ALEXANDER'S WRITINGS ON PRACTICAL BEE CULTURE 85 



sumed by the bees during the winter; and by the time they commence 

 to use their honey they are out of the cellar, and can frequently fly; so 

 if their honey contains pollen, or is otherwise of poor quality, it can do 

 them no harm. 



I think the time is near at hand when the successful honey-producer 

 will substitute sugar syrup for honey as a winter food wherever bees 

 require a cellar for winter protection. In order to compete success- 

 fully with many that are now well established in the production of 

 honey, it is necessary for us to be ever ready to take advantage of any 

 thing that will add to our income, even though it may require the in- 

 vesting of some money at first. 



We must certainly sow before we can expect to reap. This applies 

 as truly to bee-keeping as to any other line of business. 



January, 1908. 



CELLAR WINTERING. 



IS MOISTUKE A DETBIMENT OH A BENEFIT? A CASE WHERE MANY COLONIES DIED 



BECAUSE or A LACK OF MOISTUBE; DISTDEBANCB DETRIMENTAL; 



MID-WINTEB FLIGHTS NOT ADVISED. 



During the past few years there has been quite a change in the 

 opinion of many bee-keepers on this particular point In wintering their 

 bees. There is one thing, however, that we can all agree on; and that 

 is, a wet cellar, with poor ventilation and a low temperature, is the 

 worst place that bees can possibly be put in to winter; and some of us 

 have found out, from long and costly experience, that a wet cellar, if 

 properly ventilated, and kept at a temperature varying only from 44 

 to 48 degrees, is the best place that can possibly be ipade for perfect 

 wintering. 



With these dearly learned facts fresh in our minds, a year ago 

 we built a model bee-cellar, 24x40 feet in size, which will give ample 

 room for 1000 colonies, and at the same time give us a walk through 

 the center from one end to the other. This is very handy in putting 

 them in, in the fall, or taking them out in the spring; but its principal 

 value is allowing a circulation of fresh air through the center of the cellar. 

 We remove the bottom-boards from our hives, and set them directly 

 over each other, with four one-inch blocks between the hives. They 

 rest on racks 8 inches high from the floor, which is covered with about 

 3 inches of chaff or planer-shavings. This makes a nice covering to 

 the floor, and enables us to walk among the hives without making any 

 noise or jarring them in the least. It also prevents smashing any 

 bees on the floor, which makes it much easier to clean up after they 

 are taken out in the spring. The under course of hives rests on the 

 cleats of a bottom-board turned wrong side up. This gives ten inches 

 of space from the under part of the lower hive to the floor, which 

 allows a fine chance for fresh air to circulate over the bottom of the 



