98 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Feh. 17, 



In the title of my former articles, and in my purpose in 

 writing, I have not desired to irritate the feelings of any one, 

 but I mistrust that the word "detestable" has displeased 

 some readers, and so I will volunteer to change the caption to 

 the one shown above. But it is not necessary for me to say 

 at present whether I am " aunty " or "uncle," for it is not 

 the name that may be tagged to an article that will determine 

 the measure of brains used in writing it, but the sound logic 

 presented on the main points at issue; but racket proves 

 nothing to the point. 



On page 562 ( L897) Mr. W. C. Gathrlght, of New Mexico, 

 writes in a gentlemanly style, and no doubt reveals his nature 

 by his article, which men are apt to do, but still he Is out of 

 line in more than one particular. In the first place, he Is so 

 far south that the warm climate, in some cases, might justify 

 the bees in getting along without a hive altogether, while 

 they might live on the limb of a tree, and be happy all the 

 year round ; but wherever the climate Is cold enough to de- 

 press the normal temperature of the colony to an unsafe 

 degree In wintering, then it must follow, Just as certain as 

 eternal laws require effect to follow cause, that the depres- 

 sion of the comfort of the bees in wintering must result In 

 weakening them to a correspondlag extent, and in the same 

 proportion that this weakness obtains they will be found weak 

 in the spring, and consequently backward in the storing of 

 surplus honey. 



I think Mr. G. Is much mistaken in saying that the "bee- 

 space was really the most Important part of Mr. Langstroth's 

 invention." If I understand Father Langstroth, his leading 

 idea was to get the combs In movable frames for the purpose 

 of readily opening up the interior of the hive, when necessary, 

 for the purpose of study and other Improvements, and when 

 this was obtained the bee-space recommended Itself as a con- 

 venience, which we have never denied, but it Is the evil side 

 of it that we are opposed to. 



Mr. Gathrlght likes the bee-space because " it serves 

 almost the same purpose of a double-walled hive." But the 

 common-sense hive fs a double-walled hive, for it has a box 

 outside, and the closed ends of the frames inside with a thin 

 air space (not a bee-space) between the closed ends of the 

 frames and the sides of the box. This helps to resist the 

 fluctuations of the outside temperature b_v keeping out much 

 of the cold in the winter and much of the excessive heat in 

 the summer. He says "that this escape of warm air from 

 the cluster to the adjoining space Is the best thing that could 

 happen, since it allows the pure fresh air to take its place." 

 If that Is true, then wire screens In the place of the usual top 

 and bottom-boards would be an improvement for admitting 

 " pure fresh air " to the bees all the winter through. If this 

 would work at the Gulf, It would not in the region of snows. 

 No matter how much mistaken he may think, I admire 

 the spirit of Mr. Gathright's criticism, but on page 594 

 (1897) Mr. Peter_Schartz turns his gun on the "Common- 

 Sense Bee-Keeper'" loaded with things witty, wise and other- 

 wise ; over which I had a hearty laugh at the first reading, 

 notwithstanding the severe discourtesy of some of his remarks. 

 He does not quote me truthfully by saying that I called the 

 bee-space hives claptrap inventions. If he will refer to my 

 article he will see that I spoke of clap-trap inventions that 

 might be called improved hives or bee-palaces, and I have 

 seen some clap-trap inventions by those names that were not 

 worthy of any use whatever, in my estimation, beyond the 

 kindling-wood pile. 



After his exprest virulence to my position, Mr. Scbartz 

 shows that he does not like the bee-space himself over his bees 

 for wintering, and It seems that he eliminates it by fixing a 

 quilt down on the tops of his frames. Doubtless there are 

 thousands of bee-keepers who do the same thing just because 

 they dread to let that dangerous bee-space hold sway over 

 their bees through the fatal winter. He declares that I am 

 all wrong, and then proceeds at once to show that he puts out 

 the bee-space himself from above his bees, for winterirtg, by 

 the use of that quilt. Why does he practice the principle 

 which he opposes me for asserting? If the bee-space is no 

 disadvantage in wintering, why does he, and a thousand 

 others, take such pains to crowd it out by fixing down that 

 quilt? See? Now, if he is not astride the fence, I would like 

 to know which side Is he on. 



