SEPTEMBER 1, 1914 



677 



of honey or sugar syrup, these are the two 

 prime essentials for fall preparation. 



In addition to the foregoing points, men- 

 tion might be made of. upward ventilation 

 in the hive, and how this is arranged for, as 

 ventilation of such a nature is, we consider, 

 a factor in successful wintering. Toward the 



One of a hundred similar colonies wintered as descr 



end of September, after the main supply of 

 propolis is cut off, the old quilts used during 

 the season are replaced with new ones. The?e 

 are made of light-weight canvas or duck, 

 and are impervious to gnawing or tearing, 

 and yet permit of air percolation. By plac- 

 ing them over the hives, next to tlie frames, 

 a week or two before the time for moving in 

 arrives, the bees fasten them down nicely 



witli remains of propolis, and there is no 

 danger of their being blown or shoved off 

 after the wooden cover is removed. Fur- 

 thermore, hives with this covering fit up 

 close together and take up less space in a 

 cellar of limited capacity. 



For a description of the cellar a better 

 idea can be obtained 

 from the photographs 

 than from almost any 

 thing I could say. How- 

 ever, the dimensions of 

 the cellar are 16x20 ft., 

 with a 7-ft. wall. The 

 walls and floor are of 

 cement, and the ceiling 

 i s plastered, making 

 practically a hermetical- 

 ly sealed chamber — all 

 underground with the 

 exception of the six-inch 

 tile pipe running under 

 gTound some 60 feet and 

 rising in the center of 

 the cellar floor. Dii'ect- 

 ly above this is another 

 six-inch ventilator, en- 

 tering the bee-house 

 proper through the cel- 

 lar ceiling. The cellar is 

 entered through a porch 

 and double doors.* 



The outstanding feat- 

 ure of the cellar, and 

 undoubtedly the one rea- 

 son why the bees winter 

 with such uniform suc- 

 cess year after year, is 

 because of the constancy 

 of the temperature. I 

 have records taken every 

 day all of one winter, 

 and the thermometer re- 

 mained at 40 degrees 

 Fahrenheit with only the 

 slightest variations the 

 entire time, even though 

 30 and 40 degrees below 

 zero was recorded many 

 times outside. The air 

 passing through a cowl 

 .,,,,,„, at the end of the sub- 



.bed by Mr. Sehvj-n. ^^^.^^ ventilator becomes 



modified and assumes ground temperature. 

 Much moisture cr water vapor and carbon 

 dioxide are constantly being given off by the 

 bees, which pass through the porous covers 

 over each cluster and then passes up through 

 the ceiling-vent into the room above. In 

 cold snaps i(s vnluipo may be judged by the 



Pee cover picture for tliis issue. 



