39th YEAR. 



CHICAGO, ILL, DECEMBER 7, 1899 



No, 49, 



A Nebraska Apiary and Its " Boss.'" 



THE picture of my spiary sent herewith was taken last 

 June. The "oldniaii " in the foreg'round, with hat in 

 one hand and smoker in the other, is the Boss (that's I). 

 The corner of the building- to the right is the corner of the 

 shop and honey-house. The low shed building at the right 

 in the background is where I store bees for winter. It 

 fronts south, and holds one row of hives. I set the hives 

 about three inches apart, and pack short hay or straw all 

 around and over them. The front is closed, all except three 

 inches at the bottom. 



In preparing for winter I first take the sections out of 

 the supers, and have boards cut to fit down on the brood- 

 frames, nail cleats on the ends of the bottom for a bee-space 

 above the frames, and bore 15 to 20 holes thru the board for 

 ventilation, and for moisture to pass thru. I pack the super 

 with a chafl'-cushion, pieces of old quilts, or anything of 

 the kind at hand, and have no trouble with bees freezing. 



The trees shown are cherry, crab-apple and apricot. 

 There is a large orchard west and north of the )'ard, and 

 dwelling and other buildings south and east. The picture 



does not show all the hives, several being hid by the shrub 

 on the left. 



My bees increast from 13 colonies, spring count, to 32, 

 by natural swarming. During fruit-bloom and first crop 

 of alfalfa the^' did well. The second crop of alfalfa was 

 spoiled by the cabbage butterfly, and dry, windy weather 

 almost ruined the fall pasture, so I will have but little honey 

 to sell this year. It is selling at 12'2 cents per section. 



I should have stated that all but the hive in front stand 

 in three rows, running north and south. The picture was 

 taken from the southeast. 



I hope for a better season nest year, and the continued 

 prosperity of the " Old Reliable." " I. H. Page. 



Thayer Co., Nebr. 



The Outdoor Wintering of Bees. 



BY F. A. SNELI.. 



TO winter our bees with any great degree of certainty 

 good protection must be given in our Northern States. 

 In mild winters like we have had the few years past, 

 bees will winter with some degree of success, but the wise 

 bee-keeper will trust to no such way of doing business, as it 

 is very risky, and more food will be consumed than when 

 the bees are kept warm and comfortable at all times, which 

 can only be the case when the bees are well packt with 

 some warm material, as wheat, oat, buckwheat, or clover 

 chafi^, or planer-shavings. When thus packt with any of 

 them on all sides, and on top, with a little upward ventila- 

 tion given to the hives, the bees should winter well, where 

 good stores are at hand, and a good supply of young bees 



]Mr. I. H. Page and his Apiary, in Thayer County, Nebraska. 



