802 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



of Jarvis, Cayuga, Rainham and Dunn- 

 ville. 



A vote of thanks was tendered to Mr. 

 Boyer, for the use of his hall, after 

 which the meeting adjourned. 



E. C. Campbell, Sec. 



Tie WlnterinE of Bees. 



C. E. MEAD. 



A box-hive or log gum is a better hive 

 to winter bees in than one with hanging 

 frames with narrow end-bars, both to be 

 single-walled. In a log or box hive, each 

 comb acts as a division-board. In a 

 frame hive the heat goes around the 

 ends of the frames, and perhaps over 

 the tops of them, compelling the bees to 

 warm the whole hive in order to exist. 



A tall hive is better than a shallow 

 wide one. Almost all box and log hives 

 are taller than their diameter. The 

 heat is always above the bees. The 

 combs do not shrink and break the cap- 

 ping, causing the honey to absorb mois- 

 ture and sour, giving the bees the 



Closed-end bars, five frames wide and 

 two stories high, with a tight top, flat on 

 the frames, would make the conditions 

 about equal, provided there was a hole 

 3 inches below the top-bar, in each comb 

 in the top story, in place of sticks. Some 

 may say, " What, no Hill's device over 

 the frames or cushion ?" I use a 5^-inch 

 board over the frames in winter, with 

 two one-inch holes in it— one to feed salt 

 and fresh water, and the other to feed 

 syrup, if needed. 



Box and log hives usually are better 

 stocked with honey. My bees had from 

 80 to 50 pounds of honey last fall, in 

 October, and would all have been dead 

 a month ago if I had not fed them; 60 

 per cent, of them have nine Langstroth 

 frames of brood, also drones, and have 

 plenty of cups for queen-cells. 



In 1866 I bought an old log hive— it 

 was called by the farmer, " the old can- 

 non." It certainly " fired off " a swarm 

 and a box of honey, on an average, 

 every year. It was about a 10-inch 

 " bore " and 3 feet long. It was hung 

 between two posts. A cow broke it 

 down, and as it was about 20 years old, 

 and most of the top knocked off, I got it 

 cheap. 



The bottom-board Avas gone as well, 

 and between the combs at the bottom 

 was filled with snow and frost. I poked 

 it away with a stick. I found in trans- 

 ferring plenty of bees, brood, and in the 



top about 15 pounds of honey, as hard 

 as maple sugar is usually made in Ver- 

 mont. The log I tore in bits with my 

 hands. It was rotten. That was the 

 strongest colony of 35. 



I winter my bees in two ways, on© is 

 with two 'lO-frame hives, four division- 

 boards, and on from 8 to 10 Langstroth 

 frames. The lower hive is raised one 

 inch ; two division-boards, equi-distant 

 from the sides, sawdust between the 

 sides and division-boards, one-half of the 

 frames (the lightest ones) between the 

 division-boards. I put clay (strained so 

 as to be free from sand and gravel) on 

 the top of the bottom-board ; place the 

 top hive on, division-boards in the same 

 proportion as the lower one, and fill the 

 space between the division-boards with 

 the solid frames of honey. I then cover 

 the frames and division-boards with a 

 5^-inch board with two 1-inch holes in 

 it, laid flat on the frames. Clay the top, 

 and put on an empty super. Now fill 

 the sides of the top hive and super with 

 sawdust, put two K-inch sticks across 

 the sucer, and put on the cover. Do this 

 immediately after the honey harvest, 

 leaving the entrance wide open. 



Put me down for bottom ventilation, 

 and plenty of it, and tight top. I never 

 lost a colony packed as above. It is 

 some work to do it. 



I also use bottom entrance, like 

 Manum's outside case, tight top, and 

 one or two story 8 or 10 Langstroth 

 frame hives. 



WINTERING NUCLEI. 



I have wintered nuclei for several 

 years successfully in this way : 



Place a swarm strong in bees and 

 honey on a Manum platform, entrance 

 to the east. Cover the hive with a 3^- 

 inch board ; place the rim around %- 

 inch higher than the hive, and room for 

 5 inches of packing. Now place the 

 nucleus (with at least three solid frames, 

 Langstroth size, of sealed honey or 

 syrup) on top of the board, the entrance 

 facing the south, and combs IK inches 

 from the bottom-board. Extend the en- 

 trance outside of the rim, covered so as 

 not to be clogged with packing. 



I taper the entrance to the outside ; 

 it is then 2 inches wide, %-inch high, 6 

 inches wide at the hive, and 6 inches 

 long. Make a small alighting-board. 

 Raise the back end of nucleus hive one 

 inch, and place a» notched narrow rim 

 over the entrance. Place a rim, or 

 rims, so as to make them 6 inches 

 higher than the nucleus. Put a %• 

 inch board (with feed holes) over the 



