the ground of the 

 floor is dusty on being swept. On putting in flre 

 now, the bees pay no attention to it, although a 

 thermometer laid on a hive nearest the stove shows 

 a rise of 15 degrees. The noticeable feature in the 

 case is, that whereas in former yeai's the admission 



of fresh air, or heating by a flre, roused up the bees, 

 this winter it has no such effect. I do not know of 

 any thing to make the difference, unless it be that 

 the air is never allowed to become foul this winter, 

 no disagreeable odor ever being present on entering 

 the cellar. At present 201 colonies are in this cella r, 

 the remaining 50 being in a new cellar, which is 

 damp and not so well ventilated. 



Dr. C. C. Miller, 172-351. 

 Marengo, McHenry Co., 111., Feb. 12, 1881. 



OBSEKVATIONS 



ABOUT BASSWOOD BARRELS AND HYBRID HONEV. 



M S I have not bothered you for almosttwo years, 

 ^\ I thought I would give you a "brief " of my 

 "' ' observation during that time. 



BASSWOOD BARRELS. 



I have observed that we have something better in 

 the line of packages for extracted honey than you 

 advise in A B C. It is a neat basswood keg (or bar- 

 rel, as you choose); it needs no waxing, and will 

 hold every time. I flrst saw it in use to hold sor- 

 ghum syrup. Its merits are simply these: Neat, 

 light, tight, and sweet; no one will deny but that 

 the acid in oak packages imparts a flavor that more 

 or less damages extracted honey. It is also cheap. 

 I had one hundred 32-gallon barrels offered me for 

 $100. I know you will object to it on the ground 

 that it will use up all the basswood timber; but If 

 you could see this basswood country you would think 

 it would be a while before it would begone; and I 

 tell you, a few thousand pounds of pure basswood 

 honey put up in nice white basswood kegs that 

 won't leak a drop is pleasant to the sight. 



EXTRACTED HONEY. 



I have observed that extracted honey has made 

 great strides in the past two years toward the tables 

 of the working class; and 'tis here it must find Its 

 way, and in competition with all the cheap articles 

 of food, before honey will become a staple article. 

 A cheap but pure article of excracted honey need 

 never interfere with the production of fancy comb 

 honey any more than all the cheap articles of food 

 and clothing interfere with the more fancy articles. 

 There will always be a demand for both. 



ADVANTAGE OF EXPERIENCE. 



I have observed that profltable bee-keeping is born 

 of study and experience; for six years ago I could 

 not make bees pay in a good season, while this sea- 

 son I have made 43 colonies produce 5000 lbs, of 

 honey, and it is conceded by all to have been a poor 

 season; but I am well satisfled with the result. 



HYBRIDS AND HONEY. 



I have hesitated some about writing this observa- 

 tion, for fear it might be one of those truths that 

 should not be told, and I can see the slowly passing 

 flnger of scorn pointed at me by hundreds of our 

 fancy breeders for saying it, that the best general- 

 purpose bee is the hybrid. If I could have my bees 

 what I wish, I would say, increase their tendency to 

 longevity; increase their energy, and give greater 

 wing power; and if the hybrid (produced close up to 

 the importation) of the Italian queen bj' drones of 

 the German brown bee does not have these qualities, 

 then I don't believe you can flnd them. 



I had ten of these queens this season that gave me 

 2300 lbs. of honey; the one on the scales gave 268 lbs. 

 of surplus; on the 22d of July they gathered 18 lbs. 

 of basswood honey after 2 p. m, I had 33 colonies of 



