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THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



actively interested in a problem of human progress. Just such stim- 

 ulus as is being given to this and other lines of agriculture will 

 come to our craft when we are given the opportunity to do definite 

 and accurate work in research and breeding. It is said that ten 

 generations, line bred of pure blood to fix characteristics dominant 

 in both parents, will produce a thoroughbred. We are getting thor- 

 oughbreds in everything, even in our corn and potatoes. It is not 

 too much to hope that we shall yet have a thoroughbred race of bees 

 — and bee-keepers. 



WinterinsT Bees in the West. 



By WESLEY FOSTER. 



Two methods were shown on the Colorado Agricultural College 

 Demonstration Train during the past spring. They were not in- 

 tended so much to be followed in detail as to suggest to the average 

 bee man ways by which he could bring a larger percentage of his 

 hives through the winter. And from the interest shown I am satis- 

 fied that the effort will bear fruit. 



One was a small model of a willow brush fence around a bee 

 yard. Fig. 1 shows a picture of the model. Any farmer w th access 

 to willow brush could make one. The wires of the fence run on 

 each side of the posts and the brush is stuck down between. Or, if 

 you have no brush, use woven wire instead on each side of the posts 

 and pack the intervening space with straw. Such a fence will pro- 

 tect from hard fall, winter, and spring- winds. Then if the fence is 

 tight, meddlesome boys or honey thieves will not be so likely to 

 molest the apiary. 



Fig. 2 shows the method used to illustrate wintering bees in 

 clamps. A small model, as shown, was made to represent eight 

 hives set back to back and the supers filled with leaves, the whole 

 top then covered with a corrugated iron roof, tlie entrances closed 

 and each colony given an entrance at the top of the hive under the 

 corrugated iron cover. Straw then is packed around and covered 

 with boards or corrugated iron to keep it dry. Mr. Polhemus, of 

 Prowers county, uses this method except in some small details. He 

 uses dirt in place of straw to pack around the hive? and it seems to 



