76 



THE AMEBIC AN APICULTURIST. 



the temperature was maintained as 

 in the winter before. One of these 

 colonies had a tiglit cover to the 

 brood-chamber, while the 111 did 

 not. At this date (Feb. 25, 1886) 

 that solitary, unventilated colony 

 is diseased, while all of the others 

 are healthy. 



From these experiments it would 

 be supposed that the most destruc- 

 tive of all bee diseases was pretty 

 nearly cornered. As a result of 

 numerous experiments which I have 

 made during the last several years, 

 I find that I am able to kill bees or 

 preserve them alive, as I choose, 

 but what the exact cause of bee- 

 diarrhoea is, I am as yet unable to 

 tell. 



In a large number of cases where 

 colonies were affected with diar- 

 rhoea, I have found condensed mois- 

 ture so located as to run into the 

 cluster of bees, and instinct would 

 prompt them to sip it up, in order 

 to maintain a fit place for the rear- 

 ingof brood. At other times there 

 was no visible moisture present, 

 but where the covering of the brood- 

 chamber was removed, there was 

 emitted a very sour odor, which 

 would indicate sour honey and 

 could not have been without the 

 aid of moisture. 



In a moderately dry and warm 

 cellar, with upward ventilation and 

 pure stores, I have never known 

 of a case of diarrhoea. We may 

 experiment in such a manner as to 

 find out which are the desirable 

 conditions for successful wintering 

 of bees, and which are not, but to 

 give the disorder a name is all the- 

 oretical conjecture. The name that 

 I consider as the most applicable 

 to the disorder is indigestion, and 

 may be produced by the effects of 

 cfverloading the intestine with cold 

 water, partaking of sour honey, un- 

 easiness, excitement, and exposure 

 to temperatures so low as to inter- 

 fere with the digestion, 

 Bradford^ Canada. 



SPRING MANAGEMENT. 



By Allen Pringle. 



This is a hackne3-ed subject, 

 though I suppose it will bear hand- 

 ling until such time as we may be 

 able to bring our bees through the 

 spring without loss, when " spring 

 dwindling " will be counted among 

 the past misfortunes of beekeep- 

 ers. 



First, then, when shall we set our 

 bees out of their winter quarters ? 

 That will, of course, depend on the 

 latitude and the weather ; and the 

 suggestions given here can as a mat- 

 ter of course only specially apply 

 to Canada and the northern states. 

 For myself, I am getting more con- 

 servative on this setting-out ques- 

 tion, and am leaving my bees 

 longer in the cellar every spring, 

 especiall}^ if the weather is at all 

 unfavorable. If they show signs 

 of disease or undue restlessness, it 

 is of course better to put them out 

 for a flight when they can be re- 

 turned if necessary. Last spring, 

 I commenced setting my bees out 

 April 16, and finished up May 13. 

 Nor had the last ones set out been 

 out before and returned. They 

 had been in winter quarters since 

 Nov. 25, making a confinement of 

 over five months and a half. Yet 

 they were mostly in good health 

 and condition, and were in as good 

 order for the honey flow, if not 

 better, than those first put out. 

 But why put out some so much 

 earlier than others, the reader 

 asks? Well, for more than one 

 reason. Those which show any 

 sj^mptoms of diarrhoea and those 

 becoming restless ought, of course, 

 to be put out fii'st. Then if any 

 are sliort of iiollen (and this must 

 be noted in the Call) such ought to 

 be carried out and supplied so 

 that the brooding can go on. Tliose 

 with plenty of honey and pollen, 

 if fairly quiet, are better in than 



