300 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



cover is pressed firmly against the breast ( 

 and go with it at once to its place on one 

 of the snpports, and let it project over 

 that backward or forward enough to in- 

 sure ventilation. With care, courage and 

 promptness, the colonies will generally 

 be in place before the bees realize that 

 anything is happening, but thc-remust be 

 no jarring or scratching of the hive, no 

 dodging or delay. He who hesitates is 

 lost. If the bottom boards stick, they 

 should be loosened a day or two before 

 hand. If the colonies are very strong, 

 some colonies will be found with the 

 cluster resting on the bottom board. In 

 such cases the front of the hive must be 

 blocked up an inch or two for a time till 

 the cluster contracts. If the method de- 

 scribed be found to be too heavy work, 

 two careful persons can use a light, 

 cushioned jack, carrying two hives at a 

 time. It is not necessary to carry them 

 all in in one day, nor even in one week. 

 Work while it goes well and when it goes 

 ill stop awhile. 



ARRANGEMENT OF COLONIES IN THE 

 CELLAR. 

 Going back to the cellar, notice several 

 supports have been put in place. This is 

 to enable one to chose for the colonies he 

 brings in, a pile best suited for its recep- 

 tion. The strongest colonies will best 

 endure the lowest place, and the chances 

 of the weakest will be improved by a 

 place at the top — a fortunate requirement 

 if the lifting be considered. When there 

 are no bees in the cellar it should gener- 

 allv be kept open to allow moisture to 

 escape, and prevent mold, but especially 

 for the two or three weeks previous to the 

 putting in of the bees, that it may l^ecome 

 as cool as the outside weather will make 

 it; and it is better to keep it open during 

 the entire lime of taking in, and after- 

 wards, until the bees are well settled, as 

 during the exoiLement of changed con- 

 ditions they are apt to become too warm. 

 With a small nundjer of colonies there 

 would be no danger. Of course if the 

 weather should turn warm, the cellar 

 would have to be closed. 



The closing and most interesting scene 

 of the wintering campaign is emptying 

 the cellar of the bees. I think I was the 

 first to advocate the doing of this early, 

 in contravention of the doctrine that the 

 bees should be kept in till soft maples 

 and willows are in blossom, and then 

 taken out only on a warm day, so that 

 they could immediately enjoy a good 

 flight. Now. many are thinking with me. 

 About the time the sun crosses the equator, 

 the 2oth of March, look out for an 

 ausj)icious day for moving them out. In 

 the meantime carry in the bottom boards, 

 overhaul the bees and set them on the 

 b ittoms with an entrance block to each 

 convenient for quick closing and stack 

 them in piles suitable for easy handling. 

 The clusters of some colonies will _\ el be 

 found resting on the cover of the hive 

 beneath. In such ca^es, put the hive on 

 a bottom, remove its cover, then take the 

 cover from the hive beneath, and brush 

 the bees from its upper side into their 

 own hive, or, if there be no bees on its 

 under siJe lean the latter cover on the 

 l)otlom board against the front of the 

 hive when the bees will run in at the en- 

 trance. During all this the cellar should 

 be kept as cool as it can be made, and at 

 nights, while the bees are being carried 

 out, the cellar sliould he wide open. Now, 

 at a time ivlicn it is too cold for the bees 

 to t/iiiik of /tying, take them out, many 

 or few at a lime, ])ntting each on any 

 convenient stand without any reference 

 to its last year's ])lace, giving it an en- 

 trance an inch or two wide. It should 

 require no argument to show that bees 

 successfully wintered in the cellar are 

 better able to bear the rough weather of 

 early spring than bees that have sufTered 

 all the rigors of the ent re winter out of 

 <loors. Yet many claim superior advan- 

 tages for (nit-do(jr wintering. Karlv re- 

 moval from the cellar gives the bees large- 

 ly the advantage of both methods. But 

 this is for bees siieeess/iifty wintered. If 

 the bees are bod Iv diseased, they should 

 be kept housed till settled warm weather. 



Lapeer, Mich., Sept. 26, 1903. 



