THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



345 



can be detected at the intake. 



The exit for impure air is pro- 

 vided for by a twenty-five foot 

 chimney built on the leeward or 

 east side, from the cellar floor up 

 through the building above. The 

 opening into the chimney is at the 

 bottom of the cellar and the cur- 

 rent at this point is usually strong 

 enough to extinguish the flame 

 of a lighted match or candle 

 whether there is any wind out side 

 or not. The air rises in the chim- 

 ney because the cellar air is 

 warmer and therefore lighter than 

 the cold air. The air in a cellar 

 thus ventilated should be appar- 

 ently as pure as that out of doors, 

 with practically no odor, no visible 

 moisture, and very few dead bees 

 on the floor. 



With proper ventilation, temper- 

 ature conditions may vary widely 

 without disastrous results. With 

 proper temperature, bees can get 

 along with less air, but for per- 

 fect wintering they should have 

 both. 



If air containing moisture is 

 cooled the moisture will tend to 

 become condensed and dampness 

 will follow. If air is warmed, its 

 capacity for moisture is increased. 

 Thus cool air in passing through a 

 cellar of higher temperature will 

 tend to dry it out, and yet there 

 is no more danger of becoming too 

 dry than if the hives were out 

 doors. It follows that, with proper 

 ventilation, the question of humid- 

 ity will take care of itself. It is 

 true that while in a state of hib- 

 ernation, bees do not consume as 

 much oxygen as when active, yet, 

 under normal conditions, they man- 

 tain a temperature within the 

 cluster considerably higher than 

 that outside and the production of 

 heat necessitates the consumption 

 of food and oxygen. A movement 

 of air is necessary both to furnish 

 oxygen and to remove impurities, 

 chiefly water, carbon-dioxide and 

 the products of fermentation. Colon- 

 ies kept in a damp and vitiated at- 

 mosphere will have less vitality 

 than those supplied with pure air 

 and are very apt to dwindle away 

 in the spring. 



The question sometimes asked is, 

 "Why not let the air in at the 

 top?" 



Many people, it seems, have 

 difficulty in understanding that 



air has weight, that cold air is 

 heavier than warm air, that warm 

 air tends to rise, being displaced 

 by cold air, that if an opening is 

 made in the top of a cellar the 

 cold air will pour into it, and will 

 remain there and will become damp, 

 and stagnant and impure, and bees 

 will die by thousands and colonies 

 will die. Mold will form on the 

 combs and dead bees will clog the 

 entrance and the colony strength 

 will become reduced so that 

 when set out in the spring more 

 colonies will die — all because the 

 cellar was permitted to become a 

 receptacle for cold, damp, vitiated 

 air. Bees are sometimes winter- 

 ed in spite of such adverse condi- 

 tions, but never because of them. 



In placing bees in the cellar it 

 is not necessary to remove bottom 

 boards, but they should have full 

 width, % inch entrances. Tlie hives 

 should tip slightly forward, so that 

 gravity will assist in keeping the 

 entrance clear. The cellar should, 

 of course, be kept dark and pre- 

 ferably quiet. It is important that 

 colonies should be strong and 

 have sufficient stores when placed 

 in the cellar. Do not turn the hive 

 entrances to the wall, give them 

 all the air you can. 



As to the general construction 

 of the cellar, I would say that for 

 one hundred colonies it should be 

 about 16x2 feet by 71/2 feet deep. 

 Solid concrete is the best material 

 for side walls. A cement floor 

 should slope to a drain at the cen- 

 ter and the cellar should be sur- 

 mounted by a substantial building. 



Depreciation, losses of colonies, 

 extra labor and inconvenience, cost 

 of outer cases, and the large con- 

 sumption of stores make out-door 

 wintering in the north an expensive 

 undertaking. 



If one is in the business to stay, 

 it will pay to ow^n land and to put 

 up buildings that are properly 

 constructed. 



There are a considerable number 

 of members who think that the 

 old plan of voting direct for the 

 officers of the Association instead 

 of through the delegate plan is 

 the better. Make your wants known 

 so they can be published in the 

 November Review, otherwise they 

 cannot be acted upon at the next 

 February meeting by the delegates. 



