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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Oct. 1 



covers and absorbents) side by side for a 

 series of years, with the odds nearly always 

 in favor of sealed covers, the reader can nat- 

 urally see why we champion that plan, at 

 least for our locality." Now for the "other 

 conditions being equal," note that we say, 

 "The great majority were packed in double- 

 walled chaff hives, and a few in single-wall- 

 ed hives were wrapped in paper winter cases 

 and a few in wooden winter cases." While 

 we did not say in this connection that the 

 sealed-cover colonies and the absorbent- 

 packed colonies were in exactly the same 

 kind of hives, the reader could hardly infer 

 anything else in view of all that was said in 

 that connection. Then you ask in this 

 same article, first paragraph, "Do your con- 

 clusions apply to single-walled hives?" The 

 sentence just quoted, which you must have 

 hurriedly skipped, ought to answer that 

 question. 



With regard to sealed covers we have re- 

 peatedly mentioned the fact that we use a 

 ])lain thin board, usually of one solid piece, 

 tin-bound at the ends. This is laid on top 

 of the brood-nest of the double-walled chaff 

 hive early enough in the fall for the bees to 

 seal down hermetically, and this sealing is 

 not broken until the next spring.* If you 

 are at all familiar with bee-supply catalogs 

 you would know that this would leave a bee- 

 space of approximately fV inch between the 

 sealed cover and the tops of the frames be- 

 neath. 



When we refer to absorbing cushions we 

 have always meant the plan that is spoken 

 of in the various editions of our A B C of 

 Bee Culture. Turn to almost any edition, 

 and you will find under the general head of 

 ' ' Wintering " a cut of one-story double- wall- 

 ed chaff hive with a Hill device, showing 

 the whole plan of wintering under absorbing 

 cushions in connection with double-walled 

 hives. We reproduce the cut here. 



AVe used the absorbing-cushion (or tray) 

 plan for years before we adopted the sealed- 

 cover idea; and when we used absorbing plan 



* In Gleanings of last fall, Nov. 15, page 700. we 

 went into the minutest details. We quote: "The 

 apiarist Hits off the tray and under it we find a su- 

 per cover with tin binding for the ends to prevent 

 warping. This is sealed down with propolis all 



we always used the Hill device, or some de- 

 vice equally good, to hold the cushion one 

 inch or so above the frames, so that the bees 

 will form a winter nest directly beneath. 



Whenever we worked this plan we used a 

 burlap cover. Instead of a cushion we used 

 a tray with a burlap bottom tacked on loose- 

 ly, so that, when it rests upon the Hill de- 

 vice, it bulges upward. The packing ma- 

 terial is then poured on top. A telescope 

 cover that does not come in contact w-ith 

 the packing material covers the whole. 

 When using the absorbing plan we never 

 allow the cover to come in contact with it, 

 as this would defeat to a great extent that 

 plan of wintering. 



Apparently you have tried the two plans, 

 but on a very small scale, if we may judge 

 from your fifth paragraph; and right here 

 you give one very strong argument in favor 

 of the sealed cover. You say that heavy 

 duck or canvas quilts should be used. Can- 

 vas and heavy duck would be largely imper- 

 vious to moisture, especially after they had 

 been used a few times. While they might 

 possibly become a little damp the moisture 

 would not pass through them readily. If 

 they did, they would not be the prevailing 

 material for making tents that have to stand 

 rain and weather. 



If you will take the time to read over what 

 we have said on this subject, particularly 

 what is said in the last edition of the ABC 

 and X Y Z of Bee Culture, you will under- 

 stand the reason why some people get bet- 

 ter results with absorbing cushions, and why 

 others succeed better with sealed covers. 

 We admit that in a cold climate subject to 

 deep snows the absorbent-cushion plan is to 

 be preferred. One reason of this is, that 

 deep snows are liable to close up the en- 

 trance. A closed entrance with a sealed 

 cover means death to the colony in nearly 

 every case. The other and chief reason is 

 that, in a continuously cold climate, the at- 

 mosphere is dryer. In a milder climate, just 

 south of Lake Erie, as we have it at Medina, 

 there is too much of mild weather, and with 

 it an excess of moisture to make the absorb- 

 ing plan equal to the sealed-cover method. 



We have tried both plans side by side un- 

 der precisely the same conditions, same 

 kind of hives and packing material, for 

 some ten or fifteen years. We have had a 

 number of different apiarists at Medina, and 

 you can ask any of them and they will tell 

 you that the sealed cover gives better results 

 at Medina. 



This whole question is one that is depen- 

 dent upon locality, somewhat upon the hive, 

 the depth of the cushion, and the material 

 of which it is made. We think we know 

 something about the absorbing plan, be- 

 cause we used it for nearly twenty years be- 

 fore we adopted the sealed-cover way. — Ed.] 



around, making a hermetic sealing, or what we 

 call a sealed cover." This was accompanied with a 

 series of illustrations, two of which showed the 

 sealed cover and how applied. You will also find 

 the same thing in the last editions of the ABC 

 book. We do not see, friend Wright, how we could 

 be any more explicit. 



