100 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. t February 2 , m 2 . 
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HE BEE-KEEPER. 
’■1 . 1 ■ | . | . | : [ -| . | . I . | . | ■ I . I ■ | ■ 1 . 1 ■ | ■ |-. I - I fr.'Ti I • I . 1 VI VTfT 
UPWARD VENTILATION IN WINTER. 
to prove the position taken at the start, and cases similar to these 
have no doubt been observed by all. 
Pack your bees as well as you wish, but see that the packing 
is kept perfectly dry by upward ventilation.— John A. Buchanan 
(in The American Bee Journal). 
Just so long as success is attained in wintering bees by both 
methods—ventilation and non-ventilation, there will be earnest 
advocates of both systems. It cannot be that both systems are 
equally successful. There is no use to deny the fact that bees have 
been wintered by both methods, but which plan has been proved 
the best ? I advocate upward ventilation as the safest for general 
adoption. 
Are we any more successful in wintering bees at present with all 
the modern appliances and knowledge of the science of bee-keeping, 
than we were twenty years ago? The general answer is, “Not a 
bit.” Then, we ask, in what condition for the most part were bee3 
then left for winter? Without entering into a description of that 
condition, it will be understood when we say winter found them as 
summer left them. No contraction of entrances, surplus boxes left 
on with entrance holes to them all open, and, as often as otherwise, 
glass in boxes broken out and doors open, thereby ventilating the 
hive most thoroughly; but still the bees were all right, and the 
winters then were just as cold as they are now. 
Judging from reports given in the papers from time to time, and 
from my own extensive observations last spring of a great number 
of apiaries, I have arrived at the conclusion that more colonies 
survived the winter of 1880-81 that were left to themselves with 
thorough ventilation, and unprepared by packing, than the number 
saved that were packed for protection. During a severe winter 
there is a great amount of moisture arising from a colony of bees, 
which will condense on the walls of the hive or in the packing 
materials, which will have so filled them with moisture that tho 
temperature of the hive is brought down so low that it is impossible 
for the bees to generate sufficient warmth to be able to change their 
position when the stores in reach of them are exhausted. This cold 
damp condition of the hive and packing soon exhausts the vitality 
and reduces the temperature so low that the colony becomes un¬ 
healthy and diseased. All of this trouble can be avoided by means 
of a proper condition of the hive, and providing means for the escape 
of this moisture. 
In nearly every case, last spring, where I found hives that had been 
placed on blocks raising them from the bottom board from half to 
an inch all around, the bees survived, and so where hives were much 
open from season cracks, which provided thorough ventilation and 
a circulation of air, thereby keeping cluster, combs and hive dry. 
Again, hives, regardless of size or depth of frames, were packed with 
chaff, straw, &c., ample means being provided for free circulation of 
air through the packing keeping all perfectly dry, with sheltered 
eastern or southern exposure. Colonies so arranged lived and came 
through with less consumption of honey than where unprotected. 
Again, in hives of very large size, without upward ventilation, but 
large entrance openings and sheltered exposure, were saved. But 
limited success was attained wuth bees in cellars where the tempera¬ 
ture remained much below 45°. 
One fall I placed quilts well tucked down over the frames, and 
over these a thick chaff cushion, and contracted the entrances to 
three-eighths by 2 inches, and flattered myself I had them in better 
condition than some of my neighbours’ bees that were left with 
entrances open the full width of the hive, and also several large 
holes open into honey boxes. But, imagine my surprise at the be¬ 
ginning of the next season, upon examination, to find those terribly 
neglected badly managed bees working in boxes and swarming a 
week or ten days sooner than my own. 
Is it not a fact that the first swarm of bees you hear of in the 
season has come from bees cared for as my neighbour’s were ? 
On the 28th of last May a gentleman passing my apiary asked 
me if I had had any swarms yet. No ; the be3t of them are only 
occupying, with all my quilts and chaff cushions, about two-thirds 
of the usual number of frames. “ Well,” said he, “ I had a good 
swarm this morning.” And without further talking I rode out (five 
miles) to his place to see the hive that had so early cast a swarm. 
He had but one colony, and that was standing in the corner of his 
garden with a few boards over it to shelter it from rain, and had 
not been touched or opened since the honey was taken from boxes 
the fall previous. 
