848 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Fig'. 6 shows a cor- 

 ner of one of Mr. Hol- 

 termann's yards. The 

 hives are located in 

 groups of four. In tlie 

 fall, after the supers 

 have been removed, 

 the four brood-cham- 

 bers are located in the 

 winter case that Mr. 

 Holtermann has de- 

 scribed in these col- 

 umns before. Fig. 7 

 shows the cases set at 

 one side of the yard, 

 ready for use again 

 this fall. By this plan 

 the labor of packing 

 and getting ready for 

 winter is reduced to a 

 minimum, and the col- 

 onies winter perfectly. 

 It will be remembered 

 that Mr. Holtermann, 



formerlj' one of the strongest advocates of 

 cellar wintering, now winters entirely on 

 the summer stands by the use of these mam- 

 moth winter cases, each of which holds four 

 twelve-frame colonies. A full description 

 of these cases, how they are made, etc., is 

 given on pages 693-696, Nov. 15, 1911. 



Fig. 7 also shows a 

 new-style cover. Mr. 

 Holtermann likes these 

 better than any other 

 he has ever used, and 

 he has had a pretty 

 wide experience. The 

 cover proper is merely 

 a square pan, inside of 

 which is loosely placed 

 a rim or frame made 

 of ~/s material. Fig. 8. 

 Inside this rim are 

 placed several layers 

 of heavy strawboard. 

 The layers of straw- 

 board furnish an ex- 

 cellent protection from 

 the hot sun, and also 

 make a very warm 

 cover in sj^ring and 

 autumn. The galvan- 

 ized-metal roof, the 

 corners of which are 

 soldered, makes the 

 whole thing water- 

 proof. Of course, when 

 the cover is removed 

 ordinarily, the inside 

 part is lifted off with 

 the metal jiart — that 



Fig. 5. — The " Democrat " used to carry supers to and from the extracting- 

 house at the yards where there is no cart and track. 



is, the whole thing comes off togetlier. In 

 the picture Mr. Holtermann has merely 

 lifted up the metal part to show the con- 

 struction iinderneath. A quilt is laid over 

 the top-bars before the cover is put on. 



Just as I was leaving I secured a picture 

 of Mr. Holtermann, his son and daughter, 



Pig. 6. — A group of four twelve-frame hives, three of which had four 

 supers apiece. In tlie fall the four hives are moved a little closer together, 

 and the winter-case shown in the next illustration is set down over all. 



