404 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



your assertion about bees being blind; 

 though I can't do it in ' two minutes.'" 



I now went to one of the hives, and 

 securing a large drone, I again took my 

 seat and said to Mr. Luthy : 



"I will begin my demonstration by 

 delineating the mental and moral char- 

 acteristics of this drone-bee. 



"The drone is a queer sort of a chap, 

 as you have no doubt found out. He is 

 both conspicuous and insignificant — just 

 like some men. He is, by nature and 

 habits, first cousin to the professional 

 'tramp.' He won't wrork — not even to 

 keep from starving to death. He never 

 fights — not even to save his life — to say 

 nothing of his reputation. He never 

 goes out for exercise even, except when 

 he goes out on a spree. Like his cousin, 

 the tramp, he seems to live to eat, and 

 for nothing else." 



Next we«k, I am going to give you 

 plain phrenological reasons for all these 

 peculiarities. 



Lawrence, Kans. 



(Concluded next week.^ 



Cellar-Vl^iiitcrins of Bees, and 

 Other Items. 



Read at Howard Co., Iowa, Farmers'' In.x1itute 

 BY C. E. TEETSHORN. 



There are two methods of wintering 

 bees— cellar-wintering and out-door win- 

 tering. I hold that cellar-wintering is 

 the more successful and economical 

 method in this latitude. 



When I think winter has set in in 

 earnest, generally about Nov. 20th, I 

 carry my colonies into the cellar (leaving 

 the caps of the hives in the bee-yard), 

 and tier up the hives according to the 

 number to occupy a given space. 



I next attend to the matter of venti- 

 lation, thorough upward ventilation. I 

 open at least one-third of the top of the 

 hive, leaving the cluster of bees abso- 

 lutely exposed. In this lies the secret 

 of successful cellar-wintering. The 

 moisture from the bees ascends to the 

 top of the hive, and if the hive is tight, 

 condenses there and runs back upon the 

 cluster of bees and upon the comb, re- 

 sulting in dampness, mold and death to 

 the colony. 



The bees will not fly out if kept in a 

 dark part of the cellar. 



As to the temperature of the cellar, I 

 would say that I strive to avoid too high 

 a temperature. I prefer the mercury at 

 all times slightly under SO-*. My cellar 

 is simply a hole in the ground under my 



house, and water, nearly always, oozing 

 in at one side and working out by way 

 of the drain. In this cellar I have win- 

 tered bees every winter for 25 years, 

 and with marked success. 



After the bees have been placed in tjie 

 cellar, and the hives ventilated as I have 

 indicated, they should not be molested 

 until taken out in the spring and placed 

 upon the summer stands. 



During the winter is the proper time 

 to prepare hives, sections, etc., for the 

 next season. I have made considerable 

 use of boxes holding eight to ten pounds 

 of honey. More honey can be procured 

 in large boxes in a given time, as there 

 are not so many starting points and not 

 so many joints to seal with propolis as 

 when sections are used. 



The only way to secure straight combs 

 in sections is by the use of separators or 

 comb foundation. I place a V-shaped 

 starter in each section. 



Cresco, Iowa. 



The Honey Market and Crop in 

 jllinnesota. 



Written ior the American Bee Journal 

 BY C. THEILMANN. 



I was at Minneapolis to attend to set- 

 ting up some honey and supplies that I 

 sent to the Minneapolis Exhibition, 

 which is held from Sept. 6th until Oct. 

 7th ; and I was also there to find a 

 market for ray honey crop, which is 

 comparatively small, but of good quality. 

 In looking around the two cities of St. 

 Paul and Minneapolis, I found a big 

 difference between J. A. Shea & Co.'s 

 quotations in the American Bee Jour- 

 nal, and the actual price of the honey 

 market; besides an incorrect represen- 

 tation on supply and demand. 



I am well acquainted in- the two 

 cities, and my honey product, hereto- 

 fore, always sold readily at the highest 

 prices paid. The fact now (on Sept. 6th 

 and 7th) is, that I could not sell a pound 

 of honey to any one of ray old custoraers, 

 except 100 pounds to a grocer to whom 

 I sold honey for about 15 years. All 

 the commission men refused to buy 

 honey for raore than 12j^ cents per 

 pound, and Fancy at that. In the two 

 cities there were three or four carloads 

 of California honey, which is sold from 

 12 to 14 cents per pound, and raore 

 offered to deliver at 12 cents, for nice, 

 white comb honey, although Eastern 

 honey sells better to customers. There 

 is not a great deal of Eastern honey 



