THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



39 



lead to some thoughts and discoveries 



tliiit will help \is oil to tlie control of 

 this important hrancli of our industry. 

 Tlie more !io,witli sucti anuuias Chas. 

 Uadant at one end of it. 

 Dowagiac, Mich. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Upward Ventilation in Winter. 



.TOIIN A. BUCHANAN. 



.Inst so long as success is attained 

 in wintering bees by both methods — 

 ventilation and non-ventilation, there 

 w'ill be earnest advocates of both 

 systems. It cannot be that both sys- 

 tems are equally successful. There 

 is no use to deny the fact that bees 

 have been wintered by both methods, 

 but which plan lias been proven tlie 

 best y 



I advocate upward ventilation as 

 the safest plan for general adoption. 



Are we any more successful in win- 

 tering bees at present witli all the 

 modern appliances and knowledge of 

 the science of bee-keeping, than we 

 were 20 years ago V The general an- 

 swer is '• not a bit." Then, we ask, 

 in what condition for the most part 

 were bees tlien left for winter V With- 

 out entering into a description of that 

 condition it will be understood when 

 we say. winter found them as summer 

 left them. No contraction of en- 

 trances, surplus boxes left on with 

 entrance holes to them all open, and, 

 as often as otherwise, glass in boxes 

 broken out and doors open, thereby 

 ventilating the hive most thoroughly, 

 but still the bees were all right, and 

 the winters then were just as cold as 

 they are now. Why do we so often 

 see in some of the bee periodicals 

 modern bee-keepers say : 



'■ I guess I shall be a candidate for 

 ' blasted hopes,' as my bees have died 

 during the past severe winter, not- 

 withstanding my great care in pack- 

 ing so thoroughly, and those that have 

 survived are so weak it will require 

 the most of the season for tliem to 

 get in good condition again, but I am 

 not altogether discouraged as I have 

 IMirebased a lot of black bees in box- 

 hives from an old fogy bee-keeper and 

 will transferand Italianize them, and 

 try again." 



Now this is a little too funny ; but 

 it lu-oves what y That bees are safer 

 whether in box or frame hives, left in 

 their suiiinier(-ondition. without )ia(di- 

 iiig, than they would be with packing 

 as generally iidopted by the would-be 

 (■auti(Mis apiarist of to-day. .Inilging 

 frcun reiioits given in tbe'pai)ers from 

 time to time, and from my own exten- 

 sive observations, last spring, of a 

 great number of apiaries. I have 

 arrived at the conclusion that more 

 colonies survived the winter of 1S80-81 

 that were left to themselves with 

 thorough ventilation, and unprepared 

 by itacking. than the number .saved 

 that were packed for protection. Dur- 

 ing a severe winter there is a great 

 amount of moisture arising from a 

 colony of bees, which will condense 

 on walls of the hive, or in the packing 

 materials, which will have so filled 

 them with moisture that the tempera- 



ture of the hive is brought down so 

 low that it is impossible for the bees 

 to generate sufhcient warmth to be 

 able to change their position when 

 the stores in reach of them are ex- 

 hausted. This cold, damp condition 

 of the hive and packing soon exhausts 

 the vitality and reduces the tempera- 

 ture so low that the colony becomes 

 unhealthy and diseased. All of this 

 trouble can be avoided by means of a 

 proper condition of hive, and provid- 

 ing means for escape of this sweat or 

 moisture. 



In nearly every case, last spring, 

 where I found hives that had been 

 placed on blocks raising them up from 

 bottom-board from y^ to 1 inch all 

 around, the bees survived and so where 

 hives were much open from season 

 cracks, which provided thorough 

 ventilation and circulation of air, 

 thereby keeping cluster, combs and 

 hive dry. Again, hives, regardless of 

 size or depth of frames, were packed 

 with chaff, straw, etc., ample means 

 provided for free circulation of air 

 through the packing, keeping all per- 

 fectly dry, with sheltered eastern or 

 southern exposure, colonies so ar- 

 ranged lived and came through with 

 less consumption of honey than 

 where unprotected. Again, in hives 

 of very large size, without upward 

 ventilation, but large entrance open- 

 ings and sheltered exposure, were 

 saved. But limited success was at- 

 tained with bees in cellars where the 

 tenmerature remained much below 

 4.5 ." 



