AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



159 



dry chaff, put it in the super, put on 

 the cover, and called it a job. Is it a 

 good job ? 



Last Winter I put my bees in a cellar, 

 the temperature of which I could not 

 control. How did they winter ? Well, I 

 lost nearly all of my bees. This Fall I 

 built a small bee-shed, 21x8 feet, 

 with a 3-foot overshot on the south. 

 This shed is built with a double board 

 wall, with oiled building-paper between, 

 also paper between the sheeting and 

 shingles. This makes it dark as night 

 within, when closed. On the south side 

 I have double doors reaching the entire 

 length, and 3 feet wide ; these are hung 

 on hinges, and open upward, one inside, 

 and the other outside, and are fastened 

 by wooden buttons. My purpose is to 

 keep bees in this shed all Summer, and 

 in Winter, tier up the hives facing the 

 south, and at intervals during the Win- 

 ter, when warm enough, I can open 

 these doors and let my bees have a puri- 

 fying flight. My bees were put in the 

 shed early in November, and I have let 

 them fly several times since, which they 

 seemed to enjoy. The weather has been 

 unusually fine here, and my bees seem 

 to be in good condition, so far. 



Some weeks ago a bee-man from Wis- 

 consin, called on me, and in looking the 

 shed and bees over, he suggested that 

 during a long seige of cold weather, the 

 shed should be warmed at intervals. 

 Would it be wise to put up a small stove 

 and warm up the shed moderately every 

 week or ten days, say 400 to 50^ Fahr., 

 not letting the heat of the stove strike 

 the hives ? 



My bees are high-grade Italians. I 

 have 15 colonies, and if I succeed in 

 wintering them, you may hear from me 

 again. 



Logan, Iowa. 



Some SflDerstitions AlioDt Bees, 



REV. STEPHEN ROESE. 



The following items I have translated 

 from the Leipziger Bienenzeitung, page 

 207. 



Superstitious belief, and fabulous 

 ideas, were not only fostered during the 

 dark ages of the world, but were carried 

 along even into the present enlightened 

 age of reason and good sense. 



The Mulhnuser Tageblatt, has the fol- 

 lowing item of interest in its local news 

 column : A few days ago a noted bee- 

 keeper died at Colmar, Alsace, who was 

 the owner of 80 colonies of bees. After 

 his death his widow went to each of the 



hives, informing the bees of their mas- 

 ter's death, believing if this notice was 

 neglected the bees would dwindle away 

 and perish. 



In Switzerland, the stealing of a 

 colony of bees was regarded as a great 

 crime, and punished with death, even at 

 the close of the last century. 



In Westphalia, Germany, it is with 

 many people at present, the rule to 

 introduce a newly married couple to the 

 bees, if any were kept by the family. 



In Belgium and France, it is the cus- 

 tom to adorn the bee hives by tacking 

 red cloth on all the hives on such occa- 

 sions, and with some people it is the rule 

 to move the bird cage, flower pot, or the 

 bee hives, at the death of the owner. 



In every part of Germany, the fabulous 

 idea rules, that if a new colony issues 

 and settles on a house, it is an omen of 

 destruction by fire. 



In France, it is the belief among coun- 

 try people, that in case of the death of a 

 bee-keeper, the bees must be notified to 

 that effect, and, as a sign of mourning, a 

 black cloth is fastened on e'ach hive, and 

 a small wooden cross nailed at the lower 

 end of the bee-house. In some parts of 

 the country the ceremonies are still more 

 imposing, the whole family with one 

 accord, move to the apiary, and inform 

 the bees in each hive, of the sad news of 

 their master's death. This is done in 

 loud words and by knocking with the 

 house-key 3 times on each hive. Even 

 important events which befall the 

 country and nation, the bees are in- 

 formed of. 



In Lincolnshire, Essex and Cornwall, 

 England, the belief is current, that in 

 case of death in the family, unless the 

 bees are notified by knocking on the 

 hives, they would leave, or dwindle away. 

 In Lincolnshire the belief is current, 

 that the bee hives must be covered with 

 black cloth, as a sign of mourning for 

 their master. Some people in North- 

 hamptonshire, believe that if a swarm 

 fly into a house, it is a sign of death, and 

 if a swarm settle on a dead tree or limb, 

 it is a sign of death in the family within 

 one year. In Yorkshire, some people 

 invite the bees to the funeral. 



In some parts of Germany the people 

 believe that to purchase bees for money, 

 will prevent their prosperity, also the sell- 

 ing of the same for cash, and that the 

 only way to secure success, is by receiv- 

 ing them as a present, or by stealing 

 them, but leaving the value in something 

 else. 



Aside from all these superstitious 

 ideas, some bee-keepers of the present 

 day, are given to the belief that the honey 



