64 



tHE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



the lumber and material with which he is 

 environed, must determine the practical 

 method for him- to pursue. A few things in 

 Michigan must be kept in view. First of 

 all a location sheltered from winds ; abund- 

 ance of good honey ; a large space between 

 the bottom of the combs and hive floor, and 

 an entrance somewhat above the bottom. 

 Abeonia, Mich. Feb. 24, 1891. 



Protecting Hives With Paper. 



KAMBLEB. 



jROBABLY one of the main fascina- 

 tions of bee-keeping is the many 

 problems to be solved as we progress 

 in the practice. Twenty years have made a 

 remarkable revolution in appliances and 

 methods of management ; yet the problems 

 come up to us as rapidly as ever. 



One of these problems of long standing, 

 and much study, is that of proper winter 

 and spring protection. 



That the cumbersome chaff hive is not the 

 ideal or final method is evident from the 

 continued unrest for something better. To 

 speak broadly, the method is not flexible 

 enough, for ease and range of work. 



The permanently packed, cumbersome, 

 chafl' hive stands, in relation to all points of 

 management, just as the box hive did to the 

 higher movable frame system. And the 

 tendency of the hour is to lighter and less 

 cumbersome methods in hive management. 



We find much variety of opinion upon the 

 amount of packing, or of even dead air 

 space, and when a person is not too firmly 

 wedded to his methods he finds that a thin 

 packing, or even the so-called dead air 

 space, all properly applied, is as successful 

 in wintering the colony as is a vast amount. 

 Our Vermont bretheren are very successful 

 in out-door wintering in packed hives, as 

 far north as the 45th parallel, and, if they 

 are successful, others can do the same 

 under like temperature, from the Atlantic 

 to the Pacific. 



But cellar or house protection has gained a 

 high reputation also, in not only saving the 

 lives of the bees but in the greater economy 

 of stores. But, even in cellar wintering, we 

 are confronted with spring trials. The 

 packing is therefore needed, even up to the 

 month of June. To take bees from the cel- 

 lar and pack in chafl' or sawdust is an in- 

 tolerable nuisance, and if such cumbersome 

 things are to be used, why not make them a 

 permanent fixture and have done with it ? I 



am happy to say, however, that we have a 

 cheap and plentiful material that will answer 

 the purpose full as well, if not better than 

 chaff and sawdust. I will call it condensed 

 sawdust, or, giving it a more familiar term, 

 I call it paper. While the above cumber- 

 some materials have been crowded around 

 the hive to the extent of several inches, the 

 same material in the form of paper has been 

 despised. 



For the protection of bees in the spring I 

 use a hood of waterproof manilla building 

 paper, lined with several thicknesses of 

 newspapers. This hood can be put on or 

 taken oft" in a few seconds, and can be folded 

 up into a small space, and if protection in 

 the spring is necessary, and the protection 

 can be applied so handily, then it can be 

 put on to advantage in the fall, as soon as 

 the bees are prepared for wintering, say in 

 September. 



For wintering out-doors a more permanent 

 covering is used. I have used oil cloth suc- 

 cessfully, but perhaps a light woolen case 

 and tin cover would be better for permanent, 

 use. Such a case could be easily made to 

 fold up and to be packed away during the 

 three or four months when it is not required. 

 With a light protecting case I would also 

 use a lighter hive made of boards not thick- 

 er than one- half inch. In conclusion, I 

 would say to the bretheren that I have not 

 outlined mere theory in the above, but have 

 put it to practical test, with the exception of 

 the half-inch hive body. If I should ever 

 use a hive of this thickness I would prefer a 

 dovetailed corner. Let us study for few 

 parts and condensation in our work. 



Protect Single-Wall Hives by Packing Them 

 in Clamps. 



O, E. BOYEB. 



Jo DO THIS successfully, the bees 

 must first have plenty of good stores 

 to last them through the winter and 

 spring. If they lack honey, feed sugar 

 syrup, making all colonies strong by uniting 

 the weak ones. Select the most sheltered 

 and dryest ground in the apiary, and, just 

 outside of where the bees are placed, make 

 the clamp by first laying down scantling to 

 set the hives on. About six inches outside 

 of these, drive two rows of stakes, placing 

 them about one foot farther apart than the 

 hives are long, and about six feet apart in 

 rows. Boards are now lightly nailed inside 

 these stakes; the boards being left 1}4 inches 



