Nebraska advertiser., 1860-11-22

-CaEe 81 Bees Is AlLann and NIa.

Z " II - t-a-t
care OF Bees ID autumn and win
Il 6aa u Ter.
! AS the past season has been an unpro-
pitious one for gathering honey il be-
hooves the bee-keeper tollook well 10 bis
stock of bees, and make a special exami-
nation 6f each swarm to ascertain def
nitely if any of the hives contain less
than twenty. poundsiof honey; ard should
any sycA Be found, the swarm viii need
70 be fed either with honey alone or mix
ed win sugar diluted to the consistency
Of honey, poured on to pieces Of empty
~ Comb, and placed il iha taye.Ia such a
lipanaer ihalbses from other hives Will
not find it. Perhaps the best method is
70 introduce the feed into the boxes d.
reclly over The bees, but should il be a
comthori box hive, il may be placed onthe
top Of the hive where there is a commits
ncaton through the top, and placing a
cap ovet the whole5 and then gently rap
ping on the top Of hive, the bees, WILL
press up through and find the food, The
feeding should be done during warm
weather.
Another precaUtion 10 be observed is
to guard against robbing (which can be
done efeeuaHy by, contr0ling or limit
ing the ingress TO so small an. entrance
rhat bees within win be able to hinder
lntruders from entering, and Should any
stranger bees find their way into the
hive. the occupants thereof will have Them
where they will deal summarily withthem
before the strangers can make theirses-
cape. Many good colonies are lost in
this warfare, after the termination Of the
season for gathering honey.
Ventilation should also be attended to.
Much has been written and many. IN
guiries made on this subject, and Mr.,
Quinby, says that he regards the proper
ventilation as very important, and yet
proper ventilation is very ihiperfeetly IN
derstood. He also says, eAny way to
get rid Of moisture The presumtion-is is
hat he would not freeze the bees at the
outset as one of the ways, for that would
surely prevent moisture, aud If the mo-
dus operandi Of some who give directions
how 70 venulate should be put in prac-
nee III very cold situations, the bees are
lust as surely frozen. Now what is the
cause Of this moisture, which proves. SO
dIreful, when nothing bur air enters the
Rive g The secret of thestaeQrg is ex-
pIained thus When cold All. comes IN
contact with warm surfaces, condensation
tskes place hence the dews, aud vice
versa, when warm or rarifed air comes
ID contact with cold bodies Condensation
takes place also. hence the moisture which
appears IN the windows Gin cases where
they are not double) of room, while
the air within IS rarified and the atmos-
phere cold without. The cold concern
rates a I'D dissolves the internal vapor
aud air, and the watery portions accamu-
late on the inner wall of the windows,
and when the eold is very sewers the wa
ter becomes frozen hence the opaque
windows during the extreme cold Of wiz
ter. In this manner sometimes large
Quantities Of icy water is formed. The
same occuars IN bee hives The air
spfieb is respired bY the bees. aud thai
hi faas ID coataEt -, ileia Ehlle
ossiefta isHbas 1nEia oai aiH.sess
sap6f through the op ninE,a ln tgpOf
he hiTe. uGliess shelisl llreSldel wifh
safesv values. ID which sps ial cisiars
as In the-case of the window, aeeumulates
on the internal walls of the hive, which
has caused the destruction Of more strong
colonies of bees than any one other cas-
uley, except the fatal way Of some bee.
Keepers to get nd of the moisture by
by opening wide the apertures in the top
and also in the bottom .of the hive, and
thus causing current of external air
10 pass up through the interior precisly
the method 10 cool hive in hot weather
and also thus rendering the bees more
exposed and liable to be frozen than they
would situated on the exterior Of the hive.
Perhaps the inquirer will now ask
what Is proper ventilation I! Simply to,
give free vent for the air at the top of
Of the hive, and not admitting any or bat
very httle air through The bottom. I'M
der all circumstances it is requisite 10
regulate the openings in the bottom with
those in the top, which amounts 10 about
the same thing without the drawbacks OF
inverting the hive-hence that custom.
If I were 10 answer the special inqui-
ry of one of your correspondents, ! would
advise him to place his fine swarm in a
dark but not wet cellar, secured from frost
and remove one or more Of the glasses
from over the holes IN the honey-board.
Bees thus situated will come out IN the
Spring IN the best possible condition that
they can be expected to under any clrcum-
stances whatever Small feeble swarms,
tia, would not endure one half the VIM
Ter if left on tbs stand, vii, If placed
in such cellar, 60 safely through, ana
make fine swarms the ensuing summer.
In conclusion, / beg leave TO request
those who have care of bees IN a cold
climate, to render them proper venIila-
ton and protection also.-Cor. Co'lntTy
Gentleman.
The Ohio Methodist Conference at a
late meeting, 'Rssolpea, that after the
nrasent session we will not receive anv