WINTERING BEE8. 359 



briefly notice, before giving the results of my further experience 

 in this matter. 



" The expense of constructing..the clamps has been alleged as an 

 objection to the use of them. In my case, the cost of labor was 

 simply the hire, for one day, of two men, who assisted me in pre- 

 paring the area, carrying the hives thither, and arranging and 

 enclosing them. The materials used, with the exception of the 

 scantling, cost literally nothing, as any old boards can be made 

 to serve the purpose, and the rushes, or straw, leaves, &c., em- 

 ployed, are always worth their cost for litter. 



i: A second objection is, that rats and mice will be induced to 

 collect and harbor in the clamps, if straw be used. I never use 

 any but old straw, thoroughly divested of grain, and prefer using 

 rushes when they can conveniently be procured. I have, how- 

 ever, thus far, not been annoyed by rats or mice. 



" To show how very superior clamps are for wintering bees, in 

 thin hives especially, I will state that one f my neighbors, 

 whose hives are made of inch boards, and who invariably lost 

 many bees, and frequently entire colonies, when he left them to 

 winter, as he usually did, in his open Apiary, was induced by my 

 success to place his hives in a clamp last Fall. They were put 

 in on the llth of November. 1857, and remained undisturbed till 

 the 29th of March, 1858. When opened, all the colonies proved 

 to be in excellent condition, strong, and entirely free from mould 

 or moisture. Never, in any previous season, had he been equally 

 successful, nor had his bees ever before required or received so 

 little personal attention from him. He was ' a doubting Thomas,' 

 when he saw me arranging my first clamp, but is now a thorough 

 convert to the system, and declares that he will, in future, use 

 no other mode, as he cannot conceive that a better could be 



" My own colonies remained in the clamp from the 13th of 

 November to the 29th of March, 1858, and were perfectly sound 

 and healthy when I opened them. The earth under the outer 

 mantle was still frozen, and had to be removed with a hoe, as in 

 the previous year, thus showing that the bees were not affected 

 by the prevalent mild weather. Long confinement had not 



