Sept. 15, 1911 



cubic yards of sand, or 12 cubic yards of bank- 

 run gravel, and 15 bbls. Portland cement. 



One striking advantage of these cellars is 

 that rats and mice can not gain entrance to 

 them. Not only do they afford ideal storage 

 conditions for bees in winter, but also serve 

 as a cool place for many other purposes in 

 the summer. 



Philadelphia, Pa. 



[We should judge that a cellar of the size 

 mentioned, 8x10 feet in the clear, would be 

 about right for wintering from ;>0 (o 40 colo- 

 nies in ten-frame hives, since it is usually 

 conceded that 100 ten-frame colonies require 

 a room at least 12x15 or 16 feet. 



The only suggestion that we have to make 

 is that a side hill be selected if possible. A 

 colony of bees, especially in the fall, when 

 it is heavy with honey, is no light affair by 

 any means, and steps or stairs greatly in- 

 crease the amount of time and labor requir- 

 ed for moving the bees in or out. — Ed.] 



OUTDOOR WINTERING IN NEW YORK. 



BY PERCY ORTON. 



For cellar wintering here, we make sure 

 that the combs contain plenty of honey, 

 then put over the top-bar a Hill device and 

 two thicknesses of clean burlap. The chaff- 

 tray, 12 inches deep, is filled either with 

 chaff or planer shavings; over the top of 

 the tray there is ventilation, which is one 

 of the most essential features in connection 

 with outdoor wintering in this locality. 

 The wooden covers are protected by tin, 

 well painted. 



Fig. 1 shows the 



cover and chaff tray 

 removed from a hive 

 and set to one side. 

 Fig. 2 shows Cauca- 

 sian bees flying from 

 the tops of the brood- 

 combs after the cov- 

 ers and packing were 

 taken off. The Cau- 

 casians will fly in 

 this way and return 

 without loss, even 

 when snow is on the 

 ground. The Ital- 

 ians do not seem to 

 be able to stand the 

 cold. We have plen- 

 ty of snow every year 

 that lasts until late 

 in the winter. 



We have found that 

 the deep chaff-trays, 

 over burlap, with ven- 

 tilation above, give 

 better results here 

 than sealed covers 

 under the tray. My 

 experience c oy e r s 

 fourteen years of out- 

 door wintering with 

 blacks, Italians, and 



5fi3 



Caucasians; the latter are more active, fly 

 when it is colder, gather more honey (also 

 propolis), sting more after the honey-flows 

 are over, and are the poorest comb-honey 

 builders. 

 Northampton, N. Y. 



TWO QUEENS TO INSURE PLENTY OF BEES 

 FOR THE HONEY-FLOW. 



A Double Colony Separated by only a Screen. 



BY GEO. W. RICH. 



The plan of keeping two queens in a hive 

 with two entrances is a success with me; but 

 it has no advantage except in early brood- 

 rearing. All ai)iarists know that, in a heavy 

 honey-flow, one queen furnishes all the 

 brood, and sometimes more than needed to 

 keep a full sui)i)ly of bees; but just before 

 the honey-flow, one can hardly have too 

 many bees; hence the advantage of the two 

 queens. In this locality the honey-flow be- 

 gins from the 1st to the 15th of May. So, in 

 order to work my jilan one would have to 

 order his queens from someone in the South, 

 so as to have them by March loth. By that 

 time here, almost all "colonies will have from 

 three to four frames of brood or more. 



In each hive to be worked, shake all the 

 bees off three or more frames of brood, and 

 put them in an empty hive-body, with 

 enough frames of combs containing some 

 honey to All the body. In i)lace of the three 

 frames of brood, insert three empty combs. 

 Over this first hive put a wire screen and 



Fig. 1.— Orton's deep chaff-tray removed from the hive. Over the top- 

 bars of the frames a HiU device is placed;^aiid on this, two thicknesses of 

 bvirlap. 



