NOVEMBER 1, 1914 



849 



Tliree-year-old apiary of Frank M. Foster, Mt. Blaiuliaril, (■ 



A GOOD START IN ONLY THREE YEAR^ 



r.Y FRANK M. FOSTER 



I am sending a photo which shows a por- 

 tion of our yard, which we started three 

 years ago. This venture has proven to be 

 one that has given pleasure and that has 

 yielded a handsome financial profit each 

 year. 



As you can see, I caught my younger 

 brother in the act of looking into one of the 

 hives. He is very enthusiastic over the bees, 

 the same as myself, and expects to help me 

 when I get my outyards established. 



Mt. Blanchard, Ohio. 



WINTERING IN LOW SHEDS; FEEDING LOAF SUGAR 



BY L. C. LE MAY 



My experience in wintering bees has been 

 very successful. I built a bee house or 

 shed facing the south that will hold six 

 hives, with the front end of the hives ex- 

 ])osed-to the weather. The hives are spaced 

 about 8 or 10 inches apart, so as to allow 

 liacking around the sides and back with 

 leaves or other material. 



The roof or cover is sloped a little to the 

 back and hinged on the front, so it can be 

 I'aised at any time to examine the hives, 

 and is high enough above the hives to admit 

 a full-depth extracting-super or two sec- 

 tion-honey supers. I make a light frame 

 out of y2 X %-inch pine with a brace across 

 the middle to strengthen it. This I cover 



with ordinary wire nelting and fit it into a 

 4^'^-inch plain section-honey super so it will 

 rest on the tin strips that go across the 

 ends. If the screen is tacked on the upi^er 

 side of the frame it leaves about % or % 

 inch of space above the brood-frames when 

 placed directly on the hive-body. This 

 makes a fine clustering-place for the bees 

 in winter. By raising the cushion or pack- 

 ing, whichever the case may be, I can see 

 the bees, the amount of stores, and the con- 

 dition they are in, without disturbing them. 

 I have looked at my bees every month in 

 the year (always on a pleasant day) with- 

 out disturbing them in the least. If it looks 

 as if they were running short of stores I 



