90 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



hives for last season,and also told how 

 long it takes ordinary colonies to fill 

 12 combs with brood. I once had 

 some experience in hiving swarms, of 

 the kind that breaks the limbs of the 

 trees, that issued so late in the honey 

 harvest as to be unable to build comb 

 in which to rear a sufficient amount of 

 brood to maintain a colony. I have 

 received the " Convention History " 

 and I find that it greatly exceeds my 

 expectations in typography as well as 

 contents. I consider it a valuable ac- 

 quisition, as will all who take any 

 interest in bees. It contains the very 

 heart of a first-class bee-book, and the 

 second page alone is worth to me 

 many times the price of the book. 

 Bradford, 6 Iowa. 



For the American Bee JoumaL 



Temiieratnre of Bees in Winter, 



L. C. CLARK, (23-23). 



I wish to add my testimony in favor 

 of a temperature of about 40° for bee- 

 cellars, and I was surprised that a 

 temperature so high as 60° to 90", as 

 recommended by Mr. Ira Barber in 

 his essay at the Detroit Convention, 

 was allowed to pass unchallenged, 

 and consequently is taken as the win- 

 ter temperature for beesrecommended 

 by that Convention. From 60° to 90° 

 is the temperature of an active state 

 of existence, and we hold that the 

 natural condition of a colony of bees, 

 or their natural instinct, is to remain 

 inactive or sleep during the winter 

 season ; and that this condition is best 

 secured at a temperature of from 3.5° 

 to 40°. If we examine a colony placed 

 in so high a temperature as 60° to 90°, 

 we will find that the bees scattered 

 among the combs in a constant state 

 of activity, and of course must wear 

 out their lives in much less time than 

 when they are kept inactive by a lower 

 temperature. 



It may be said that brood-rearing is 

 constantly kept up in a high tempera- 

 ture, which may be true, but we must 

 remember that rearing of brood 

 largely, requires water, fresh pollen, 

 and a chance for flight in the open air ; 

 two of these we cannot have in a cel- 

 lar, and I cannot divest myself of the 

 idea that sooner or later we will get 

 into trouble by placing our bees in the 

 cellar in a condition that they will 

 rear much brood. We all agree that 

 it requires a large amount of honey to 

 rear brood, and it seems to be all un- 

 natural to attempt to do so in winter 

 confinement. I also find that when 

 the temperature of the cellar goes be- 

 low freezing, the bees at the outside 

 of the cluster have a constant quiver- 

 ing motion of the body and wings, 

 much more so than at the same tem- 

 perature when out-doors. It appears 

 that they are too cold and are trying 

 to raise the temperature by a motion 

 like a man with insufficient covering 

 upon the bed— he will wake up and 

 try to get warm. The bees are doing 

 the same thing, and this constant mo- 

 tion or activity will wear out their 

 vitality at a time when there are no 

 young bees to rciihice the loss. 



The question is about this way : At 

 the close of the breeding season in the 

 fall, we have a certain quantity of 

 bees and honey in each hive— now 

 which shall we do, place these bees in 

 a condition that they will sleep quietly 

 and not wear their lives out by activ- 

 ity V or shall we place them in a con- 

 dition of activity where they will be 

 constantly wearing out, and constant- 

 ly rearing-brood with two of the con- 

 ditions of successful brood-rearing 

 lacking— fresh pollen and a flight, and 

 also water if furnished to them at all 

 in an artificial manner V 



On page 809 of the American Bee 

 Journal for 1885, Mr. Ira Barber 

 says at the close of his essay, " Where 

 but few bees are kept, where I live, 

 they have no trouble in wintering 

 them in any cellar where vegetables 

 will keep without freezing." Now 

 these cellars must from necessity be 

 kept above freezing and will probably 

 range from 3.5° to 4.5°. And if small 

 lots of bees winter in these cellars 

 without trouble, why does he recom- 

 mend a temperature so much higher 

 for large lots of bees V Probably 19 

 bee-keepers in 20 pursue some other 

 calling— generally farming — and gen- 

 erally have cellars,that will keep vege- 

 tables without freezing, and cannot 

 conveniently adopt a temperature 

 which would require artificial me;ins 

 to keep it up with small lots of bees. I 

 cannot agree with Mr. Ileddon where 

 he quotes Mr. Barber on page 12, by 

 saying, " The wintering problem is 

 solved." The tendency seems to be 

 toward cellar-wintering in preference 

 to out-door packing, but there is a 

 wide difference of opinion as to tem- 

 perature, moisture and ventilation, 

 and whether it is advisable to raise 

 the temperature toward spring to en- 

 courage breeding. These are points 

 which we should all experiment on, 

 and observe, and now is the time of 

 year to do so. 



Granada, 6 Kans. 



Convention Notices. 



tW The annual meeting of the Rhode Island 

 Bee-Keepers' Society will be held on Feb. 1 1 , 1886. 

 at Providence, R. I. GEO. A. Stockwell, Sec. 



