THE AMERICAN BEE KEEPER. 



19 



are : In cases where large colonies 

 have had a prolific queen through the 

 latter part of the season and abundant 

 stores, they will winter every time on 

 Summer stands more safely, taking 

 the seasons in succession, than in sit- 

 uations specially prepared elsewhere. 

 I prefer to Winter large colonies on 

 Summer stands; the more protection 

 given them the better, because the 

 better they are protected the less stores 

 they consume, and the less wear aud 

 tear there is on their vital organ- 

 isms, and the bees are younger, com- 

 paratively, in the Spring when they 

 are called upon for duty. There are 

 different styles or hives that afford 

 protection, viz : Chaff and air-tight 

 double walls, besides other fixings. I 

 like both kinds, but prefer the double 

 wall filled with still air. 



DO SMALL COLONIES WINTER BEST ? 



In 1870-71, J, W. Hosmer, a queen 

 breeder, tried wintering small colon- 

 ies, about a quart of bees, in order to 

 get as many queens through as he 

 could. He found that when colonies 

 are wintered in a warm place it is not 

 necessary to have a large number of 

 bees in it ; a quart, he said, is amply 

 sufficient for the safety of any queen. 

 If the bees are well stocked with stores 

 and kept comfortably warm they rear 

 brood abundantly toward Spring and 

 come out of their Winter quarters 

 prosperous and in much better order 

 than if they had been stronger in num- 

 bers in the Fall. 



The theory is that the old bees that 

 have consumed honey all the Winter 

 die soon after they fly in the Spring, 

 and have grown older, while younger 

 bees have a lease of life before them 

 and form a more vigorous force for 

 rearing brood, which is about all that 



has to be done the first few weeks in 

 Spring. 



Mr. Hosmer said he always divided 

 up his colonies in the Fall, so that 

 only about one quart occupied each 

 hive. He went so tar as to say he 

 would reduce the numbers of all col- 

 nies even if he had to kill the bees 

 rather than Winter large stocks. This 

 is contrary to the idea common among 

 bee-keepers, but the time has gone by 

 when we can afford to reject a theory, 

 because it is new, or hold to any way 

 of practice, simply because it is the 

 old way. "Prove all things." Mr. 

 Hosmer proved the practice of reduc- 

 ing colonies in the Fall to one quart ; 

 they wintered as safely and success- 

 fully as any large colonies, and as he 

 claimed, more so. Certainly he held 

 the lead in the queen industry and in 

 the production of honey. Let those 

 who try this remember that colonies 

 after being reduced, must be put where 

 frost cannot reach them ; either bury 

 them, put them in cellars kept far 

 above freezing point, or in warm rooms. 



ABOUT VENTILATION IN WINTER. 



When bees are compelled to warm 

 a larger amount of space than is neces- 

 sary for their due amount of stores 

 and brood comb, they are liable to get 

 seriously chilled. One of the most 

 prolific causes of death among bees is 

 want of healthful animal heat. Ani- 

 mal warmth in cold winter weather 

 is as necessary to preserve the health 

 and lives of the old bees, as it is in 

 Summer to preserve the young. 



In order to protect bees, so they 

 may be in a genial home both top and 

 bottom, ventilation should be a thing 

 of the past. I venture to assert that 

 not one of the great many writers who 

 have counseled in the matter, claim- 



