44 



THE BEE-KEEPERS- REVIEW 



over the world and are so closely connected with all bee-keepers, I 

 feel that I must almost be mistaken in telling our bee-keepers that I 

 have found buildings above ground by far the best place I have ever 

 tried to winter and summer bees in. If it was not for the experience 

 I have had with this method for the past twenty years, I would almost 

 doubt the superiority of buildings above ground to keep bees in. 



German Straw Skep inverted, showing how bees build comb w^hen left to nature's way. 

 {Study in one of the high schools in Grand Rapids, Michigan.) 



Knowing, as 1 do, that the bee-keepers are either putting their 

 bees down cellar, where they are left to their fate for four months 

 or more amongst the dead and the dying in a damp atmosphere, when 

 we are warned in the bee literature not to put our honey down cellar 

 as it will sour and break the cappings, it is little wonder then that bees 

 so wintered should come out in a feeble condition, with bad bowel 

 trouble, caused by not having a chance to relieve themselves for four 

 months. The other wing of our bee-keepers are leaving their bees 

 out on the stands, exposed to all the storms that blow, with a snow- 

 drift often the only protection. Many are using some kind of pack- 

 ing, but the trouble with most of this is that it does not protect the 



