250 
UR. miller's 
ture collects overhead and drops down upon the cluster. Cover- 
ing up warm helps prevent this. 
Q. What makes bees sweat in the cellar in winter? Mine are 
all wet. I put them into the cellar just as they were in the sum- 
mer. 
A. The moisture from the breath of the bees settles on the 
cold walls of the hive, just as we say a pitcher sweats when a 
pitcher of cold water stands in a hot and moist time and the 
moisture of the air settles on the outside of the pitcher. It is a 
bad thing to have this moisture settle on the hive-cover, for then 
the drops fall on the cluster of bees. The matter may be helped 
by enlarging the entrance, by allowing a little crack at the top 
for the moisture to escape, or by having some kind of warm pack- 
ing on top. 
Tar Paper. — Q. Is tarred paper injurious to bees and honey? 
A. Not in general. If honey were kept for a time directly in 
contact with paper strongly impregnated with tar, it would 
probably hurt the flavor, but wrapping tarred paper around a hive 
would not produce any such result. 
Q. Would it pay to wrap hives in tar paper for spring pro- 
tection? I see some favor it, while others do not. Why is there 
this wide difference? 
A. There is a wide difference in climate. While it might not 
pay in the far South, it might pay well in the far North. Locali- 
ties differ. Your apiary may be in an exposed place, where the 
wrapping mentioned may be of great service in warding off the 
chilly blasts of spring, while another apiary a mile away may be 
in such a warm corner that the wrapping is not so much needed. 
Q. How can I protect my bees after putting them out of the 
cellar, with tar-paper. And how should it be put, when taken 
off, and what is accomplished for the benefit of the bees? 
A. Whatever protection of the kind is given should be given 
just as soon as possible after the bees are taken out, as it is likely 
to be colder then than afterward. The time for taking off de- 
pends upon the weather; no harm to leave it on until fruit-bloom, 
or even till the first bloom is seen on clover. The advantage is 
that the bees are kept warmer, especially cold nights. Just how 
much that advantage is, it would be hard to say, no reports being 
yet given as to comparative results with and without protection. 
Tartaric Acid. — Q. Will you tell us the result of your experi- 
ence in mixing tartaric acid or other acids with sugar syrup for 