One fall, I placed quilts, well tucked 

 down over frames and over these thick 

 cliatf cushion, and contracted the en- 

 trances to ?8'^- inches, and flattered 

 myself I had them in better condition 

 than some of my neighbors' bees that 

 were left with entrances full width of 

 hive open, and also several large holes 

 open into honey boxes. But, imagine 

 my surprise at the beginning of the 

 next season, upon examination, to 

 tind those terribly neglected, badly 

 managed bees working in boxes and 

 swarming a week or ten days sooner 

 than my avm. 



Is it not a fact that the first swarm 

 of bees you hear of in the season, has 

 come from some old fogy's bees, cared 

 tor as above described; and don't it 

 bore you, tooV 



On the 28th of last May, a gentle- 

 man passing my apiary asked me if I 

 had liad any swarms yet. No; the 

 best of them are only occupying, with 

 all my nice quilts and chaff cushions, 

 about two-thirds of the usual number 

 of frames. " Well,'' said he, " I had 

 a nice swarm this morning." And 

 without further talking I got on my 

 horse and rode out (5 miles) to his 

 place to see the hive tliat had so early 

 cast a swarm. He had but 1 colony 

 and that was standing in the corner of 

 his garden with a, few boards over it 

 to shelter it from rain, aii<l had not 

 been touched or opened since the 

 honey was taken from boxes the fall 

 previous. 



The hive was a Langstroth ; 10 

 frames 8 inches deep; honey-board, 

 with 'j inch space Tbetween it and 

 frames; one large honey-box on, holes 

 open and two ly^ inch lioles opened 



into the cap, where moisture passed 

 off' into the cap, which was fitted 

 loosely and open at the joints. The 

 entrance was nearly the full width of 

 the hive, ^.. inch, and was ojien all 

 winter and "spring. A slight dash of 

 Italian blood was in the bees. I have 

 occupied this space to prove the 

 position taken at the start, and cases 

 similar to these have no doubt been 

 observed by all. 



Pack your bees as well as you wi.sh, 

 but see to it that said packing is kept 

 perfectly dry by upward ventilation. 



Holliday's Cove, W. Va. 



For the American Boe J<ttirnal. 



The " Coming Bee Hive." 



W. T. STEWART. 



In the Bee Journal of Dec. 21, 

 1881, we have an article from Dr. L. C. 

 Whiting, on ■' The coming bee hive," 

 in which he very forcibly illustrates 

 some of the advantages of a reversi- 

 ble frame over any other frame. Any 

 practical bee-keeper that will read his 

 article thoroughly, will at once .see 

 that every advantage that he claims 

 for a reversible frame, is true beyond 

 a doubt. lie further says that the 

 frame alluded to was originated by 

 Mr. Van Deusen, and that some of the 

 best bee-keepers are using them, all of 

 wliicli is true. Now let me predict 

 something and have it recorded in the 

 American Bee Journal, for future 

 reference, that in less than 10 years' 

 time all the best bee-keepers in this 

 country will use a reversible frame, 

 and that the coming frame will not be 

 the frame that Mr. Van Deusen has 

 invented, be they ever so good. I have 

 .some of Ills style of frames, and they 

 are good. 



I have a reversible frame and hive 

 of my own invention that totally 

 eclipses his, forconveiiience. In mine, 

 no wedges or following board is 

 needed ; tliere is nothing about it that 

 tlie bees can glue fast ; no place about 

 it for one single moth worm of one- 

 eighth of an inch long to hide from 

 the bee. Every frame is exactly % of 

 an inch from side, top and bottom of 

 liive ; every frame the proper distance 

 apart — no two frames touch each 

 other. I can remove a frame from 

 any part of the hive, without even 

 sliaking any other frame. I can turn 

 the hive on the side, on the end, or 

 even bottom-side-up, and every frame 

 will remain in its proper place; I can 

 l)ut them in a wagon and move them 

 anywtiere, without any preparation 

 whatever, and not a bee will be hurt. 

 I need not kill a bee in taking out or 

 putting frames back in the hive. 

 There are no projections anywhere 

 about frame, to interfere when ex- 

 tracting. 



It is suited equally well for extrac- 

 ting or section comb lioney; is clianged 

 in a minute from a large" to a small 

 hive, and rice verau — either of the four 

 sides of the frame can be instantly 

 reversed from top t<i bottom, from 

 side to toji, and any bar is top, or 

 bottom, or side, as desired ; every- 

 thing about it is simple, practical and 

 cheap ; no other hive or frame like it 



