AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



559 



Those who have large numbers of 

 colonies should have a special apart- 

 ment for their bees. It may be a room 

 of suitable size partitioned off from 

 their vegetable cellar, or one properly 

 constructed outside, for their especial 

 use. It may be made in any manner 

 most convenient, but so constructed 

 that it would winter vegetables without 

 freezing. The small bee-keeper can set 

 his few colonies in the house cellar, in 

 some convenient corner, and protect 

 them from too much light by hanging 

 up some old carpets, bed quilts, or 

 similar articles. Bat unless the hives 

 are prepared in the proper way no kind 

 of repository will winter bees without 

 loss. 



It must also be understood that suffi- 

 cient food is of prime importance. 

 Where hives contain less than 20 pounds 

 of sealed stores they should be fed by 

 giving them sealed combs of honey, if 

 we have such ; if not, a syrup made by 

 mixing 10 pounds of v/ater with 20 

 pounds of granulated sugar, and heat- 

 ing it to the boiling point, makes a first- 

 class Winter food. At the present price 

 of sugar, this syrup will cost not more 

 than 4 cents per pound, and 12 pounds, 

 costing 50 cents, will, when added to 

 the small store already in the hive, 

 winter a strong colony, when placed in 

 a cellar, and kept at a temperature of 

 from 40° to 45°. Surely, no humane 

 man will let these industrious and profit- 

 able insects perish for want of this small 

 outlay. 



There are many ways of giving this 

 food, the cheapest being by tipping the 

 hive an inch or so back, and pouring it 

 in at the entrance, a quart or so at a 

 time. But the bottom of the hive must 

 be sealed tight, or the syrup will leak 

 out and cause robbing, which is one of 

 the great dangers in feeding. But what- 

 ever method is employed in giving the 

 food, it should always be given just at 

 night, so that the bees may have it all 

 taken up by morning. A far better way 

 for Fall feeding is by a suitable feeder 

 to set on top of the hive, and give the 

 food all at one time, which saves much 

 work, and avoids robbing. With five or 

 six such feeders many colonies may be 

 fed in a short time. 



Shallow rims, of 2 or 3 inches in 

 depth, and the size of the hive, placed 

 between the hive and the bottom-board, 

 we regard as very necessary in cellar 

 wintering. They should have a full %- 

 inch entrance left in them next to the 

 bottom-board, and the entire length of 

 the front of the hive. Or %^-inch blocks 

 may be placed under the corners. A 



larger space may let in mice. Some of 

 the most successful bee-keepers remove 

 the bottom-board from their hives when 

 placed in the cellar. The first tier o. 

 hives is set upon scantlings 12 inches 

 from the cellar bottom ; the hives % of 

 their length apart, and the next tier on 

 top of these, and directly over the open- 

 ings in the first row ; the third tier on 

 top of the second in the same way. This 

 may be continued to any convenient 

 height. In wintering on the bottom- 

 boards, common straw-board building 

 paper makes a first-class cover for hives. 

 Cut the paper one inch larger than the 

 top of the hive, place on top and fasten 

 down to edge of hive by tacking on small 

 strips of wood. No upper ventilation 

 should be given. 



In outdoor wintering the hives are left 

 on the summer stands, separately or in 

 long rows. An outer case made of 

 cheap boards is placed around them, 6 

 or 8 inches from the hives, and this 

 space filled with chaff or sawdust, with 

 an opening properly made for the bees 

 to fly out on warm- days. The packing 

 should be 8 inches thick under and over 

 the hives, and covered with a rain-proof 

 roof. We would never advise wintering 

 outdoors, in this climate, if a suitable 

 cellar is within reach. — Farm, Stock mid 

 Home. 



Ml ToD-Bars and Honey-Boards, 



FRANK COVERDALE. 



Much has been written during the 

 past two years about thick top-bars to 

 brood-frames, the object being to do 

 away with wood-zinc honey-boards. I 

 would say to those who have top-bars 

 % inch thick, and zinc honey-boards : 

 Stick to them, for you will find nothing 

 better. 



While the thick top-bars are good, 

 and will answer the purpose for which 

 they, were* designed, or nearly so, they 

 are not queen-excluding, and therefore, 

 we are in need of a queen-excluder, and 

 when it is used on top of these thick top- 

 bars, the sections are some distance 

 away from the combs : First, % inch 

 depth of top-bar, % inch space, slats on 

 honey-bpard H' inch, space above honey- 

 board % inch, slats in bottom of section- 

 case }4 inch; all of the above space 

 being devoid of comb. This being the 

 case, on cool nights the bees would have 

 to go down into the brood-chamber. In 

 early Spring, and during the Fall har- 

 vest, as a rule, there will be little 