That was not a happy remark for Mr. Schartz to make, 

 "If a man isn't man enough to sign his own name his article 

 ought not to be publisht," and using the uncalled for remark 

 about being "called a liar." Nou\ Peter, -joa ought not to 

 assume an attitude that would make one think of seeing some- 

 body with clencht fists, and grating teeth, and spitting fire, 

 when you have not been toucht nor Insulted. And, besides. It 

 is not nice to use such language in writing for ladles and 

 gentleman to read. And, furthermore, in striking at me be- 



hind the screen you gave a left-handed swat in the face of the 

 editor of the American Bee Journal, just as if he did not 

 know enough to judge what pieces out to be publisht In his 

 paper. Peter, let us both be calm. 



The editor knows my name, and has approved of ray 

 propriety in withholding it for a season, and the demand to 

 know It is a strong reason why it should be still withheld for 

 a time. How do you know that I lack so much manhood that 

 I deserve to be accused of It by you In public print, just be- 

 cause I use a " nom-de-plume," which is one of the most com- 

 mon things with authors ? Such personalities in writing are 

 like an old gun that kicks against him that uses it worse than 

 it shoots the man at whom It is aimed. 



If the editor would permit, I should be glad to see the 

 subject criticised by bee-keepers of long experience in cold 

 climates, using kindness on both sides, for if we dive at each 

 other as If either would swallow the other, the victor might 

 find, after the supposed dinner, that he had more brains in 

 his stomach than he ever had in his head. 



Pennsylvania. 



Wintering Bees on the Summer Stands Without 

 Packing and Without Loss. 



BY .TOHX CHRVSOSTOM, C. S C. 



The report of the Northwestern Bee-Keepers' convention, 

 publisht In the colunms of the popular Bee Journal, has at- 

 tracted my attention, especially the questions and answers 

 relating to the best method of wintering bees — a subject to 

 which I have devoted some attention with varied success. 



One plan has proven satisfactory in every respect. Since 

 189-4 the hive has not been moved from the summer stand, 

 and has never been packt for wintering. I had only to put on 

 the surplus supers and to remove them when filled. 



The hive consists of two 8-frame supers of full depth, 

 each super having a window five by ten Inches. I have also 

 another colony wintering on almost the same plan. Now for 

 results : 



Since Nov. 10 they have had four cleansing flights, viz.: 

 December 8th and 26th, and Jan. 5th and 8th, on which 

 days they were out from morning till evening. I searcht 

 closely during and after each flight for dead bees, and the 

 total number found in front of both hives was 20, and a few 

 of this number was chilled, hence unable to get back into the 

 hive. One of these is a strong colony of 5-banded bees, on 16 

 frames in two slories ; this colony had 18 funerals, while the 

 other, which is a weak colony of dark Italians on 16 frames 

 in two stories, had only two. 



As the wintering of bees seems to be a subject of great in- 

 terest to the fraternity, I have thought it best to be exact in 

 every particular. If the above should be thought successful, 

 and four years a sufficient length of time to test Its merits, I 

 shall write in detail the three essential elements necessary to 

 bring our bees through the long winters without loss, and in a 

 healthy and vigorous condition. When I say without loss, I 

 mean that the total number of deaths occuring in a colony of 

 health bees should not exceed 200. I cannot understand 

 why, during winter and spring, the mortality should be greater 

 in a colony of bees than in a flock of sheep or herd of cattle. 

 St. Joseph Co., Ind., Jan. 22. 



[We should be glad to publish the details of the above 

 plan of successful wintering of bees out-doors, if the writer 

 will kindly furnish them. Too much cannot be known about 

 the proper way to winter bees. — Editor] 



A Chicago Bee-Keeper's Report for 1897. 



BY EDWARD H. BEARDSLKY. 



I see on page 713 (1897) Mr. I. J. Stringham, of New 

 York State, says one of his customers has taken five 28-one- 

 pound section supers from one colony, and asks, " Can Chi- 

 cago beat that much ?" Well, I have waited to see if some 

 one that knows how to write better than I do would not send 

 In a report, but here goes for mine : 



I started in the spring of 1897 with 7 colonies — 5 in 10- 

 frame dovetailed hives, and 2 in 9-fram6 Simplicity hives. I 

 have increast to 16 colonies by natural swarming. I have 

 taken, by actual count, 1,485 sections of honey. I have 

 weighed only a few dozen sections, and the heaviest weighed 

 12, y pounds to the dozen sections, and the lightest weighed 

 were 22 '4 pounds for 28 sections. I have some lighter, but 

 none that are counted in so light but If I were buying I would 



