1904 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. > 



433 



the bottom of the cellar. At the south yard 

 the conditions are about the same, but not 

 quite so bad. Why, then, if we can winter 

 so perfectly under the machine-shop, with 

 all the rumble of the machinery, can we 

 not do as well at the two outyard cellars 

 where it is perfectly quiet? The conditions 

 are largely the same, expect in the matter 

 of temperature, which went down close to 

 the freezing- point for long periods of time 

 in both the outyard cellars. Right here 

 was the cause of the dysentery and the 

 losses — at least I do not look for it anywhere 

 else. The dampness may have something 

 to do with the matter, but I think not much. 

 If the temperature could have been con- 

 trolled by means of a stove when it went 

 below 40, we should have seen far better 

 results. 



How, then, do I harmonize the opinions of 

 those who differ in the matter of ventilation? 

 Simply this: A cellar that has a large ven- 

 tilator is liable to have the temperature go 

 considerably below 40; and it is better to 

 have little or no ventilation than to have 

 such a drop in the mercury; but far better 

 still is it to have plenty of ventilation and a 

 uniform temperature. Mr. Doolittle, in his 

 sidehill cellar, can control, if I am correct, 

 the temperature providing he does not have 

 open-air ventilators by which the cold f . om 

 the outside, or the warmth either, can 

 be conveyed into the repository. In our 

 machine-shop cellar we control the temper- 

 ature within a range of 10 degrees, and at 

 the same time give the bees fresh air — large 

 quantities of it — whenever it warms up out- 

 side suflficiently to raise the temperature 

 inside. When I took Mr. Danzenbaker and 

 Mr. Burt into the cellar the mercury show- 

 ed 60 degrees — rather higher than usual; 

 and they both will testify that the bees 

 were very quiet, and the atmosphere clean 

 and sweet. There were but few dead bees 

 on the cellar bottom, and the conditions 

 were almost perfect. 



Perhaps this discussion is a little out of 

 season; but when we have just come out of 

 our cellar wintering we can best compare 

 notes, and be prepared to act accordingly 

 for the next season. The result of our ob- 

 servations thus far shows that, for success- 

 ful indoor wintering, a uniform temperature 

 centering around 45° F. is the first and 

 most essential requisite; second, fresh air 

 whenever the temperature goes above 55 ; 

 third, dryness; fourth, good food. Now, 

 then, I am prepared to indorse what Doo- 

 little says, up to a certain extent. If a bee- 

 cellar is in an outyard where artificial heat 

 can not be supplied when the temperature 

 goes low, there should be little or no venti- 

 lation; but when the temperature can be 

 controlled — and here is where I disagree 

 with my friend, whose opinions I always 

 value much — then give plenty of fresh air. 



I should like to have the whole bee keep- 

 ing fraternity see the splendid results of 

 ventilation, and control of temperature in 

 our machine-shop cellar; and perhaps 

 another winter I will arrange for a delega- 



tion of bee-keepers to come and see for them- 

 selves the " proof of the pudding." 



Our shop cellar, with conditions as they 

 are, is a great boon to us, because in the 

 queen rearing business we have a large 

 number of nuclei, and I think we can win- 

 ter these about as well as we can winter 

 strong colonies; and, what is of vastly more 

 importance, we save anywhere from 5 to 10 

 lbs. per colony in the smaller consumption 

 of stores. But this is not all. The light 

 eaters will be more vigorous, and in better 

 shape the coming spring. Show me a man 

 who is a heavy eater and I will show you 

 one with a red nose, and who probably 

 will not live out his allotted days. He will 

 complain of feeling old, sick, "grippy," 

 and drowsy after meals. If the bees have 

 to eat heavily to keep up animal heat they 

 are drawing on their vitality, and will in 

 consequence overcharge their intestines, re- 

 esulting in dysentery. 



How about our outdoor bees? Our loss 

 was about ten per cent. When they went 

 into winter quarters they were all strong 

 and in prime condition. The survivors are 

 now little better than three-frame nuclei. 

 But the outdoor bees fared about as well as 

 those indoors where the temperature went 

 down too low. 



dp;ath of gen. d. l. adair. 

 The following has just come to hand on 

 a postal card: 



General D I, Adair. Mexican-war veteran, and in- 

 ventor of the Adair hive, expired suddenly at his resi- 

 dence near Hawesville, Hancock Co., Ky.. yesterday 

 morning from heart failure. He was above 8(J years 

 old. J. c. I,Ewis. 



Adair, Kentucky, April 20. 



I shall have to explain to our younger 

 readers that General Adair was at one 

 time, some thirty years ago or more, one of 

 the brightest and most valued writers for 

 the American Bee Journal. It was he who 

 gave us the Adair frame; and Adair and 

 Gallup together gave us what was called 

 the " Long-idea hive." If I am correct, it 

 was Mr. Adair himself who first suggested 

 that, instead of making the hive two or 

 three stories high, we simply lengthen it out 

 like a watering-trough, adding surplus 

 combs to the back end opposite the entrance 

 as fast as they were needed, according to 

 the growth of the colony and the amount of 

 honey coming in. Just now I recall only 

 one apiary that is managed in this way. 

 Our friend O. O. Poppleton, of Stuart, 

 Fla., still uses this arrangement very suc- 

 cessfully. He claims he gets just as much 

 or more honey, and he also obviates the ne- 

 cessity of lifting off an upper story, which 

 his strength will not permit him to do. 

 Gsneral Adair was a vigorous writer, and 

 I believe he was a successful bee-keeper. 

 About the time Gleanings started (1873) 

 he somehow or other dropped out of sight — 

 probably becoming engaged in other busi- 

 ness; and I have several times thought it 

 rather unfortunate that he should have so 

 suddenly ceased writing for any of the bee- 

 periodicals. 



