150 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



any more until it warmed up so that tliey 

 could fly every day or two. 1 am not 

 able to see that the cold weather has done 

 any serious damage to the bees, aside 

 from the fact that it has retarded brood 

 rearing: but, as vegetation has also been 

 kept back, there will probably be no great 

 loss. 



Had this cold spell besn preceded by 

 three weeks of warm weather, which 

 would have enabled the bees to have filled 

 their combs with brood, then there would 

 have been serious damage, as at least 

 half the brood would have perished. Quite 

 a small cluster of bees can take care of 

 themselves, if they have no brood to care 

 for, and there is honey right next to them. 



My apiary here is located this year in 

 the southern edge of a piece of woods, 

 and never before did I realize the great 

 value of outside protection. ]n addition, 

 my hives are surrounded by tarred felt, 

 and it seems as though the bees ought to 

 com 3 through this trying weather if any 

 bass do. 



««,■•»*«*» »"^^ 



Confining Bees When Wintering Therr. 



Some few months ago, in speaking of 

 the Hershiser bottom board, an arrange- 

 ment that allows a space below the 

 combs, but confines the bees to that 

 space, I characterized it as a "harmless 

 invention." I doubted if it was of any 

 value, but did not think it would do any 

 harm. Editor Root reports some severe 



losses last winter, or this spring, when 

 this device was in use: but he does not 

 feel sure, neither do I from reading his 

 article, that the Hershiser bottom board 

 was to blame for the loss. First, only the 

 weaker colonies and nuclei were put into 

 the cellar. Then, in January, they were 

 taken out and allowed to fly. 1 should 

 fear disaster from this. Mr. Root thinks 

 it possible that too much ventilation was 

 given by the use of this open space be- 

 neath the combs, and it is possible that 

 this was true with small colonies. In my 

 cellar here at home, and in the cellars in 

 Northern Michigan, the bottom boards 

 were removed and the space left entirely 

 open. Not only this, but, in most of cases, 

 the cover was removed and only a quilt 

 laid over the combs. The temperature 

 ranged from 45 to 50 degress, and the 

 bees have wintered perfectly: but there 

 were no weak colonies nor nuclei. 



My idea of confining bees to the hive is 

 just this: A healthy bee, one that is go- 

 ing to live until spring, and amount to 

 something, does not care to leave the 

 cluster, nor try to do so, unless disturbed. 

 The bee that voluntarily leaves the 

 cluster is old, or sick, or has something 

 the matter, and it seems to be a provision 

 of nature that she shall get out of the 

 cluster, and out of the hive, if she can; 

 and it is my desire that she gets out of 

 the hive and away from the cluster just 

 as soon, and as quietly, and as perma- 

 nently as possible. 



HOW BLL-KLLPING HAS DLVLLOPLD 



Some Suggestions to Tho.se Who Would 

 Make it Their Only Business. 



For several months, perhaps longer, 

 there ha\c been running through my 



mind some thoughts upon the past, pres- 

 ent and future of bee-keeping; particular- 

 ly have I been speculating upon the pres- 

 ent opportunities for making of bee-keep- 

 ing a sole business; and, feeling that good 

 might come if attention to this point 

 should be called to a large number of 

 bee-keepers, 1 sent the following article 



