The American Apicultiirist. 



% Journal bebottb ia jjradiral ^wlutping. 



ENTERED AT THE POST-OFFICE, WICNHAM, AS SECOND-CLASS IMATTEIl. 



Published Monthly. Henry Alley, Manager. 



VOL. IV. 



WENHAM, MASS., NOV. i, 1886. 



No. II. 



For the American Apiculturist. 



WINTERING AND DIAR- 

 RHCEA. 



C. H. Dayton. 



Having received a dozen letters 

 asking questions concerning my meth- 

 od of out-door wintering, as given in 

 the October number of the "x\m. 

 Api," I will again try to make my- 

 self understood \ and as this method 

 is applied just before the setting in of 

 winter, perhaps it would not be out 

 of season in the November number. 

 Some of the questions are like these : 

 Is the method cheap and safe ? Do 

 the leaves not become wet and 

 mouldy and then freeze solidly clear 

 through ? How large is the aperture 

 in the earth above the hive ? How 

 thick should the leaves be ? How early 

 do I remove the dirt and leaves in the 

 spring? Does it render the bee yard 

 uneven and untidy ? 



As I have said before, all there is 

 of this method of wintering is to 

 first cover the hives with leaves and 

 then with earth. Provide them with 

 a tube of some kind leading from 

 the entrance to the outside air, then 

 leave the aperture at the top and the 

 job is done, [t does not require one 

 cent of money. I know of no meth- 

 od as safe, and I am sure nothing 

 could be cheaper. Some ask where 

 I get so many leaves? The place 

 where every apiary should be located 

 is on the south and east side of heavy 

 timber ; this alone I believe will often 

 bring success in the place of failure. 



If we are to continue in apicul- 



ture, the aim should be the highest 

 success, and that cannot be attained 

 without taking every possible advan- 

 tage, and a heavily timbered wind 

 break I consider second to no other. 

 The reader will imagine where I get 

 the leaves. 



That the leaves may not get wet, 

 etc., I choose a dry time, just at the 

 approach of cold weather, for doing 

 this work ; at a time when the leaves 

 and earth both are dry. As the 

 aperture, at the top, exposing the 

 leaves, is about eight inches in di- 

 ameter, it will be well protected by 

 inverting a hive cap over it. Earth 

 thrown up in the shape of a mound 

 always sheds water. 



Other suggestions might be given 

 as setting the hive on a rim of wood 

 to raise the combs up from the bot- 

 tom-board to prevent the clogging of 

 the combs with dead bees. Division 

 boards at the sides of the combs 

 may be used ; and a small board or 

 sticks, leaned against the front and 

 back sides of the hive opposite the 

 cluster before the leaves are placed 

 around, would make the certainty a 

 little more absolute. 



This method comprises all the 

 good points there are in both cellar 

 and out- door wintering, and some- 

 thing fit to cling to not possessed 

 by either. The packing should re- 

 main until settled warm weather. 



Prepared for winter in this way, I 

 have known colonies to remain in an 

 unbroken cluster from Nov. 11 to 

 May 2, and then show the best of 

 health. I have experimented by 

 covering the leaves entirely with 

 earth, so as to make it air tight and 



(245) 



