296 FORTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES. 



degrees, but not often, and not for long. Oftener it 

 reaches 50 degrees, but that is neither often nor long. 



STOVE IN CELLAR. 



Whenever the thermometer appears to have any 

 fixed determination to stay below 45 degrees, a fire is 

 started. I would not think of using an oil-stove, or 

 anything of the kind that would allow the gases ,to 

 escape in the cellar. A chimney goes from the ground 

 up through the house, and a hard-coal stove is used. 

 Until last winter I used a common small cylinder stove, 

 having, an inside diameter of about 8 inches between 

 the fire-brick. Last winter I used a low-down open or 

 Franklin stove, and I think I like it as well or better. 

 With either stove there is the open fire, and one might 

 fear that the bees would fly into it, but they do not appear 

 to do so. Neither does any harm come to the hives that 

 stand within two feet of the stove, for the stove is right 

 in the same room as the bees. A few minutes attention 

 each morning and evening will keep the fire going con- 

 tinuously, in case it is needed continuously. There have 

 been winters when fire was kept going nearly all the win- 

 ter through, and other winters when little was needed. 

 The winter of 1901-02 was one of the mild ones. A fire 

 started Dec. 21 was kept for three days. Another, Jan. 

 27, lasted one day. A third started Feb. 3 lasted seven- 

 teen days. I think the outer temperature was at no time 

 more than 15 degrees below zero. 



HEAT FOR DIARRHEA. 



I do not know for certain, but I think I have had 

 good results at a time when diarrhea began to trouble the 

 bees in the cellar, by making a hot fire and running up 

 the temperature above 60 degrees. The bees would be- 

 come very noisy, but after the cellar cooled down to the 



