mer stands in the apiary, perhaps for a fort- 

 nijjlit, they do not contain over one-lialf 

 their numbers wlien taken from tiie cellar, 

 and why ? Because the bees beinjj unnatu- 

 rally confined, living in an impure atmo- 

 spiiere, iinder-sround. have not suflicient 

 vitality, and when they fly away from their 

 hives they cannot return. This is what is 

 generally termed " spring dwindiiiiy." 



Bees in plain box hives, whether movable 

 comb or not. sometimes winter on tlie sum- 

 mer stand if left alone without any care ; 

 but this is only an exception, and not the 

 rule, for if those same colonies had the 

 proper protection, they would have C(m- 

 sumed much less nutriment, and contain 

 more bees and brood at the openinji of 

 spring; and during winter, when cold and 

 piercing storms are raging, the apiarist who 

 properly winters his pets, can sit in bis 

 comfortable room and feel happy and con- 

 tented, knowing that his bees are also com- 

 fortable and enjoying their long winter rest. 



The condition of the colony in the fall has 

 a great deal to do with successful wintering. 

 A colony, to winter well and be ready for 

 early spring work must contain — First, a 

 goodly number of workers ; second, a 

 healthy, prolific queen ; third, abundance of 

 honey and pollen stored in clean comb. 

 Thirty to forty pounds of honey is not det- 

 rimental, although twenty-five will do— more 

 is an advantage in this latitude. I never 

 found a single colony suffer from too much 

 honey, if properly handled— many good and 

 much-respected authorities to the contrary 

 do not alter the fact. 1 am satisfied that 

 where one colony suffers from too mucli 

 honey, ten tiiousand suffer from not having 

 enough. I never saw a colony on the first of 

 October that had not some empty comb or 

 comb with brood. If honey is plenty, then 

 empty or brood cells are in the lower front 

 corners of the combs, just where they should 

 he. and until extreme cold weather sets in, 

 which in this locality— south-western Penn- 

 sylvania—usually occurs the latter part of 

 November, enough honey is consumed to 



five plenty room for the swarm to cluster, 

 am now speaking of colonies having good 

 laying queens, my experience since 1863 hav- 

 ing been with Italians. 



Bees can also cluster on sealed honey- 

 combs and not suffer. Here I am again on 

 forbidden ground. But I array facts against 

 theory, for I have often found in my obser- 

 vations, when the mercury was visiting in 

 the vicinity of zero, bees nicely clustered 

 against their warm woolen quilts, although 

 all seven trames were filled and sealed for 

 at least 4 to 6 inches from the top-bar of 

 frame downward, the rear ends of the frames 

 generally being full of honey. This can 

 only be done when the warmth is retained 

 so that the combs can be kept warm by the 

 bees. This, however, cannot be done by a 

 single wall hive, or in any hive having a 

 honey-lioard, although it may have a dozen 

 inch-holes, as nmisture will condense, and 

 warmth escape too rapidly. 



An')tber point that must not be overlooked 

 is the number and shape of combs. To try 

 to winter with ten or eleven frames is an 

 error. More than seven frames are positively 

 injurious— for medium colonies, five frames 

 are enough. Bees cannot move from one 



side of the brood-chamber to the other, on 

 to new combs, in cold weather, without 

 chilling, and this is why many colonies are 

 reduced or altogether lost in hives having a 

 large number of frames. By using a comb 

 about 10 inches deep and 18 inches from 

 front to rear, the Inniey is always above and 

 rearward of the bees, and as the honey near- 

 est the swarm is consumed, the bees can 

 easily follow for fresh supplies, without 

 changing combs. 



To fully secure the bees against cold and 

 the sudden changes of temperature, and to 

 insensibly pass off the moisture exhaled by 

 the bees, I have made the Combination 

 Movable-Comb Bee-House, which in winter 

 consists of the brood-chamber and the outer 

 case or house. A dead-air space of 4 inches 

 being all around between the brood-chamber 

 and inside walls of the house, and a space 

 7 inches from top-bar of frames to upper edge 

 of outer case or house. The frames have 

 open tops and closed ends, being 13 inches 

 deep and 19 inches from front to rear, out- 

 side. Seven frames form the brood-cham- 

 ber. About 3 inches below the top bar, 

 several passage holes are made about one 

 half inch in diameter, for the bees to pass 

 back and forth, and to equalize the warmth 

 of the colony. Across the top-bars of the 

 frames, several strips of wood, one half inch 

 square, are laid, and over the whole — as a 

 coverof hive or brood-nest— a woolen quilt 

 is spread, being 6 to 8 inches larger each 

 way than the top of brood-chamber. 



The space of 4 inches between the sides 

 of brood-chamber and house is well packed 

 with wheat chaff, or cut straw, if chaff can- 

 not be had, and on top of quilt the sjiace of 

 7 inches is also filled with same material, 

 when the roof is put on, which has a venti- 

 lator at each end to give free circulation of 

 air. This keeps the bees perfectly warm 

 and dry. 



The brood-chamber entrance is so adjusted 

 as to come near the right hand corner, while 

 the portico entrance is moved to the left 

 hand, thus no direct blast of air can strike 

 the hive entrance, neither is there any dan- 

 ger of the entrance closing with ice as it is 

 always protected, and comparatively dark. 



For in-doors, I simply place the brood- 

 chamber several feet above the floor of the 

 cellar, covering the frames with a warm 

 woolen quilt, and contract the entrance to 

 one-half inch in width. This keeyis the 

 bees dry and warm, the moisture passing off 

 through the quilt, whilst the warmth is re- 

 tained. Several times during winter, on 

 warm days, they are set out for a fly. 



With this system I have now wintered my 

 bees for 5 seasons and not lost a single col- 

 ony, which fact assures me that my system 

 is correct. 



Hoping that my fellow bee-keepers may 

 be benefiteil by my experience and obser- 

 vations, is the desire of your obedient ser- 

 vant. H. H. Flick. 



Mayfield Apiary, Lavansville, Pa. 



Mr. Oatnian had known bees put into 

 winter quarters, with a honey board fastened 

 down with propolis, come out equally as 

 well as others covered with quilts. 



Mr. Betsingerwas glad that others were 

 accepting his theory, that bees would win 

 ter well on combs of solid honey. 



