168 



GLEANlNlrS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mar. 1. 



taken out pvery morning, and it's all right till 

 the next morning. It is so much cleaner than 

 the Franklin, or Low-down, as it was impossible 

 to keep things free from dust witli that, dust as 

 often as you miglul 



But the best of all is ihc pure air. The air in 

 the house is as good as that outdoors, and no 

 headache in it. as with the ordinary base-burn- 

 er. There is a cold-air pipe passing through 

 the cellar wall (it may pass through a cellar 

 window) and up through the floor, directly un- 

 der the stove and into the stove. Theie is a 

 current of fresh outdooi' air passing constantly 

 through lliis cold-air pipe into the stove: and, 

 being heated by its passage through the stove, 

 it comes out into the room as warm air. Of 

 course, this fresh aii- does not go into the tire, 

 as in that case there would be smoke and gas In 

 the room. It passers up through outside cham- 

 bers something like the dead-air space in a 

 double-walled hive. There is also an arrange- 

 ment at the lower part of the stove to cany off 

 the foul air. One need only to look at the rich 

 dark-gi'een foliage of our house-plants, that 

 look almost if not quite as luxurious as if grow- 

 ing outdoors, to know that the air is pure. 

 Next to the pure air is the saving of labor. Be- 

 fore we got our new stove we had a lai'ge wood- 

 stove in the dining-room, and a small coal-stove 

 in the room upstairs. Now they are lioth taken 

 down. Think of tiie amount of work saved in 

 not having to run those' two stoves, to say 

 nothing of the dirt and dust they would cause, 

 wliich is no small item! Folding-doors between 

 the .sitting-room and dining-rootn make it eas- 

 ier to heat the latter. The room upstaii'S is 

 heated by means of a hot-air pipe passing 

 through the ceiling, terminating in a small reg- 

 ister. This room i-^ wtii-mer than it was with 

 the small stove. The aii- tiiat comes out of this 

 register is not aii- that has already biien used in 

 the room below, but is fresh air that has come 

 directly from outdoors, merelv lieated in its 

 passage thi'ough the stove. 



The stove, set up ready to light, costs just an 

 even fifty dollars. We think that, in two win- 

 ters, that amount will be saved in fuel, to say 

 nothing about what is gained in health and 

 comfort. E>rMA Wilsox. 



Marengo, 111. 



Heads of Grain 



FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS. 



PROTECTION V?:KSUS NO PROTECTION FOR OITT- 

 DOORS. 



The question of wintei' protection can not be 

 emphasized too sti'ong. Not having the pleas- 

 ure of a cellar, my bees winter on tlieir summcM' 

 stands. With good windbreaks both north and 

 west, the loss for sevei-al winters (with the mild 

 winters too) has been small indeed. The ten- 

 frame Simplicity hives have the upper story 

 tilled with heaves. These are in tine condition, 

 and have hardly any traces of dianiiea. The 

 one-story Simplicity (eight-frame) hives are 

 placed inside of goods-boxes, with leaves around 

 and above the hives. These aj-e going through 

 the winter in excellent shape. A few are left 

 on summer stands without any protection what- 

 ever. Th(>.se are eight- fi'ame one-stoiy Simplic- 

 ity hives. These aiv having a rough time of it. 

 The diairhea has overtaken them, and death is 

 certain. 



Colonies well protected are doing well in 

 spite of " bug-juice " for winter stores. For me 

 to meet a cold winter successfully I would have 

 plenty of bees hatched in .August and Septem- 



ber, little or no pollen, bees put on eight-frames, 

 plenty of good honey — not "' bug-j\iice '" — six to 

 ten inches of leaves all around the hive, ex- 

 cept the fronts and l)ottoms. and the entrance 

 open full width. With this arrangement no 

 fears need be enteitained because of a .severe 

 winter. .7. F. Michael. 



German. O., Jan. 2n. 



[You have given us good pi'oof of the value of 

 pi'otection. Our expeiience so far confirms it. 

 For us. colonies in a cold winter outdoors un- 

 protected won't live until Januaiy.] 



ADVANTAGE OF SEALED COVER AND WIDE 

 ENTRANCE FOR WINTERING. 



As the question of absoibents over the brood- 

 chamber is now being agitated I will add my 

 mite. Some four years ago I wrot(> the senior 

 editoi'of Cleanings, that, from observation of 

 the effort of bees. I was led to believe an air- 

 light covering better than a porous one, and 

 that, acting on that idea. I had utilized the leath- 

 er from our family cariiage. cutting it to tit neat- 

 ly and applying it eaily. directly on the frames, 

 and letting the bees jnopolize all air-holes. This 

 with three hives. They came thiough well, and 

 built up early. A fair-sized chaff' cushion was 

 placed over llie leaiher. He replied that the 

 leather was loious. He might lu.ve thought 

 differently had he seen it. The following au- 

 tumn 1 ventured on seven with leather for cov- 

 ering, and o\('r this a close-fitting >< thick 

 white-pine lioaid. and ovt r all several newspa- 

 pers, and du tin in the canvas u^ed during the 

 season. This was in the lattei' part of Ociolier. 

 Of couise. in all cases I us( d chaff' over all. 1 

 now aim to have all hives as near air-tight, ex- 

 cept beneath, as I can. Without being tedious 

 1 will say. lo-s none thus far: but the great ad- 

 vantage I claim for the method is. early brood- 

 ing and no spring dwindling. ]SIy top-bar has 

 a passageway for the bees, and I thereby avoid 

 the use of a boney-boai'd. W. S. Ad.xms. 



Guys. Md.. I-Vb. U. 



MANUM EXPLAINS AHOLT THAT HONEYMOON. 



Friend Rixjt:— You may say to our Canadian 

 friend. Mr. F. .). Miller (page 104), and otheis. 

 that A. E. Manum has not fully recovered from 

 his " honeymoon season." and hopes he never 

 will, trusting that said "• honeymoon " will con- 

 tinue to shine in hei' fullest splendoi'. Nevei'- 

 thelt'ss, Mr. Editor, 1 will endeavor, in a very 

 few days, to respond, through (tI.eanings. to 

 the many calls from our friends. I have been 

 so busy since last May with the bees, house-re- 

 pairing, and entertaining visitors, to say nothing 

 of the '■ new queen," that the readers of Glean- 

 ings have necessarily been neglected. Thank- 

 ing them all for their confidence and kind 

 woi-ds. I remain 



Yours truly, 



^ A. E. Manum. 



COLORADO: SNOW TILL VOU CAN'T REST. 



I once more find time to send in a few lines 

 from this part of the moral vineyard. It is win- 

 ter — winter in good shape — snow till you can't 

 rest, if I must use the expression — any way. 

 snow all over every thing — liill, mountain, and 

 valley. The largest snow of the season fell on 

 the 4th of this month. If snow is a sign of a 

 good honey year, this has the appearance of be- 

 ing one of unprecedented greatness, for we have 

 iiad more snow than we had last year. The 

 past season would have been a good one but for 

 the heavy rains that came just as the lioney- 

 flow was coming on. I have been keeping the 

 snow away from the front of my Inves. The 

 last time I was out I was wondering to myself 

 how many of the brother bee-keepers were at- 