{S~ The Cedar Valley Bee-Kfiepers' Associ- 

 ation will hold its winter meeting- at the City 

 Hall in Laporte City, Iowa, on Feb. 17 and IK, 

 1886. Reduced rates are offered at the hotels. 

 A very complete prograniine is prepared 

 with ample time to discuss subjects of im- 

 portance to bee-keepers. A cordial invita- 

 tion is extended to all to be present. 



H. E. Hubbard, Sec. 



tS~ The New Jersey and Eastern Bee- 

 Keepers' Association will hold their ninth 

 semi-annual convention at Cooper Union 

 (Room 2*2) in New York City, on Wednesday, 

 March 10, 1886, at 9::jO a.m. All who are 

 interested in bee-culture or honey are re- 

 spectfully invited to attend. We expect a 

 larg:e delejration from the Philadelphia 

 Association to meet with us, and it promises 

 to be one of the most interesting- as well as 

 instructive conventions that this Associa- 

 tion has ever held. A special invitation is 

 extended to ladies, well knowinji: that they 

 are by no means a small factor in our in- 

 dustry. Beginners, it is well known, will 

 learn more by attending- one good conven- 

 tion than a year of practical experiments 

 will teach them. All are requested to bring 

 something to exhibit, and if you cannot 

 come, send us an essay to read on some live 

 subject. W. li. TiiEAiiWELi,, Sec. 



t^" The Illinois Central Bee-Keepers' 

 Association will hold its next meeting at 

 Mt. Sterling, Ills., on Tuesday and Wednes- 

 day, Oct. 19 and 20, 188U. 



J. M. HAMBAnoH, See. 



t^~ Owing to the inclemency of the 

 weather, the meeting of the Marshall County 

 Bee-Keepers' Association was postponed 

 from Jan. IB, 1880 to Feb. 20, 188G ; at which 

 time the same programme will be carried 

 out as was intended for Jan. 1(3. 



J. W. Sanders, Sec. 



tS~ The fourth annual convention of the 

 Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois Bee- 

 Keepers' Association will be held at Moore's- 

 Hall in Davenport, Iowa, on Feb. 17 and 18, 

 1886. A number of prominent apiarists are 

 expected to be present. Everybody inter- 

 ested in bee-keeping should not fail to come, 

 as all topics of interest to those engaged in 

 the sale and production of honej^ and bees 

 will be thoroughly discussed. Everybody 

 preseut are requested to take part in the 

 discussions. Supply dealers and those 

 having honey and beeswax are requested to 

 bring the same for exhibition. 



Wm. Goos, Sec. ■ 



flS- The Seventeenth Annual Conven- 

 tion of the New York Slate Bee-Keepers' 

 Association (formerly the Northeastern) 

 will be lield in Rocliester, N. Y., on Feb. 

 Hi, 17 and 18, 1886. This will be one of the 

 largest meetings ever held in the .State. A 

 large number of our mcst experienced bee- 

 masters will take part in the discussions, 

 and several essays will be read from a 

 number of our most practical apiarists 

 throughout the country. The proaramme 

 iscomplete. If you are young in tlie work 

 you can not afford to stay away— if older, 

 you may give some good hints, if you get 

 none. \Ve want a good display of all kinds- 

 of supplies and fixtures. We have a room 

 on purpose for exhibits, and any goods 

 sent to the Secretary in care of the "Na- 

 tional Hotel," Rochester, N. Y., will be 

 placed on exhibition, and either sold or re- 

 turned to the exhibitor, as directed. Re- 

 duced rates at tlie hotels have been secured, 

 also rates on some of the railroads. All 

 will have to pay full fare one way— return 

 ticket at 1-3 fare by presenting certificate 

 from the Secretary, wlio will furnish them 

 on application. VVewalit an active vice- 

 president in every county in State. Please 

 name one or send the name of some one, 

 for your county. 



F. C. Benedict, Sec. 



Honey as Food and Medicine. 



^W~ To create Honey Markets in every 

 village, town and city, wide-awake honey 

 producers should get the Leaflets " Why Eat 

 Honey" (only .iO cents per 100), or else the 

 pamphlets on "Honey as Food and Medicine," 

 and scatter them plentifully, and the result 

 will be a demand for all of their crops at 

 remunerative prices. *' Honey as Food and 

 Medicine " are sold at the following prices : 



Single copy, 5 cts. : per doz., 40 cts. ; per 

 hundred, $2.50. Five hundred will be sent 

 postpaid for $10.00; or 1,000 for $15,00. 



On orders of 100 or more, we will print, if 

 desired, on the cover-page, '* Presented by," 

 etc. (giving the name and address of the bee- 

 keeper who scatters theml. 



To jrive away a copy of " Honey as Food 

 and Medicine " to every one who buys a 

 package of honey, will sell almost any quan- 

 tity of it. 



iSg~ Sample Copies of the Bee Journai. 

 will be sent FREE upon application. ,'Vny one 

 intending to get up a club can have sample 

 copies sent to the persons they desire to in- 

 terview by sending the names to this office, 

 or we will send them all to the agent. 



