WINTERING.—Chapter XVIII. 
than could possibly be the case if 
cold slabs of honey intervened be- 
tween the parts of the cluster, in- 
stead of the thin cell walls and 
midrib of the comb. The ball-like 
cluster of bees gradually eats its 
way upward and backward as the 
winter advances. When making 
the contraction this winter nest 
should not be disturbed nor the 
relative position of these central 
combs changed. 
Although this is a very safe way 
of wintering, it necessitates open- 
ing the hives in the spring to give 
more room and possibly more 
BhOnes before the : honey flow. Placing the tray of well-packed forest leaves 
Therefore, if, there is any ehance on top of the inner covering of the hive. 
that the colonies may be neglect- 
ed during the spring, it would be better not to contract the brood-chamber, 
but to leave it with its ten frames, 
The tops of the frames may well be covered with a mat of very heavy 
cloth or carpet (especially in the North), cut to the size of the inner cover 
or slightly larger. Be sure to have this mat of material as heavy as the 
heaviest canvas, and it may be well to cover it with newspaper to pre- 
vent an upware draft. The object of this porous top covering is to per- 
mit slow absorption of moisture without creating an upward draft that 
would carry away the heat. This mat should be held up from. the frames 
by a few small sticks placed crosswise of the frames in order to provide 
the bees with passageways from one frame to another. (If the hive were 
sufficiently packed and protected to prevent all condensation within, up- 
ward ventilation would not be necessary, and a sealed cover could be used.) 
A tray four or five inches deep, 
slightly smaller than the telescope 
cover and filled with well-packed 
forest leaves or planer shavings, 
should be placed above the mat at 
the top of the hive to retain the 
heat of the colony. The burlap at- 
tached to the bottom of the tray 
should be left baggy, and secured 
to the sides of the tray by wooden 
strips nailed on the lower inside 
edges. This allows the tray to fit 
tight to the top of the hive, and 
prevents the wind from blowing 
under the tray. 
The outside telescoping cover is 
placed directly over the tray. 
: : The hive should be left facing 
Placing the outside telescoping cover over one oo 
the protecting tray of the double-walled hive. Way from the prevailing winds, 
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