38 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[Aua. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



"Wmtering Bees in a Olamp. 



Being desirous of putting my bees in some 

 kind of a rei^ository, burying them in a clamp 

 was suggested to me by reading the plan of 

 Pastor Scholtz, in Langstroth on the honey bee, 

 and Klanke in the October number of the Bee 

 Journal. 



The first days of November I marked off a 

 space on dry ground 24x8 feet, and threw out 

 the earth to the depth of two feet. Through 

 entire length of the center of this pit I dug a 

 trench 2 feet deep and 2 in width, for an air 

 chamber. At either end of this pit 2-inch ven- 

 tilating tubes 3 inches in diameter were placed 

 running to the surface outside the clamp when 

 covered, at an angle of 45 degrees, across this 

 trench from side to side scantling were placed 

 8 feet in length and 2 feet apart over which to 

 place the hives, the trench serving the purpose 

 of an air chamber beneath them. Set a post at 

 either end of this trench 8 feet long and 8x10 

 inches, over which I placed a ridge pole 24 

 feet long 6x6 inches, and equal distance from 

 the ends, placed under it supports to keep the 

 roof from yielding to pressure. Put on rafters 

 from the bank to ridge pole 8 feet long 3x6 in. 

 wide every 4 feet and covered with roof boards 

 as you would do in shingling a barn. Any old 

 boards planed the way of the rafters would 

 direct the moisture from the inside should it 

 reach them. Left a hole in the side large 

 enough to put in my hives. Put in a tube 4x4 

 near one end for upward ventilation, and another 

 2x2 in. in the center of the side to put a ther- 

 mometer in which I attached to a rod that I 

 might note the inside temperature daily. 

 Another thermometer was placed 12 in. from 

 my bed room window, on the north side of my 

 house, for outside observations. Put on 6 in. 

 straw and 1 2 in. of dirt, and all was ready. 



On the 20th of Nov. the thermometer being 

 at 32" and cloudy, I weighed each Langstroth 

 hive after removing the covers and marked 

 the weight on the portico of the hive. 42 

 swarms were thus placed side by side forming 

 just one course over the surface of the pit. 100 

 swarms could be placed in a clamp ofthis size, 

 but mine was made permanent and for future 

 use. All bottom ventilation was stopped, and 

 the honey boards placed crosswise the hive next 

 to the bank of the pit ; thus they were half 

 uncovered ; and with much trepidation at my 

 boldness in hazarding so much on an experi- 

 ment, I bid them a good night's rest, and left 

 them to darkness and quiet, sealed up the 

 entrance uniform with the rest of the clamp 

 and it was done. 



How will it end ? was my anxious questioning 

 during the long and extremely cold winter that 

 followed. My thermometer was compared daily 

 at 8 a. m. in the record that follows. One of 



the 3-in. ventilators was open all the time, the 

 others were closed in extreme cold weather. I 

 am certain that more ventilation would be ben- 

 eficial, by putting an upright one 4x4 in the 

 center for reasons that follow. 



WEATHER REPOBT OP '72-73. 



1873, Nov. (11 days,) inside the_.clamp, 39" 



" " outside, niax. 42" min. 18". 



Average for month outside, 28". 

 Dec. inside the clamp, 39". 



" outside, max. 43" min. 4" below. 

 Average outside, 18". 

 1873 Jan. inside the clamp, 39". 



" outside, max. 34" min. 8" below. 

 Average outside, 20". 

 Feb. inside the clamp, 39". 



" outside, max. 42" min. 6" below. 

 Average outside, 18". 

 Mar. 20 days, inside the clamp, 39" 



" " outside, max. 42" min, 6" bel. 



Average outside, 22". 

 Thus you will see the temperature inside did 

 not vary from 39" during 120 days, while out- 

 side we had polar winds and arctic cold with 

 very much snow and 16 in. of ice in our streams. 

 Not a day from the 20th of Nov. to the 2d of 

 April that bees could fly without chilling in. 

 this latitude. Many bees were dead the 1st of 

 Jan., and all for want of a cleansing flight had 

 soiled their combs badly, and were in a coma- 

 tose state. 



Comparisons to be just must be made in the 

 same localities. One neighbor lost 45 out of 

 79 hives, another 60 out of 70, another 7 out of 

 9, another 34, all he had, while at this date, 

 July 11th, they have barely reached the swarm- 

 ing point. While from mine I have at same 

 date taken out 700 pounds box honey and made 

 18 swarms, and still they are working with a 

 will. 



To return to my subject; my bees had been 

 confined 120 days, and though the weather was 

 below the freezing point and snow deep, 'I 

 dared not leave them longer So the 20th of 

 March I opened the entrance to the clamp the 

 earth was frozen 10 in., 2 in. unfrozen, straw 

 damj), roof boards dry outside, inside some 

 moisture had settled upon the roof and a slight 

 mould also. A bee on the wing met me at the 

 entrance with a joyful hum that gladdened my 

 heart — did not find them torpid — they were 

 thickly clustered on the top of the frames and 

 edges of the honey boards, found not a comb 

 that I here discarded from mould, and from one 

 to three frames of brood to the hive. Thus dis- 

 posing of the theory that bees will not breed in 

 darkened confinement. Found 1 queenless hive 

 dead, and 3 three comb under that I had used 

 for queen rearing, and ventilated the same as 

 full hives, they could not keep up the requisite 

 heat. Another hive had but a pint of bees but 

 a fine Italian queen. I gave brood from time 

 to time, and at this date, July 1 1th, they have 



