(ESTABLISH F:D 1888) 



OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE 

 NATIONAL BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION 



Office OF Pu BLiCATiON - - - 230 \A/oodlan d Aven u e 



VOL. XXV. DETROIT, MICHIGAN, SEPTEMBER 1, 1912. No. 9. 



The Hutchinson Bee Cellars. 



ELMER HUTCHINSON. 



'^^^ HE past winter I have received a good many inquiries about 

 ^j our bee cellars here in Northern ]\Iichigan. People wish- 

 to know how they are built, how we arrange the bees in 

 them, what care we gi\'e them winters, if any, etc., etc. The 

 Editor of the Review has kindly allowed me to answer them all at 

 once in the Reniew. 



HOW TKZ: CBIiIiARS ARE BUII.T. 



Several years ago my brother. \\'. Z. H., described very fully 

 in the Review how our cellars were built. For the benefit of those 

 who have not read the articles, I will briefly describe how are 

 cellars are built, ^\"hen possible, we alwa.vs choose a side iiill for 

 the site on which to build, making the door at the lower end ; we 

 do not have to have any stairs. I would rather have the door facing 

 North. South is the least desirable, but we have to have the door 

 face whichever way the hill slopes. 



We use a team and scraper to dig the hole, then set cedar 

 posts about three feet apart along the sides and ends; then we 

 spike a 2x8 crosswise of the cellar to each pair of posts, on the 

 sides of the posts, letting them come even with the top of the posts ; 

 then spike a 2x8 lengthwise of the cellar on each side on top of the 

 posts, and one across each end. Then we board up the sides and 

 ends with inch lumber, nail a floor overhead to the bottom side of 

 the joists, and build a hatchway at the lower end. We now use a 

 team to scrape the earth back around the cellar, banking it up even 



