Advantages of Chaff-Hives. 389 



each corner the four sides may be tacked together about 

 the hive, when it can be packed in with cut straw (Fig. 

 J 86), or fine chaff, which should be carefully done, if tlie 

 ■day is cold, so as not to disquiet the bees. At the center 

 and bottom of the east side (Fig. 186, c) cut out a square, 

 •eight inches each way, and between this and the hive place 

 a bottomless tube (the top of this tube is represented as 

 removed in figure to show entrance to hive), before putting 

 in the cut straw or chaff and adding the cover. This box 

 should be put in place before the bleak cold days of Novem- 

 ber, and retained in position till the stormy winds of April 

 are passed. This permits the bees to fly when very warm 

 weather comes in winter or spring, and requires no atten- 

 tion from the apiarist. By placing two or three hives 

 close together in autumn — -yet never move the colonies more 

 than three or four fekt at any one time, as such removals 

 involve the loss of many bees — one box may be made to cover 

 ■all, and at less expense. This will also be more trustworthy 

 in very cold winters. Late in spring these boxes may be 

 removed and packed away, and the straw or chaff carried 

 away, or removed a short distance and burned. 



CHAFF-HIVES. 



Messrs. Townley, Butler, Root, Poppleton and others, 

 prefer chaff-hives, which are simply double-wa'led hives, 

 ■with the four or five inch chambers filled with chaff. The 

 •objections to these I take to be: first, they are not proof 

 against severe and long-continued cold, like the winter of 

 1880-81 ; second, such cumbrous hives are inconvenient to 

 'handle in summer; and, third, they are expensive. That 

 they w^ould in part supply the place of shade, is, perhaps, 

 in their favor, while Mr. A. I. Root thinks they are not 

 expensive. • 



Mr. O. O. Poppleton, one of our most intelligent bee- 

 keepers, shows practically that the first objection given 

 above is not valid. So very likely the failure in so many 

 apiaries in 1880-81 was rather due to improper use. Mr. 

 Poppleton claims numerous advantages for these hives: 



1st. In his hands, success. • 



2d. They permit early preparation for winter. 



