AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL., 751 



in without the bottom-boards, and on a cloudy day, with the temperature at 45°, or 

 a little lower, this can be done, and the bees hardly seem to know they are being 

 moved. But I would say to those who carry their hives in with the bottom-boards 

 on, you will like one of these carriers even better than those who do not leave the 

 bottoms, as a hive with the bottom-board on is more awkward to carry in one's arms 

 than one without. One of these carriers only costs a few cents, and any one can 

 make it in a few minutes. 



As to the time for putting the bees in, it varies with me from the first to the 

 last of November, though it is not usual later than the middle of the month. This 

 year part of my bees were carried in on Nov. 7, and the rest on the 13th. 



In the cellar I place the hives on two pieces of 4x4, which are placed about 10 

 inches apart, and supported about a foot from the cellar bottom. The hives are set 

 on these pieces without the bottom-boards, and about 5 inches of space is left be- 

 tween each hive, and the next tier of hives is set over these 5-inch spaces, and so on 

 up. I have tried putting the hives on the cellar bottom, and almost always with 

 poor results to the colonies comprising the lower tiers. Of course it does not matter 

 whether the hives are placed and tiered like this or not ; if they are up from the 

 cellar bottom, and have plenty of bottom ventilation, they are all right as far as 

 that is concerned. 



I always loosen the covers. I do not put anything under them to hold them up, 

 but if they are loosened just before they are put into the cellar, there will be a 

 slight top ventilation which has always given the best results with me. 



If there is a warm day any time during the winter, when the bees can fly, I 

 always carry some of my most choice colonies out, and let them have a good flight. 

 I take one of the carriers into the cellar, and place a couple of bottom-boards on 

 it, and set a hive on each one, and they can be carried out very easily. I do not re- 

 gard this as necessary, but I think it is a good thing to do, as it gives the bees a 

 chance to relieve themselves ; and I have noticed that colonies thus treated seem to 

 be stronger in the spring, and less likely to spring dwindle. 



If the bees are carried out for a flight, the hives should beset in the same places 

 from which they were removed in the fall. For marking the location of each hive, 

 I take a bunch of lath, and saw them up into foot lengths, sharpen one end, and 

 drive a piece down by the side of each hive, and on this I write the number of the 

 hive by which it is set. I have never had any trouble to speak of with bees mixing 

 up and entering the wrong hives, as described by Mr. Dadant in a late number of 

 the American Bee Journal. 



Now there is another thing that I know is very important in cellar-wintering, 

 and that is plenty of fresh air, or, in other words, good ventilation. Thirteen years 

 ago last spring I bought 6 colonies, and started at the business in which I have been 

 actively engaged ever since. In the fall I had 13 colonies which I now know were 

 in good condition. Late in the fall they were put into the house-cellar, one end of 

 which had been partitioned off for their use. The preceding summer I had read an 

 article in which the author very positively stated that bees did not need any air 

 during the winter, so after they were put in I banked the outside door up with 

 straw and earth, and shut both windows tight. The walls of this cellar were thick, 

 composed of hard limestone well laid in mortar ; and the inside was also plastered 

 with two coats of good mortar. Now, good authorities tell us that air will get 

 through such a wall as this ; I am not going to dispute them, but I will say that 

 there cannot enough get through. In the spring 11 of those 13 colonies were dead, 

 and another died soon after they were put out. Those bees were killed by foul 

 air. They did not die because the cellar became too warm. Bees have been win- 

 tered very successfully in a higher temperature with pure air, than that cellar 



