THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 45 



entrance, the very place that needs protection, so I have often thoug-ht 

 that if the packing could be removed from all the hi\-c .-ind concen- 

 trated over the entrance in such a way as to keep the entrance from 

 being' clogged with snow and ice at all times, and the hives raised 

 far enough from the ground so the bees could haxe a flight at all 

 times when the weather is suitable, and where the one in charge could 

 often clean out dead bees and fallen cappings, that this kind of pack- 

 ing might do some good, for it is generally known to bee-keepers now 

 ihat it is the clogging of the entrance inside or out from some cause 

 which is causing so much havoc to bees. A most noticeable example 

 of this was our cold winter of a few years ago, which was so dis- 

 astrous to our bees. The afternoon before the storm came on was 

 quite warm, 7-i in the shade, and the bees were having a fine flight. 

 At night the storm commenced with a rain, Avhich later turned to 

 snow and ran down the hives, hermetically closing the entrance for 

 seven weeks, as there was no weather in that time warm enough to 

 soften the snow in the woods, and it was found that we had lost 75% 

 of all the bees in the Northern States, while all the bees in buildings 

 with their entrances four inches in from the wall and in the double 

 hives, one above the other, were safe. I was ver}^ much impressed 

 with it, for I thought if all our bees could have been arranged in this 

 way it would have saved us millions. Therefore, if you will bear with 

 me, I will try and tell you how to arrange bees in buildings so they 

 are there safe year after year and making it possible for all of our 

 people in cities, as well as in the country, to get a bountiful supply of 

 this, the purest of all sweets. 



We are exceedingly fortunate that the men in charge of our three 

 main bee papers are all of them experienced bee-keepers of the first 

 rank, and if we could prevail on them to build a house to hold 50 

 colonies of bees and work them on this plan, as we have here, I feel 

 sure that they would become so impressed with it that they would 

 use the vast force at their command to get this method into the hands 

 of the people. A bee-keeper in our vicinity told me that he saw a 

 statement that there is twenty billion dollars' worth of honey allowed 

 to waste ungathered in this country each year. This seems too vast, 

 as our entire crops and cattle only amount to ten billions, but anyway 

 it is too enormous to calculate, and should make everyone of us feel 

 proud of the calling we are engaged in. 



Bees in Buildings. 



Yes, it is possible to keep bees in buildings. They may be kept 

 in attics, barn or stable lofts, and also in a well-kept poultry house, 

 as after it is completed there is nothing to add to make it ready for 

 the bees, and the bees do not take any of the floor space from the 

 chickens, as the hives set on a shelf and under the shelf is an admir- 

 able place for the hens' nests, and I use old bee hives for that purpose. 



