298 FORTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES. 



it is placed contains nothing but foul air, how can the air 

 in the hive be sweet? 



FIRE FOR VENTILATION. 



I am not sure but I should want a fire in a cellar for 

 the sake of ventilation even if not needed for heat. 



For the purpose of ventilation alone, the warmer the 

 weather the more the fire in the cellar is needed. Of 

 course there must be some limit to this, for when the 

 temperature of the cellar goes above 60 degrees, the bees 

 show signs of uneasiness. 



WARM SPELLS IN WINTERING. 



The most difficult time to keep the bees quiet in the 

 cellar, is when a warm spell comes in the fall soon after 

 taking them in, or early in the spring. At such times I 

 open up the cellar at dark. If very warm, all doors and 

 windows are opened wide and by morning generally all 

 are quiet. I leave all open zi. long as possible in the 

 morning > sometimes till noon ; when the bees begin to 

 fly out' all must be darkened. Very likely it would be bet- 

 ter if there were a way to admit air in abundance without 

 admitting light. 



COOLING AND AIRING CELLAR. 



Years ago, when the temperature became too high in 

 the cellar in spring, and I wanted to keep the bees in the 

 cellar still longer, I tried cooling down with cakes of ice. 

 But it was not satisfactory. The trouble was not so 

 much with the temperature as the quality of the air. Then 

 I learned that opening the cellar was more efifectual. 



OPENING CELLAR AT NIGHT. 



The first time I tried that trick I got a pretty bad 

 scare. It was in the spring, and there came a warm spell, 



