THE APIARY. 345 



freely through. This hole may simply be cut with a kuife, or a tin tube the 

 Bize of one's finger may be driven through the comb^ and left in if desired, in 

 ■which case the comb should be pushed out of the tube, and the tube be no 

 longer than the comb is thick. 



Keep the bees breeding till the first of October. Excejjt in 3"ears of excessive 

 drouth, this will occur in many parts of Michigan without extra care. Failure 

 may result from the presence of worthless queens. Any queens which seem not 

 to be prolific should be superseded whenever the fact becomes evident. I regard 

 tills as most important. Few know how much is lost by tolerating feeble, impo- 

 tent queens in the apiary, whose ability can only keep the colony alive. Never 

 keej) such queens about. Here, then, is another reason for always keeping extra 

 queens on hand. Even with excellent queens, a failure in the honey yield may 

 cause breeding to cease. In such cases, we have only to feed as directed under 

 the head of feeding. 



We ought also to provide against extremes of temperature. If no cellar or 

 house is at hand, this may be accomplished as follows : Some i:)leasant dry day 

 in late October or early November raise the stand and place straw beneath ; then 

 surround the hive with a box a foot outside the hive, with movable to]?, and open 

 on the east ; or else have a long wooden tube, which will permit the bees to fly. 

 The same end may be gained by driving stakes and putting boards around. 

 Now crowd between the box and the hive either straw, chaff, or shavings. After 

 placing a good thickness of straw above the hive, lay on the cover of the box, or 

 cover with boards. This preserves against changes of temperature during the 

 winter, and also permits the bees to fly if it becomes necessary from a protracted 

 i^eriod of warm winter weather. I have thus kept all my bees safely during two 

 of the disastrous Avinters. 



With large apiaries the above method is too laborious, and a cellar or special 

 depository is necessary. After my experience last winter, losing all my bees by 

 keeping them in a house with double walls filled in with saw-dust, in which the 

 thermometer indicated a temperature below zero for several weeks, in which time 

 my strongest colonies literally starved to death in the manner already described, 

 I hesitate to recommend a house above ground for Michigan, though with very 

 numerous colonies it might do. Such a house must, if it answer the purpose, 

 keej^ an equable temperature, at least 3° above freezing, and not more than ten, 

 be perfectly dark, and ventilated with tubes above and below, so arranged as to 

 be closed or opened at pleasure, and not admit a ray of light. 



A cellar in which we are sure of our ability to control the temperature, needs 

 to be also dry, dark, and quiet, and ventilated as described above. My cellar 

 is grouted throughout, which makes it more dry and neat. Of course it should 

 be thoroughly drained. 



The colonies should be put into the depository when the hive is dry, before 

 cold weatlier, and may remain with good results till April ; though in January 

 and March, if there are days that are warm, they should be taken out and the 

 bees permitted to fly, especially if they seem uneasy and soil the entrance of 

 their hives. Always when taken out they should be placed on their old stands, 

 so that no bees may be lost. Towards niglit, when all are quiet, replace them 

 in the cellar. In moving the hives, great care should be exercised not to jar 

 tliem. It were better if the bees should not know that they were being moved 

 at all. 



That the moisture may be absorbed, I cover the bees with a quilt, made of 

 coarse factory cloth, enclosing a layer of cotton batting. Above this I fill in 

 with straw which is packed m so closely that the cover may be removed Avithout 