The hive was a Langstroth; ten frames 8 inches deep; honey- 
board, with half an inch space between it and frames; one large 
honey-box on, holes open and two li-inch holes opened into the 
cap, where moisture passed off into the cap, which was fitted loosely 
and open at the joints. Tho entrance was nearly the full width of 
the hive, half an inch, and was open all winter and spring. A slight 
dash of Italian blood was in the bees. I have occupied this space 
Bees in Paris. —The practice of keeping hives of bees in Paris 
has spread so extensively that the prefect of police has thought it 
necessary to issue an order forbidding it for the future, except in the 
case of persons who shall have received a special authorisation. The 
preamble of the decree represents the great danger to the population 
of the existence of so large a number of bees in the neighbourhood of 
the markets, schools, and refineries, as well as the opinion of the 
Council of Public Health for the Department of the Seine condemn¬ 
ing the practice. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Samuel Hartley, Headingley, near Leeds .—Catalogue of Carnations 
and Picotees. 
Samuel Yates, 16 and 18, Old Mill gate, Manchester .—Catalogue of 
Flower and Vegetable Seeds. 
Daniels Bros., Norwich .—Illustrated Guide for 1882. 
John Cocker, 82, Union Street, Aberdeen .—Catalogue of Flower and 
Vegetable Seeds. 
James Yates, 29, Little Ur.derbank, Stockport, and Southwark 
Street, London .—Catalogue of Flower and Vegetable Seeds. 
Vilmorin, Andrieux, & Cie, 4, Quai de la Megisserie, Paris.— Cata¬ 
logue of Flower and Vegetable Seeds (Illustrated). 
Ormiston & Renwick, Melrose .—Catalogue of Flower and Vegetable 
Seeds. 
Ryder & Son, Sale, Manchester .—Catalogue of Flower Seeds. 
*** All correspondense should be directed either to “The Editor” 
or to “ The Publisher.” Letters addressed to Dr. Hogg or 
members of the staff often remain unopened unavoidably. We 
request that no one will write privately to any of our correspon¬ 
dents, as doing so subjects them to unjustifiable trouble and 
expense. 
Correspondents should not mix up on the same sheet questions relat¬ 
ing to Gardening and those on Poultry and Bee subjects, and 
should never send more than two or three questions at once. All 
articles intended for insertion should be written on one side of 
the paper only. We cannot reply to questions through the post, 
and we do not undertake to return rejected communications. 
Violets (Miss J. Butler). — You can gain the information you need by 
writing to Mr. Lee, Florist, Clevedon, Somerset, the raiser of the variety you 
name and several others of equal merit. 
Quassia Water (E. C.). —It is made by boiling a quarter of a pound of 
Quassia chips iu a gallon of soft water, and is more effectual as an insecticide if 
2 or 3 ozs. of soft soap is stirred in it as it cools. Strain off the chips and stir 
the solution before using. 
Primula Blooms (IF. E.). —The variety No. 1 is very handsome; the 
flowers large, of good form and substance, and the colour a rich rosy purple. It 
is one of the finest we have seen. The other is bright in colour, but not specially 
remarkable. 
Lilium Bulbs ( Amateur ) —We doubt if such returns as you suggest were 
published that they would be of any real service; there is a chance, indeed, that 
they would be occasionally .misleading, as so much depends on the quality of 
the bulbs and other circumstances. The subject, however, shall have con¬ 
sideration. 
Lithospermum prostratum (D.). — Many thanks for your note, but 
you have probably been misled by the branching appearance imparted to the 
plant by the artist. It is the true L. prostratum, of which you will find several 
specimens at Kew, particularly on the old rockery. L. fruticosum is taller- 
growing and of quite different habit. We do not know where L. orientale is 
grown now, possibly some of our readers can inform you. 
Mushrooms Failing (X. V. Z.). —Your treatment appears to have been 
correct except that the temperature of the house is 10° too high, and perhaps 
also the atmosphere is too dry. If the spawn were good and the material of 
the bed suitable we should attribute the non-development of the Mushrooms to 
the cause indicated. Had the horses been having medicine or Carrots ? If so 
the bed would not be in good condition. We should pull up the bad Mushrooms 
and lower the temperature, and if better produce does not follow you may con¬ 
clude that either the spawn is not good or the bed is faulty. 
Cabbages for Succession (.4. D„ Isle of Man). —The gardener to whom 
you refer grows Ellam’s Early Dwarf as obtained from Messrs. Yeitch & Sons 
for spring use, sowing the seed at intervals as stated on page 47. He also sows 
a bed of the Rosette Colewort early in June or about midsummer, as the plants 
come in well to plant in any ground that falls vacant, and they are valuable 
for late autumn and winter cutting. A good strain of Early York is very usefu 
