ADVANCED BEE-CULTURE- 



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Whether bees can be successfully win- 

 tered in a damp cellar, depends largely, 

 ' almost wholly, upon the temperature of 

 the atmosphere. "If the repository be 

 damp, a degree of temperature higher in 

 proportion to the dampness should be 

 maintained." — N. \V. McLain. Refer- 

 ring to this statement, Mr. Frank Che- 

 shire says: "The reason being that wa- 

 ter has an enormous capacity for heat 

 (specific heat) whether in the liquid or 

 vaporous form; the latter abstracts heat 

 from the bees and intensives their strug- 

 gle, " Dr. Youmans says: "Air which 

 is already saturated with moisture re- 

 fuses to receive the perspiration offered it 

 from the skin and lungs and the sewage 

 of the system is dammed up. ' ' 



A moist air very readily absorbs heat, 

 and more quickly robs the bees of that 

 element so essential to life; hence it will 

 be seen whj' a moist atmosphere must 

 also be a warm one if disastrous results 

 are to be avoided. 



There is also another point, in the win- 

 tering of bees, upon which moisture has 

 a bearing, and that is in regard to its 

 tffejts upon the exhalations of the bees. 

 If the exhalations are not taken up read- 

 ily, the "sewage of the system is dammed 

 up." But little moisture is required to 

 saturate cold air; that is, it will absorb but 

 little moisture, the point when it will 

 receive no more being soon reached. As 

 the temperature rises, the absorbing ca- 

 pacity of the air increases. When air of 

 a high temperature, at that of our bodies, 

 or nearly that, is saturated, or nearly so, 

 with moisture, the exhalations from the 

 lungs and skin are taken up but slowly; 

 we are oppressed and say the weather is 

 "muggy." This explains why we feel 

 better on bright, clear days. Heating air 

 increases its power of absorption, hence 

 we enjoy a fire on a damp day. If the 

 air of a cellar is dry, it will be readily 

 seen that the temperature may be allowed 

 to go much lower. In other words, a 

 cold, dry atmosphere, or a damp, warm 

 one, may be about equal so far as effects 

 are concerned. This is a point that bee- 

 keepers have not sufficiently considered. 



We have had many reports of the suc- 

 cessful wintering of bees at such and 

 such a degree of temperature, but noth- 

 ing is said as to the degree of saturation. 

 Bee-keepers ought to use a wet-bulb 

 thermometer in their cellars; then let the 

 degree of saturation be given with that 

 of the temperature, and we would have 

 something approaching accuracy. I say 

 "approaching accuracy," because the 

 strength of the colonies, and the manner 

 in which they are protected, have a bear- 

 ing. A populous, well-protected colony 

 can warm up the inside of the hive, ex- 

 pelling the moisture and increasing the 

 absorbing capacity of the air. Building 

 a fire in a room on a damp day is the same 

 in principle. 



As mentioned in the preceding para- 

 graph, the way to decide in regard to the 

 amount of moisture in the air is by the 

 use of a wet-bulb thermometer. The 



arrangement is very simple, and any of 

 my readers could make one. Attach two 

 ordinary thermometers side by side to a 

 piece of board. Just below them fasten 

 a tin cup for holding water. Make a 

 light covering of candle wicking for one 

 of the bulbs at the bottom of the ther- 

 mometer, allowing the wicking to extend 

 down into the water in the cup. The 



