188 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



that I can hardly brush the floor with- 

 out raising quite a dust. There has 

 not been three days in succession, 

 this winter, that I have not seen my 

 bees in tlie cellar, making my obser- 

 vations quite short, but, most invaria- 

 bly, turning back the quilt of one or 

 more colonies, which does not seem to 

 disturb them in the least. 



My experience in out-door winter- 

 ing, in tlie past, has led me to believe 

 that one important factor in success- 

 ful wintering, is to keep the bees dry, 

 and I fail to comprehend why remov- 

 ing to a cellar should so much change 

 the nature and constitution of tlie 

 bees, that it should require an entirely 

 opposite state of things. To admit, 

 when convinced, is one of the most 

 noble traits of character, and should 

 I And, by more extended experience, 

 that I am pursuing the wrong theory, 

 to the injury of the bee-keeping fra- 

 ternity, then I shall acknowledge the 

 error. 



My ice proposition is merely theor- 

 etical, and should I be on the wrong 

 track, and in danger of injuring my 

 bees, will some one notify me through 

 the BisE Journal before it is too 

 late, and tlie injurv is done. Also 

 state the extreme limit that it will do 

 to keep bees in the cellar, when put in 

 Nov. 15. I wish to keep mine in as 

 long as possible, and not overdo it. I 

 have a quantity of candy, ready for 

 putting on my hives, if necessary. 

 Can I put it on in the cellar, should 

 any need feeding 'i 



Fredonia, N. Y. 



[If the bees remain quiet, when the 

 maples, willows, etc., furnish pollen, 

 will be time enough to put them out 

 on the summer stands. You can put 

 candy over the frames, at any time it 

 may be necessary, and they will readily 

 take it.— Ed.] 



For the American Bee JournaL 



The Half-Pound Sections. 



JAMES HEDDON. 



It seems to me that some of our 

 fraternity are losing faitli in the prac- 

 tical good sense of bee-keepers. 



One says, if we adopt the half-pound 

 section, it will ruin the business. 

 Well, then, my faith in our folks is 

 thus great that I really think they 

 will not adopt them, or do anything 

 else, that will ■' ruin " ourselves. If 

 half-pound sections have connected 

 with them, and their use, an expense 

 which costs more than the consumers' 

 increase of demand is worth, then 

 those who tempt the little Tarantulas, 

 will be the first ones to be bitten. 



Mr. Baker speaks as though it were 

 inconsistent for me to have first cau- 

 tioned against their use, and then 

 assert that I was going to use a few 

 thousand of them. I made up my 

 mind to this : if there is a demand for 

 this size, no individual or organized 

 efforts can stop a catering to that de- 

 mand. 1 put in a word of caution, 

 hoping to induce others to touch them 

 lightly, and in a less expensive way, 

 than last New Year's boom might 



lead many to do ; that boom is now 

 over. A corresponding reaction has 

 taken place, and I think it expedient 

 that some, who are the best situated 

 so to do, and whose experiments are 

 sought after from time to time, should 

 experiment with and settle the ques- 

 tion, here in the West, by the argument 

 of experiment between the producer 

 and consumer. 



I have carefully read all the articles 

 I have seen on the subject (I take 

 nearly all the bee papers), and. as 

 yet, I have gotten little" light regard- 

 ing the wisdom of producing comb 

 honey in half-pound packages. I 

 fancy I discover an under o»irrcnt of a 

 fear of competition, in many articles. 

 This argues in favor of the adoption 

 of the half-pound section. When I 

 changed from two to one-pound sec- 

 tions, I was told by many writers that 



1 need not expect as many pounds of 

 honey. I have taken no less with one 

 than with two-pound sections, when 

 using them side by side. I think I 

 know the reasons why. These rea- 

 sons give me full assurance that I will 

 realize just as many pounds with the 

 use of half-pound sections as witli 

 any larger size. My bill for sections 

 will be doubled, and the labor of 

 manipulation will be increased. Be- 

 tween this and the extra price, and 

 sure, safe transportation of the small 

 sections. I shall be left to decide. 



Does it not seem strange that bees 

 cannot work readily in a space 4i-4X- 



2 13-16x12, in the half-pound sections 

 when they ■' do not object " to a space 

 4Mx-H4'x2, with tin side walls at that? 

