234 MANAGEMENT IN WINTER. 



hives, that the bees are often induced to venture 

 abroad, and, soon chilled by the cold, they fall in 

 hundreds on the snow, and, if not timely succoured, 

 will ultimately perish. This evil may be prevented 

 in some degree by turning, as soon as winter has set 

 fairly in, the hives round on their stands, so that the 

 entrance may face the north.* If this precaution 

 has not been taken in time, and the unfortunate 

 wanderers are already prostrate on the snow, let 

 them be instantly gathered, placed in a vessel, (a 

 dinner-dish-cover, for example,) having a piece of 



* Mr. Nutt, the Lincolnshire Bee-Master alluded to in 

 page 1 82, gives, in his work, an account of an experiment 

 to ascertain the effect of changing the site of hives from 

 a southern to a northern exposure during winter. He took 

 six hives weighing as under, and placed three on the north side 

 of his house, leaving the other three in their usual situation. 

 In November 1834, 



No. 1 weighed 35 Ibs. No. 4 weighed 42 Ibs. 



2 38 532 



3 40 637 



113 111 



The first three, Nos. 1, 2, & 3, weighing 113 Ibs., remained 

 during winter in their summer situations. Nos, 4, 5, & 6, were 

 removed to a cold dry* place on the north side of his house. 

 On the 26th of the following March they weighed as follows 

 No. 1. weighed 15 Ibs. No. 4. weighed 37 Ibs. 



2. 16 5. 27 



3. 19 6. 32 



50 96 



The three first, therefore, lost 63 Ibs., on an average 21 Ibs. 

 each ; the three last decreased only 15 Ibs., average 5 Ibs each. 

 The three last swarmed in May, the three first not till July. 



