I'HE BEE-KEEFERS' REVIEW. 



285 



said it, the very same things which I said 

 and intimated through a series of articles 

 years ago. There is but little left for me to 

 say now, except that I still coincide with you 

 and my former declarations ; and I stand 

 corrected and admit my mistake when years 

 ago I contended against your proposition to 

 pack the bees after taking them out of the 

 cellar in the spring. Since then I have dem- 

 onstrated that you were right. 



When I recall to mind how I was ridiculed 

 for the pollen theory, and ttiat even the chem- 

 istry of Profs. Cook and Kedzie, could not 

 shelter me, I am exceedingly proud that at 

 this advanced date, the leading editorial in 

 the best and most advaiiced bee journal the 

 world has ever seen, practically holds to that 

 pollen theory. 



I think it wholly unnecessary to dilate upon 

 " prevention," as a correct idea of the cause, 

 which your leader quite clearly gives, in its 

 combination, will readily su.gest the cor- 

 rect method of prevention according to the 

 circumstances in each case. As I compre- 

 hend the theory it is about like this : The 

 food of the honey bee may be divided into 

 two distinct divisions, oxygenous and nitro- 

 genous, the former being a heat producer, 

 and the latter tissue making. Now it hap- 

 pens that the honey bee lives in two extreme 

 conditions. At one time of year no breed- 

 ing, no activity, but pressed with cold ; at 

 another time of year, extremely active, caus- 

 ing a rapid waste of tissue and undergoing 

 marvelous reproduction, demanding the cre- 

 ation of tissue for the new individuals. Dur- 

 ing the time of quietude, and accompanying 

 coniinement, nitrogenous food is not needed 

 nor could it be safely taken, because, unlike 

 the oxygenous food it cannot be voiued by 

 perspiration. It must pass from the body 

 of the bee througli the intestines. This the 

 bees will not permit to take place in the liive. 

 Now suppose sometliiug should cause the 

 bees to consume this nitrogenous, tissue- 

 making food during confinement. Intes- 

 tineal inflammation must result. What will 

 do this ? A low temperature. Why ? In 

 their efforts to keep warm, the bees adopt a 

 second method of consuming oxygen, viz., 

 inhalation by way of exercise. This con- 

 sumes the tissue to replace which the bees 

 resort to the consumption of bee-bread, and 

 result is the title of this article. 



The chemist finds the diarrhetic excreta 

 nearly all pollen. I presume many of your 

 readers remember when I tested the theory. 



by giving 73 colonies, clean, dry combs with- 

 out a cell of pollen, and, after all natural 

 gathering was past, fed them granulated 

 sugar syrup and placed them in the cellar 

 together with IG colonies containing natural 

 stores. How I let the temperature go below 

 the freezing point for weeks, and how just 

 before removing them, I used to go every 

 day and rattle to wild activity, a certain col- 

 ony. How all were confined five months, 

 and on a bright, warm day on the 17th of 

 April, I removed them from the cellar and 

 found every colony but one (that was queen- 

 less) of the 78 alive, while two-thirds of the 

 1(3 were dead with dysentery in its worst 

 form. Not one bee from those 7'2 hives dis- 

 charged any matter whatever ; not even 

 water. That settled it with me, and it has 

 been settled ever since. During the years 

 that have elapsed since that time I have seen 

 nothing but what went to confirm the cor- 

 rectness of the " pollen theory." 



DowAGiAO, Mich. Sept 11, 1893. 



Why Moisture is Injurious in Wiutering 

 Bees. 



B. O. AIKIN. 



When all flesh did perish in Noah's time of old, 

 'Twas moisture did it, not pollen or cold. 



M 



Y FIRST bee- 

 keeping was 

 in Southwestern 

 Iowa. For over 

 twelve years I re- 

 mained in the 

 same place, and 

 raised good aver- 

 age crops of hon- 

 ey, but with poor 

 success in winter- 

 ing. Although 

 near the south line 

 of the State, the winters were severe, and 

 losses frequently heavy. My worst losses 

 were 93 out of 110, and 70 out of 80 ; other 

 years 10 to 50 per cent. 'Twas in those times 

 that James Heddon championed the "pollen 

 theory." Now, while I could not believe 

 that pollen was tlie cause of diarrhoea, 1, 

 know that diarrhoea was mostly the cause of 

 my losses. Could I have prevented this dis- 

 ease, I believe I could have made big money 

 producing honey. 