 Have they an idiosyncracy against 

 the sound of " half-pound V" I first 

 said, and say now, -'go slow." Do 

 not go to any undue expense to rush 

 into the new, till you have more rea- 

 son to think it enough better than the 

 old, to pay for so doing. I shall not 

 adopt the small sections to the dis- 

 placement of my one pounds. I can 

 mix tliem with one-poumls in my ex- 

 perimental supers, and in my ship- 

 ping crates, and use or refuse them 

 without any alteration or fixtures, 

 and I mean to be able to truthfully 

 talk more positively upon this subject 

 ere another year rolls around. 



Please let me say to Mr. Newman, 

 of Ohio, that I -ivill " unload " regard- 

 ing our winter diseases of bees as soon 

 as my last chance for 1882 and 1883 

 experimenting is over. 



Perhaps a short item will do for the 

 subject of " Light in bee repositories," 

 referred to on page 140, by yourself 

 and Mr. A. P. Fletcher. Please tell 

 your mechanical acquaintance that 

 death is as natural as life. That na- 

 ture, with her infinite arms, embraces 

 all that can be imagined by the mind. 

 Nature is at war with itself. Most 

 things thrive at the expense of other's 

 premature death, and man is found in 

 either class, viz.: the consumer and 

 consumed. Animal and vegetable 

 beings thrive better, when assisted in 

 the struggle, by the wisdom of man ; 

 whatever bees " naturally " do, may 

 or may not be the very best or worst 

 thing they can do for tlie perpetuation 

 of their existence. Evolution is the 

 only key tliat can unlock the many 

 mysteries just coming into view. It 



is the great truth that underlies all 

 other truths, and is now dawning 

 upon tlie common mind throughout 

 the world. It has been demonstrated 

 that bees can, in cellars as in "trees 

 in the woods." winter well with light 

 enough to tell potatoes from apples, 

 but it has also been found out that an 

 advantage is gained by changing this 

 " natural " condition of affairs, and 

 keeping them free from all irritating 

 influences ; among which is light, as 

 well as the activity forced upon them 

 from the extreme low temperatures of 

 our winters. None of these are, how- 

 ever, the real cause of dysentery. 

 Dowagiac, Mich., March 30, 1883. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



My Observation Hive. 



W'. HARMER. 



I use the Heddon hive, as will be 

 seen by the engraving. As an obser- 

 vation hive, it can have any number 

 of Langstroth frames, from one to 

 seven ; the sides are movable, and 

 can be taken out, as they slide down 

 in grooves, and glass can be put in 



HeddoiVs Observation Bive. 



the grooves instead of the wooden 

 sides, making an observation hive. It 

 is a very simple hive to make, and I 

 think every bee-keeper should have 

 an observation hive. I would not be 

 without mine for considerable. It is 

 an endless source of pleasure to me. 

 Manistee, Mich. 



Western Maine Convention. 



The bee-keepers in Southwestern 

 Maine met at the residence of Mr. J. 

 B. Mason. Mechanic Falls, Maine, on 

 Wednesday, Feb. 28, 1883, at 1 o'clock 

 p. m., for the purpose of forming an 

 Association. 



The meeting was called to order at 

 the appointed time, and \V. W. Dun- 

 ham, of North Paris, was chosen tem- 

 porary chairman ; after which, com- 

 munications w'ere read from Messrs. 

 Win. Hoyt. of Ripley, secretary, and 

 F. O. Addition, of Dexter, president 

 of the State Bee-Keepers' Association ; 

 also from Mr. U. B. Cony, of Augusta. 

 Following tliese, Mr. J. B. Mason, of 

 Mechanic Falls, presented a paper, 

 and it was voted to have it published 

 in the Apiarian. These communica- 

 tions were read carefully and consid- 

 ered by all present. 



A permanent organization of the 

 Western Maine Bee-Keepers' Associa- 

 tion was made, and the tollowing ofli- 

 cers were elected for tlie ensuing 

 year : President, Dr. J. A. Morton, 

 Bethel ; Vice-President, J. B. Mason, 

 Mechanic Falls; Secretary, W. \V. 



