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bees for the winter's rest. This is a subject that is of perennial interest 

 in the bee journals, in fact scarcely a number is issued that does not con- 

 tain the results of experiments made by beekeepers on every part of this 

 continent, and varied are the recommendations as to the best methods of 

 taking care of the insects. The inspectors took especial interest in the 

 subject, and their note-books record the observations they made so that 

 at the end of the season they might be able to make sound recommenda- 

 tions as to what is best. 



It may be worth while to make a few extracts from one inspector's 

 notes: "On this ranch were found two dozen colonies, mostly in boxes. 

 Nothing appears to have been done excepting to hive swarms. In a few 

 instances there were regular hives, on top of some of which there were 

 placed supers with sections, on others supers without sections, while in 

 many instances there were frameless boxes piled one above another, and 

 all apparently had been in that condition for years. All the entrances 

 were small, just half an inch by three inches. Some leaked air upwards 

 freely, but others were sealed tight with propolis so that the only source 

 of ventilation was through the entrance. Notwithstanding the variety of 

 conditions most of the colonies were in magnificent shape so that wintering 

 must have been very good. One miserable swarm had been hived in a thin 

 fruit packing box whose bottom-board, now the roof, was made of %-inch 

 lumber. Before winter the swarm had been unable to build a full set of 

 combs, in fact the completed patch was only about ten inches square and 

 deep, occupying little more than one-third of the available space. The 

 roof leaked freely as the boards did not meet by at least one-eighth of an 

 inch. In rainy weather the combs must have been sodden wet, in fact were 

 so when the inspector first saw them in May, yet the colony had survived 

 the winter and was struggling to make headway, although thousands of 

 dead bees were still adhering to the combs. Winter temperature ran to 

 11 deg. below zero, while the rainfall averaged about six inches monthly 

 all winter." 



Out of curiosity the inspector cleaned out the dead bees, laid oilcloth 

 along the crack and placed a board on top to shed the rain. It seemed 

 impossible that a handful of bees in such a miserable shelter could ever 

 amount to anything, but he wanted to see what could be done. Exactly 

 a month later a second visit was made to this apiary, when this colony was 

 found to have grown large enough not only to cover the old combs, but 

 to build an equal amount of new. Arrangements were made to transfer 

 it into a regular 10-frame hive, and by the middle of August it was sold 

 to an experienced beekeeper from England who was delighted with its 

 condition. 



Here is a note that occurs frequently, "Two-story all winter," or "Story 

 with empty combs above all winter; very strong, one of the best colonies 

 that has been seen." 



Another condition is briefly put in this remark, "Wintered on summer 

 stands, with no direct protection, but under rainproof shed which was 

 closed at back and at both ends. In fairly strong condition. Owner says 

 that when the sun shone brightly on cold winter days the bees were 

 tempted to fly out, got chilled, dropped down and died. Bees faced south." 

 To those who understand, this note is very illuminative. The closed 

 space soon warms up under the sun's direct rays and the warmth tempts 

 the bees to venture out. The rainproof roof is all right, but the closed 



