THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



225 



most any kind of treatment, and 

 again die out with tlie best of care. 

 But these exceptions should not im- 

 pinge against the rule of appUed 

 common sense. 



Lynn, Mass., Se/^L 7, 1886. 



Prof. A. J. Cook. 



This is a very intricate problem, 

 and it is no wonder we are long in 

 solving it. The bee is a native of a 

 warm climate, where it is not subject 

 to severe or long continued cold. It 

 has the habit of retaining its fecal 

 matter, and not of voiding it in the 

 hive. In its native condition fre- 

 quent flights make it possible for it to 

 void often outside the hive ; hence 

 the artificial condition of long cold, 

 and the equally long restraint within 

 the hive, are most trying. More than 

 this, the bee is ever active even in 

 severe weather, and so under the 

 artificial condition in which we place 

 them, must eat, often quite liberally. 

 If the weather is very severe, this 

 eating is even more liberal, as the 

 animal heat can only be maintained 

 by greater functional activity. This 

 is not mere theory, for I have found 

 repeatedly that severe cold raised 

 the temperature of the hive as shown 

 by the thermometer, and we all know 

 that such long cold winters require 

 more food for the bees. 



We have also a further compli- 

 cation. Bees eat heartily. They 

 are long confined. They must per- 

 force retain their fecal excretions for 

 long periods. It seems then that the 

 kind of food may be a most impor- 

 tant item in the safe wintering of our 

 bees. Nor is this mere theory. 

 Long experience, while it shows that 

 cold is a most important factor in 

 the production of disastrous winter- 

 ing, shows quite as conclusively that 



some other factor is also a partner 

 with cold. At present no second 

 flictor seems as important as the 

 matter of food. 



WHAT WE KNOW. 



It seems to me that we know that 

 if bees have abundance of almost 

 any kind of food, that is reasonably 

 wholesome, and can fly out from their 

 hives every few days, they are prac- 

 tically safe in winter. 



Again, it seems nearly as well 

 demonstrated, I think, that if sup- 

 plied with good honey, that gathered 

 from the flowers, whether fall or early 

 honey, and maintained in an even 

 temperature at about 45° F. about 

 the hive, they will pass long confine- 

 ment in safety. 



Once more, while it may not be 

 so thoroughly proved, yet we have 

 very good reason to feel that in case 

 the temperature is not maintained at 

 the desired point, the bees are safer 

 if confined to a purely carbonaceous 

 diet, or if wintered on honey alo-ne 

 with no pollen. As honey often con- 

 tains much floating pollen — the 

 amount varies greatly even in the 

 same kind of honey — we may con- 

 clude that where the temperature is 

 not under our control, it is a safer 

 thing to winter on a syrup made of 

 the best cane sugar, than even on the 

 best honey. 



WHAT IS DESIRABLE. 



It is desirable to have the bees fly 

 out often in winter. This is beyond 

 our control in our severe northern 

 climates. It is also desirable to have 

 the equable temperature about the 

 hives of 45° F. This can be secured 

 by packing well about several hives 

 placed close together, which gives 

 the chance of flight if the weather 

 permits. Packing single hives, and 

 chaff" hives permit this except in very 

 severe winters. The cellar is the 

 surest means to secure this desidera- 

 tum. By water in the cellar, or by 

 sub- earth ventilation, any cellar can 

 be made suitable, and many can be 

 made all right without either. 



