THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



209 



This swarm proved more difficult to find. Wlicu 

 I loolved where tliey ought to be, they were not 

 there. At last I found tliem going into a root 

 on the ground and thence into the tree, which 

 was a small oak in nu opening. This was far 

 beyond my expectations. 



Now for a Utile extra luck. On the 28th of 

 April, I found and hewed a very fine swarm. 

 In ten days they filled their hive, and seemed 

 almost rrady to swarm. At this lime I broke 

 out their honey. May 31st, went to see my 

 swarm in the root, wdien to my surprise, on a 

 bush, about twelve feet from the old stock, 

 hwug a young swarm waiting to be hived. I 

 returned to the house, procured a hive, hived 

 them, and they were doing well when I left. 



I have lived in the Eastern States, and have 

 been bi'yond the Mississippi, all the while having 

 an eye to bee-culture, and from what I know 

 and could learn, I should prefer Virginia for a 

 short term of 3'ears to raise bees for profit. The 

 winters are short there. A knowledge of the 

 bee could be made to pay in large ratio. 



I have wintered my eighty stocks without 

 the loss of any. W. C. Newton. 



Oswego, N. Y. 



[For the American Bee Journal ] 



Wintering of Bees in the Open Air. 



For many years I have been persuaded that 

 bee-keeping would never flourish as it should, 

 unless some cheap and simple mode could be 

 devised, bj' which bees may be safely wintered 

 on their summer stands, instead of being placed 

 in special depositories. To say nothing of the 

 cost of such structures, and the great labor and 

 judgement needed for their proper use, they are 

 open to disadvantages which cannot be reme- 

 died, even by the most skilful and jKudent 

 management. After the bees have been placed 

 on their stands, if the weather suddenly chan- 

 ges, a cold wind springing up and clouds ob- 

 scuring the sun, it is often found that as many 

 bees are lost as if the colonies had wintered in 

 the open air. Stocks that have wintered w^cll 

 on their stands, are usually more forward in 

 breeding than those of equal strength which 

 have been put in special depositories. When 

 first set out, the latter have a deceptive appear- 

 ance of strength ; for the old and feeble bees 

 which would have died if they had been win- 

 tered in the open air, perish soon after they be- 

 gin to fly. 



However successful skilful bee-keepers who 

 liave large apiaries, may be with winter depos- 

 itories, the great majority of those who keep 

 but a few slocks, will never winter them any- 

 where but on their summer stands. 



After years of experimenting, I have devised 

 a cheap and simple plan which promises to ef- 

 fect as great a revolution in the wintering of 

 bees in movable comb hives, as the movable 

 frames have produced in their summer manage- 

 ment. By this plan prudent bee-keepers may 

 winter bees in the open air, in hives having 

 movable frames or bars, as well (if not belter, 



all things taken into account), as in any special 

 depository. The phm is applicable to any old 

 hive now in use, and will bo made known in 

 .ample time to use the ensuing winter. My 

 health and the pressure of other duties, will 

 prevent cither myself or son from replying to 

 any letter of inquiry on tins subject. If the 

 plan should be patented, all parties owning the 

 right to use the Langstroth hive, will be enti- 

 tled to use this plan, without any charge, as 

 long at least as my extended patent is in force. 

 L. L. Langstkoth- 

 OxFORD, Butler Co., Ouio., 



March 30lh, 1868. 



[For the Americaa Bee Journal.] 



Wintering Bees. 



Mr. Editor :— If all bee-kcpers read your 

 valuable paper with the same interest that I do, 

 I am sure they will endeavor to contribute 

 something for its pages ; and the more the bet- 

 ter, as I am sure you will select the best for the 

 greatest number of your readers. 



As my success in wintering bees, and how I 

 do it, may be of interest and value to others, 

 I communicate it for their benefit ; and if any 

 have a better plan, let us have it, for it is cer- 

 tain that the loss in wintering bees, in this sec- 

 tion of country at least, is more than from all 

 other causes combined. 



After experimenting in difi"erent methods of 

 wintering, some of which were better than an 

 out-door exposure and others not so good, I 

 judged it more economical to build a permanent 

 house for this purpose. Selecting a place conve- 

 nient to my apiary and of easy access, I com- 

 menced operations hj making an excavation 

 seven (7) feet wide, eighteen (18) feet long, 

 and three and a half (3}) feet deep, and bricked 

 it up level with the ground, except a space in 

 one end for a door. On this wall I built the 

 house, with side walls two and a half (2^) feet 

 high ; with good tight roof, and two ventilators 

 therein, one at eacli end ; with tight double- 

 doors at one end. After lathing and plastering 

 it entire on the inside, and giving it a cement 

 floor, I considered it complete, sufficiently 

 roomy for about fifty stocks of bees, with a pas- 

 sage way between the ranges of hives, so that 

 any of them can be seen and attended to at any 

 time. AVhen setting in my bees for the winter, 

 I take off the caps of the hives, and put a straw 

 mat over each. 



The advantages which a house of this kind 

 possesses over any other are, 1st, an even tem- 

 perature, or so much so that j'ou can regulate 

 it at will. 2d, ease of access at all times; and 

 never fearing any loss from fire, which might 

 occur if they were kept in the cellar of your 

 dwelling. 3d, it provides a convenient place in 

 summer for extra hives, honey-boxes surplus 

 honey, tools to be used about the apiary ; and 

 in short, a repository for everything you want 

 just where you want it. 4th, and what I con- 

 sider of the utmost importance, my bees consume 

 one-half less honey than when wintered on 

 their summer stands. 



