GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



October, 1917 



ditions. The dirt as it is dug out is then 

 thrown outside of the wooden enclosure, 

 leaving a nice embankment on all four sides. 

 This saves rehandling the dirt. 



A wooden ceiling is then placed over the 

 top of the hole, and over this a gable roof. 

 Between the gable and the cellar ceiling 

 proper is placed a quantity of packing 

 material such as straw or hay. A cellar- 

 way is provided at one end with dirt steps, 

 because the dirt is very solid and firm. 

 When the cellar is properly roofed it is 

 complete and will hold 200 colonies. 



A ventilator is provided, reaching- thru 

 the ceiling to within six or eight inches of 

 the bottom of the cellar. This passes up 

 thru the packing material, up into the under 

 side of the gable, but not thru the roof. 

 The ends of the gable are nailed up with 

 loose boards, leaving a little space between 

 so that air can pass back and forth. In 

 this way no direct current of air passes 

 down into the cellar, and yet there is per- 

 fect ventilation. While such ventilation 

 would be sufficient in climates as cold as 

 this, it would hardly be enough in milder 

 climates. 



In Mr. Brown's home cellar he uses a 

 larger dugout and a scheme of ventilation 

 somewhat similar, only the air-pipe goes 

 up into the room above whei'e the atmos- 

 phere is changed gradually. 



From a general survey of conditions and 

 examination of soil it is very apparent 

 that the mcst economical and satisfactory 

 way of wintering in this locality is in the 

 dugouts or cellars just described ; and the 

 fact that such perfect results have been se- 

 cured, and the further fact that outdoor- 



wintered bees, even when they are packed, 

 do not winter very well, would seem to 

 argue lU'etty strongly for the dugouts. 



In an ordinary locality it would doubt- 

 less be necessary to put in a retaining 

 wall, down about the depth that is dug 

 into the gi'ound. It would also be neces- 

 sary to have proper drainage. 



Some other beekeepers in the locality dig 

 cellars into a side hill. This has a little 

 advantage, perhaps, in the fact that there 

 is perfect protection ov-erhead and all 

 around. 



In Fig. 2, the Belf rage yard, the building 

 shown is made up of galvanized iron. It is 

 very cheap, and answers perfectly as an 

 extracting-house. 



Perhaps the statement of " very cheap," 

 so far as it relates to galvanized iron 

 buildings, will need considerable Cjualifica- 

 tion for present conditions. During the 

 last three years this metal has advanced 

 three times its former cost ; and at the 

 present time it would be cheaper to use 

 cheap lumber — the very cheapest and poor- 

 est that there is on the market, and cover 

 it with roofing-paper. We have been using 

 Neponsett rooting-paper on some of our 

 buildings, then gave them a coat or two of 

 paint, and so far this 'covering, after ten 

 years of use, is in excellent condition. 

 With an occasional coat of paint there is 

 no reason why it should not last indefinitely. 

 On account of the high ccst of sheet metal, 

 rcofing-paper will have to be substituted .for 

 hive-covers as well as for houses. A thre? 

 to four ply of asbestos can be used with- 

 out paint. While it will cost more it will 

 never rot nor require paint. 



Pig. 2. — Western Iowa (layout lee-cellar. Ualvani/.cd iron extracting-house in background. 



