IS'.fJ 



GLEANINCS IN HEE CULTURE. 



:<()<) 



ihIrcs. wlicii till' to]) is (111 it is praclii'iiliy air- 

 light. This anaiiRtMiuMit leaves a large air- 

 chamber composed of the space in tlH> super 

 above the wood-wool pad and the spaco in the 

 winter case above the pacUinsr. The advan- 

 tage of this will be readily ai)pareiit. as it al- 

 lows the excess of moistun> to be absorbed by 

 the nnpainted sides of the pai-Uing-cases. as it 

 is canietl over in the form of \apor. to be con- 

 densed as soon as it reaches the colder chamber. 



The ri'siilt has been highly satisfactiii'y, and 

 I can indorse heartily the conclusions reached 

 by t". v. Dadantin IMarch l.")tli (Ji.KANiNCis. It 

 is only a (luestion of the kind and (luality ot 

 absoi bents. It is beyond (inestion, that damp- 

 ness, or a moist condition of the brood -chamber, 

 is as fatal to the bees as is the sam<> condition 

 to all animal life. Dampness, darkness, and 

 inaction are siii-e pr(H'ursors of debility and 

 disease: while li<iht. dryness, and exercise (>m- 

 body health and human ha()piness. 



My bees were contined. wiihont a tli^lil. from 

 Jan. 1 until March 4. On examination I found 

 the hives dry — no moldy combs nor dripping 

 cushions. The pads coulil be determined damp; 

 but no appreciable gain in weight — a fact 

 which was tested, of course. At this writing, 

 April 1, the boos are employing daily flights, 

 and there is absolutely not ono pint of dead 

 bees in the whole 18 colonies. This has been 

 proven by thorough examination, and by raking 

 the dead bees from off the bottom-lioanl. There 

 are, indeed, some colonies that seem as strong 

 as whiMi \nit into winter quarters. 



The cost of this material for pads may deter 

 bee-keepers from enipl<iyi"g it. This objection 

 was made by the writer to the company, who 

 met it by the declaration of tinding means to 

 obviate it. I should regard it as cheap at the 

 price, should it save one colony in fifty, (xiven 

 winter cases, minoi'al wool for outside packing, 

 and a pad of the incomparable wood wool, and 

 yon liav(! soh'od the Question of winteiing as 

 well as spi'inging of bees — the latter most to be 

 dreaded because of the moisture-laden w inds — 

 the general humidity of which is certainly the 

 cause of spring dwindling. 1 have in noway 

 exaggerated the benefits of pioper packing and 

 proper absorbents. My lo-ses have, after live 

 years of bee-keeping, reached a minimum — in 

 fact, are tiH. For this reason I shall most cer- 

 tainly employ absorbents in the future, and pin 

 niv trust to wood-wool pads. 



Connellsville, Pa., Apr. 1. .1. K. Enos. M. I). 



[The advocates of sealed covers or sealed tops 

 claim that the moisture in the hive, is not the 

 product of a normal or natural condition. It is 

 argued, that, whi'ii the top of the hive is sealed 

 and the same covered with good packing ma- 

 terial, little or no moisture will be precipitated, 

 because the boated air is retained until the sur- 

 plus finds exit at the entrance below. Moisture 

 is generally the result of a cold surface? coming 

 in contact with a warm atmosphere; as. for 

 example, a pitcher of ice water on a hot sum- 

 mer day. Warm or heated air will grailually 

 pass through a porous substance; and when 

 this air gets near the top of the absorbini? nia- 

 t«rial, it encounters a coldei' temiieralure: and 

 the result is. that the moisture is precipitated 

 near the top of the cushion. Warm air still 

 coming in, it comes in contact with the moi-t 

 layer of packing material near the top. and 

 that moist layer is made deeper. In this way 

 the dampness gradually permeates the whole 

 cushion. Now. a wri cushion is one of the 

 worst things to cover a colony of bees. We 

 have seen these absorbing cushions frozen solid 

 with the moisture in tliem clear to the bees; 

 and in that condition they were but little if any 

 better than cakes of ice. Now, the theory of 



the sealed cover is, that no warm air is allowed 

 to escape: and hence if warm air does not get 

 into the piicking material above (whi-re it can 

 not w itb a seali'd coven, there is no chance for 

 the pieci|)itation of moisture in the packing, 

 and hence this packing is always kept dry. 

 Perhaps by using enough packing material, or 

 that of good (inality, \vi' may dispense with the 

 sealed cover, and at the same time largely pre- 

 vent the undue precipitation of moisture; but by 

 using a sealed cov(U', a very little packing will 

 answer, where a large amount would be neces- 

 sary otherwise. We received the samph's of 

 wood-wool packing, and placed them on our 

 hives. In the line of absorbents they are the 

 best of any thing we have ever tried, and then? 

 is no doubt that they would be far superior to 

 chatf. Hut they have one insurmountable ob- 

 jection; and that is. their expense. If some- 

 thing cheap will answer just as well, it would, 

 of course, be preferable to use the cheaper arti- 

 cle; and that cheaper article will probably be a 

 thin boaid sealed down with about a couple of 

 inches of chatf on the top. Now, please under- 

 stand that these remarks have reference only 

 to bees iniiitcrnl tmtiloors. Read our footnote 

 to N. D. AVest"s article preceding, for our ideas 

 on upward ventilation in cellars.] 



RAMBLE NO. 59. 



IX TIOMKSCAL CANYON. 



From the elevated position of the Bonfoey 

 residence a grand view of the Santa Ana Valley 

 is obtained. On the far side rise the sno\y- 

 capped San Bernardino Mountains. .TO miles 

 away, and 9000 feet above sea-level. Numerous 

 towns dot the landscape, and all easy of access 

 on the Southern Pacific and Santa Fe Railroads. 

 The most noted place in the valley is Riverside, 

 with its orange-groves; the Chiuo (C/ieno) beet- 

 root sugar-factory, said to be the largest in the 

 world; the Arrowhead hot springs, and the 

 famous Temescal tin -mines. The railroad 

 does not run into the Temescal Canyon, and 

 Mr. B. very kindly proposed, with horse and 

 cart, to escort the Rambler to Temescal, 12 

 miles distant. It was delightful riding in the 

 morning as we jogged along across the mesa. 

 The unfilled lands here make ample pasturage 

 for large herds of sheep, and we commented on 

 the lonely life of the shepherd who [lassed many 

 nights with Mother Faith for a bod. and the 

 starry skies smiling down upon him. 





,^:r>^r 



-■p'/^..■'ii^.■•Vc^•K>'•.i^■;■■••■-• 



|j>5 



THE IJAMBI.K|{ A.\I) KlilKND RIDING IX NUMKH- 

 OITS OUST. 



Barley is extensively cultivated, and the 

 ground is in condition to secure not only one 

 crop from one sowing, but two more volunteer 

 crops afterward; but all this land will soon be 



