446 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



The Super of Leaves is Satisfactory if the Winter is not Severe. 



clover, and a good fall flow was to be had, all the winter protection 

 needed was the cover and perhaps contraction of the entrance. The 

 majority of western bee-men still give no protection, but the losses 

 of the past few seasons have changed this and a large number are 

 protecting their colonies in various ways. Supers filled with leaves 

 is one method. Another way is to use the queen excluder honey 

 board, with the queen excluder removed for ventilation purposes. 

 This gives the bees upward ventilation, but no protection to speak 

 of in any other way. 



These methods are concerned only with the protection of the 

 top of the hive. 



]\Ir. Robert Stites, of ^Montrose, makes a bottom board of floor- 

 ing obout four inches larger than the outside of the hives each way. 

 Then over the hi\e he slips an outer case. This gives a space about 

 two and a half inches wide all around the hive that may be filled 

 with dry sawdust or other substances like leaves and shavings. Mr. 

 Stites is using dry horse manure. 



]\lr. J. C. ^Matthews, also of Montrose, has a cover board (like 

 illustration) which gives an ample clustering space over the frames, 

 which he claims gives valuable protection to the bees. The bees 

 cluster in this space over the frames, and the leaves placed above 

 absorb whatever vapor is given off. The frame or 1)oard is made of 

 inch stuff, four or five-inch wide. On an 8-frame hive this gives a 



