FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 295 



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 

 continuously, in case it is needed continuously. There have 

 been winters when fire was kept going nearly all the winter 

 through, and other winters when little was needed. The winter 

 of 1901-2 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 seventeen days. I think the outer temper- 

 ature was at no time more than 15 degrees below zero. 



HEAT FOR DIARRHOEA. 



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

 results at a time when diarrhoea began to trouble the bees in 

 the cellar, by making a hot fire and running up the temper- 

 ature above 60 degrees. The bees would become very noisy, but 

 after the cellar cooled down to the normal 45 degrees they were 

 quieter than before, and I suspect the bees felt better. 



VENTILATION OP CELLAR. ' 



I believe heartily in the doctrine of pure air and plenty of 

 it for man, beast, and bee. So I consider ventilation a very 

 important affair. "With a two-inch space under the bottom- 

 bars and a 12 X 2 entrance, there is no trouble about the ven- 

 tilation of the hive; but no matter how well ventilated a hive 

 may be, if the cellar in which 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 ventUation 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 uneasi- 

 ness. 



V7AEM 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 



