253 



WIKTEEING. 



cavation in a dry knoll, or side-hill, to the depth of about 

 three feet. If the number of bees only demand a single 

 clamp, the door may be placed at the end ; but if a double 

 clamp with two rooms is needed, the door should be at 

 the center of one side, opening into the ante-room for the 

 stove, between the two apartments. This idea of warm- 

 ing clamps with a stove is original with Captain Hether- 

 ington. A wall should be laid in hydraulic cement 

 around the sides of this three-foot excavation, upon which 

 plates should be laid to support the rafters. These 



Fig. 101. —DOUBLE CLAMP. 



should be sufficiently heavy to sustain the superincum- 

 bent weight. The roof should be quite steep. Slats 

 about three inches wide are nailed over the entire sur- 

 face of the rafters, about one-fourth of an inch apart. 

 Over these straw is spread to keep the earth from falling 

 through before it becomes packed. The ends should be 

 walled or banked to the peak of the roof, and the entire 

 top covered with at least twelve inches of dry earth. A 

 good roof should be put over all to keep it perfectly dry. 

 In the thick side wall, double doors should be built, 

 containing an air space. Similar doors should be made 

 to the rooms inside. The stove is to be set up in the 

 small ante-room, and fresh air brought to it through 

 tubes, and warmed when needful. Openings from the 

 stove-room to the bee-rooms should be made at the top 



