THE APIARY. 427 



hatch after the middle of August, but kept the colony strong in old bees. The 

 colony was permitted to fly once during the winter, seemed in good condition, 

 yet showed more dead bees than any other colony. They lived till spring, 

 when they died, young queen and all, though the queen lived till after every 

 bee had shuffled off this mortal coil. I hence affirm that whenever there is no 

 fall storing so that brood rearing stops in August, whenever the queen becomes 

 impotent so that she fails to deposit eggs to any considerable number, or when- 

 ever the autumn honey yield is so bountiful that the queen has no opportunity 

 to deposit, as has been the case hero the present autumn, then the careless 

 apiarist is in imminent danger of experiencing spring dwindling. 



All experience shows the importance of absorbents above the bees, for what 

 observing apiarist has failed to notice the moisture in his hives in winter which 

 often induces fungus growth, as seen in mouldy comb ; or in cold winters has 

 failed to note the moisture changed to frost, which in severe weather approxi- 

 mates too near the cluster, often keeping them from the needed stores. Of the 

 evil effects of confined gases I know nothing from my own experiments, and 

 know of only one man who has experimented carefully in this direction — my 

 friend Mr. Townley, of Jackson county, Michigan. His experiments as given 

 to me confirm the truth enunciated above. I presume in most cases these gases 

 find means of exit and are harmless. 



What are the requisites to safe wintering? 



1st. The colonies must be kept in a uniform temperature, which should never 

 vary beyond the minimum temperature of 35° or the maximum of 45°. This 

 may be safely secured by placing them in a dry, dark, well-ventilated cellar, 

 which shall maintain the required temperature, or in a house with double 

 walls, enclosing a space wide enough when filled in with sawdust to be frost 

 proof, even during the severest winter, and so arranged as to be ventilated with- 

 out admitting the light. The same results may be gained with the colonies on 

 their summer stands, if we but place boxes or boards around and above the 

 hives, leaving a space of a foot or more to be filled in with sawdust, chaff, 

 straw, or shavings, all of which I have used Avith perfect success. In this case 

 it may be well to use a tube or portico to the hive so that the bees may fly out 

 should the weather be warm for so long a time that the bees would become 

 overheated and uneasy. The same object may be gained by leaving the front 

 of the hive, which should face to the east, unprotected. Could we be sure of 

 sufficient snow so that our bees could be covered deeply the winter through, we 

 could ask for notliing better. I never had my bees do better than when thus 

 protected, during the disastrous winter of ' 72-3, when my bees, and those of a 

 neighbor which I arranged, were all that survived in the whole neighborhood. 



2d. The bees should not go into winter quarters without at least thirty pounds 

 of good capped honey. If the combs contain uncapped honey it should be ex- 

 tracted. If the apiarist has not the requisite amount of suitable honey it will 

 •do equally Avell to supplement his supply by feeding good, thick honey which 

 has been extracted early in the season, or if that be not at his command a syrup 

 made of coffee A sugar of the consistency of honey, or just so that it will not 

 crystallize upon cooling, will answer equally well. Perhaps the most convenient 

 method to feed this is to put it in a bag made of drilling which is tacked to a 

 strip of wood just like the top bar of a frame, except that it is two inches wide 

 and has a hole cut in the center one inch wide and two inches long. Hang this 

 between the frames and the end of the hive, then pour in the honey or syrup. 

 The bees will sip it up and store it away as it oozes through the feeder. Of 



