1911 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



45 



Two inore benches are on the opposite side 

 of the row of cedar posts that support the 

 center of the roof. 



As stated above, the cellar is all under 

 ground — the cover (22 inches thick) being 

 ihe least protected place about the building. 

 There is no cement used in the walls, cedar 

 posts being set every three feet, and inch 

 lumber nailed outside. This allows the 

 earth to come close to the bees — a construc- 

 tion which we consider much better than a 

 cement wall. A neighbor built a cellar, the 

 walls of which were of stone laid without 

 mortar. In order to make them stand, the 

 stones were laid sloping slightly out; but 

 experience showed that this was not neces- 

 sary, as some of the later-laid portions stood 

 just as well, although built very nearly 

 perpendicular. After the wall was finished, 

 almost even with the surface of the earth, 

 logs from the forest were cut and laid across 

 close together. Then the cracks between 

 the logs were closed with small trees and 

 finally straw and earth over the whole thing 

 to a thickness of two feet. A roof and 

 hatchway similar to ours completed the cel- 

 lar, as good as could be made for the pur- 

 pose of wintering bees. 



A dry sandy knoll is much preferable to 

 a clay soil for a bee-cellar. This reminds 

 me of another neighbor, who lives in a low 

 level country, whose cellar is not only very 

 damp, but in the spring, as the snow thaws 

 off, it is nothing unusual for him to have to 

 wear his rubber boots and wade in several 

 inches of water when he removes the colo- 

 nies in the spring. This bee-keeper used to 

 lose a good many bees until he discovered 

 that, if he removed the covers entirely, and, 

 instead, used two or three thicknesses of old 

 carpet over the hives, the trouble was over- 

 come. 



We rent several cellars for outyards, and 

 so we have experience with different soils 

 and different conditions. It sometimes hap- 



l^ens that we can not get cellars to our lik- 

 ing, several of them being in soil that is 

 part clay. For such cellars we loosen the 

 covers on the hives, as shown in view No. 3, 

 until the end cleat rests on the back of the 

 hive. This V-shaped opening at both sides 

 forms about the same ventilation as is se- 

 cured by replacing the covers with carpets 

 as mentioned above. 

 Remus, Mich. 



BEE-KEEPING IN NEW MEXICO. 



Bee-keepers of the Pecos Valley Convene at 

 Roswell. 



BY H. C. BARRON. 



The illustration shows a part of the mem- 

 bers of the Pecos Valley Bee-keepers' Asso- 

 ciation, at their meeting at Roswell, in Oc- 

 tober. I am sending a copy of our weekly 

 paper, which contains an account of the 

 convention. 



Hagerman, N. M. 



[We are glad to see so full a report of a 

 bee-keepers' meeting as was contained in 

 The Messenger; for, the more the general 

 public knows about bees and bee-keeping, 

 the better. 



Among the most important matters taken 

 up at this meeting was a petition to the 

 General Freight Agent of the Eastern Rail- 

 way of New Mexico, for a lower rate on hon- 

 ey. Mr. Barron, in his letter, writes that 

 this petition was granted. 



As there are, no doubt, other points where 

 similar conditions exist, we are publishing 

 herewith this petition in full: 



PETITION. 



To the Hon. J. Briiiker, General Freight Agent of 



the Eastern Railway of New Mexico: 



At a convention of the Pecos Valley Bee-keepers' 



Association, held in Roswell. N. M.. the fifth day of 



October, 1910, we respectfully petition you (or your 



aid in secur- 

 ing for us a 

 lower rate 

 o n honey 

 from the 

 towns of 

 Roswell, 

 Dexter, Ha- 

 german, Ar- 

 tesia, and 

 Carlsbad 

 in the Val- 

 ley to Chi- 

 cago. 111., 

 and Kan- 

 sasCity, Mo. 

 We have 

 now much 

 more honey 

 than we can 

 sellathome, 

 and we can 

 easily in- 

 crease our 

 productand 

 desire to do 

 so. We wish 

 in the fu- 

 ture to be 

 sure of sell- 

 ing all the 

 honey we 

 can pro- 

 CONVENTION OF THE PECOS VALLEY BEE-KEEPERS ASSOCIATION, ROSWELL, duce, and 



NEW MEXICO. we feel com- 



