The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-11-17
pEEs-rug wIvTERtvs PROBLEM.

as 4ne near approach Of res s.liug
winter The glSs-iOD how can 0e most
soa.es-fJl1' preserve our h-rs e. is h5-
gsr5 wit" rsIE
Ia KEEN 1..-a.l.r g.. Ger q
1880 and 81 ,auSG aul agi-rl-
tursts the important lesson .ua- tue
most successful of their number do not
know all that is worth knowing on the
subject, Experimental kno owledge SEEM
ed to be contradicted established rules
overturned and science refuted. Men
who by the world had been esteemed
for their wisdom bore no trophies of sue
cess or victory, and the long road travel
ed furnished no inger-boards to direct
us in the path. Some said last winter
that the observance of few well-defin-
ed regulations would insure uniform
success. A full supply of winter stores,
warmth secured by the use of chaff
cushions or similar protection, and pro-
per ventilation, were the most impor-
tant requisites of success. As. before in
timated, during last winter and spring,
theories set up and based upon past ex
peTience became as visionary dreams,
and whether or not the result left US
any lesson of value, is still matter of
uncertainty.
~ lC" tdN5 SiuCc. hutlC dt Ilic Id1 III
of my neighbOr 1-, he called my at
tention to two colonies of bees kept by
him during the severe weather of last
winter. He started in with two colon
les and they both wintered we'll, sent
out three strong, natural swarms dur
ing the early summer, and are well sup
piled with honey for winter. One of
the hives had hinged door which occu-
pied one side entire. The door become
so warped that it could not be closed
during the preceding summer, and the
combs had been built out three or four
inches beyond the sides of the hive. and
during the entire winter and spring of
1886 and 81 that colony of bees stood
entirely unprotected 1.-THE open side fac
ing the west), the snow ard rain beat
ing into it. Talk about doube-wa!ied
hives, division boards and chair cush-
ions Those two swarms (the second
hive was no better than the one descTib-
ed) seem to offer premium upon ne
glect and carelessness. This man has
not neighbor who, by the adoption of
every ''new-fangled notion of modern
invention, can show percentage of loss
so small as his own, while he never
thinks it possible that his bees need any
more protection or warmth than the
chimney tops upon the roof l trans
feTred a colony that wintered we'll with
holes through the sides of the hive into
which I could put my hand. Are we to
attribute these examples to accident or
do they furnish a lesson which it is well
tOsEeed a? It is not possible that, goaded
by our zeal to do our work we'll, we are
doing it altogether well, or, in other
words, that we have dOctored many of
our bees to death with tight division
boards upon the sides, or with double
wall hives and Leavy chaff cushions on
the top, is it not possible that yentila-
tion is insufficient
Now [ hope my Bookkeeping friends
will not turn up their noses and consign
me 10 the dark ages of the past. L am
as eager as any of you to take any sub
stantial step forward, but the facts as
related exist, and how to explain them
away by the light of modern scientific
agriculture, know not, Please give me
light.-C. T. Leonard, ia Ohio Farmer.