460 THE bee-keeper's GUIDE; 



1880-81 : second, such cumbrous hives are inconvenient to 

 handle in summer ; and, third, they are expensive. That they 

 would in part supply the place of shade, is, perhaps, in their 

 favor, while Mr. A. I. Root thinks they are not expensive. 



Mr. O. O. Poppleton, one of our most intelligent bee- 

 keepers, shows practically that the first objection given above 

 is not valid. So, very likely, the failure in so many apiaries 

 in 1880-81 was rather due to improper use. Mr. Poppleton 

 claims numerous advantages for these hives : 



1st. In his hands, success. 



2d. They permit early preparation for winter. 



3d. They give entire freedom from care of the bees from 

 September till March. 



4th. Preparation for winter requires only slight labor. 



Sth. We can easily get at the bees at any time. 



6th. The bees are not excited by a slight rise in tempera- 

 ture, and so are not lost by flying on cold days ; do not breed 

 in winter and spring when they need quiet, and do not 

 "dwindle " in spring. 



7th. They are valuable aids in building up nuclei aad 

 weak colonies at cold periods at any one time of the year. 



8th. They are specially desirable to protect the bees in 

 April and May, and prevent " spring dwindling." 



RULES FOR THEIR USE. 



Mr. Poppleton urges the following important points : 



1st. Pack early in autumn before cold weather, and do not 

 remove the packing till the warm weather has come to stay. 



2d. Have five or six inches on all sides of the bees, oifine 

 cAfl^— timothy is best — entirely freed from straw. 



3d. Be sure and have the. chaff below the bees, as well as 

 above and on the sides. 



4th. Do not put the chaff above the bees on loose, but con- 

 fine in sacks. This is for convenience and neatness. 



Sth. Have as much empty space as possible inside the hive 

 and outside the packing ; and never let the cover to the hive 

 rest immediately on the packing. 



6th. Crowd the bees on to a few frames— never more than 

 eight — and the packing close to the bees. 



