224 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



terial, only they happen to come 

 handy to me. I now remove the 

 honey-board, and cover the combs 

 with a wire-cloth screen, allowing a 

 ■bee space between. This screen an- 

 :swers also as the best passable winter 

 feeder for feeding the sugar and 

 ;honey mixture. If this screen is put 

 on too early in the fall, or left on too 

 late in spring, the bees will propolize 

 it badly. Oyer the screen 1 apply 

 plenty of comfortables or sacks filled 

 with leaves or shavings at least six 

 inches thick. In the cover, ample 

 ventilation is provided by a two-inch 

 hole on opposite sides and as near 

 the roof as possible. I never pack 

 the cover solid full, because I want 

 space for the wind to blow freely 

 through and through, in at one hole 

 and out at the other, I count this 

 ventilation over the packing as very 

 important, and not at all inconsistent 

 with keeping the brood-nest warm. 

 Everybody knows that dry clothing 

 is much warmer than damp, and this 

 ample circulation of air is just what 

 keeps them dry, and consequently 

 warm and comfortable, if they have 

 plenty of packing. It is surprising 

 how much dampness a colony can 

 develop in cold weather, and I attrib- 

 ute my success largely to the fact of 

 knowing how to get it out of the hive 

 without chilling the bees too much. 

 Keep them warm and dry is a good 

 motto. Sunshine never harmed my 

 bees in winter, but bleak and windy 

 locations are bad. Snow and ice 

 are harmless, indeed, I rather like to 

 see my hives well buried in snow ; 

 however, I try to keep ice away from 

 the entrance somewhat, and cant the 

 hive forward a little to prevent any 

 water from running in, also raise the 

 hive from the ground just enough to 

 avoid snow water. I never cut any 

 holes in the combs for winter pas- 

 sages (useless). I never pay any 

 attention to pollen. It is true my bees 

 will spatter their hives quite a lot in 

 spring when taking their first flights, 

 but it is seldom I lose a colony from 



this cause. But, says one, don't the 

 rain and snow beat in those great 

 holes in the cap ? I answer, yes, a 

 very little at times, but it soon dries 

 out again, and withal, much more 

 dampness passes out than ever comes 

 in. I have tried holes of one inch 

 in diameter, also an inch and a half, 

 but I find one and three-fourths 

 about the correct size, and they 

 should always be covered with wire 

 cloth. I begin to unpack my hives 

 about tlie first of May, or when they 

 begin to call for more room. The 

 standing or closed end frame seems 

 best adapted to my system of win- 

 tering. The new Bay State hive is 

 of this description and must at least 

 be a good one for out door winter- 

 ing. I don't think I should care to 

 use "chaff hives" or those in which 

 the packing is permanent, as they are 

 too expensive and heavy to handle, 

 also liable to get water-logged. If 

 packing becomes wet and frozen it 

 is worse than none at all. 



In my opinion packing is much 

 better than a mere dead-air space. 

 Did you ever see an ice house built 

 on the " dead-air" plan without be- 

 ing packed with speni tan or saw- 

 dust ? The same principle applies to 

 the bee hive. We pack our bees to 

 keep the animal heat in, and we pack 

 our ice to keep the solar heat out. 

 The best packing material is that 

 which is the poorest conductor of 

 heat and cold. Water is a good 

 conductor, therefore, dampness de- 

 stroys the value of the packing. 



When I go to bed on a cold win- 

 ter night I don't cover myself up in 

 enamel cloth or a rubber blanket ex- 

 pecting to keep warm by preventing 

 a circulation of air. Did I do so, I 

 should find myself damp and cold, 

 and sickness would soon follow. 

 But I cover myself with ])orous 

 woollen blankets, that pass off damp- 

 ness and keep me dry and warm. 

 Why not give the bees the benefit 

 of the same logic ? I am well aware 

 that bees winter at times under al- 



