ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 179 



the bees came through in pretty fair condition. In severe winters 

 the bees in the outside spaces, or ranges of combs, died first; the 

 cluster became smaller; the bees in more ranges died; and, by spring, 

 all were dead, or the colony so reduced in numbers, and the surviv- 

 ors so lacking in vitality, as to be practically worthless. 



I have never seen any ill effects from dampness, but I have 

 always given abundant ventilation above the packing. When the 

 warm air from the cluster passes up through the packing, and is 

 met by the cold, outer air, some condensation of moisture takes 

 place. This moistens the surface of the packing, but it remains 

 comparatively dry underneath. With a good strong colony of bees, 

 and ventilation above the packing, I have never known trouble from 

 moisture. 



In the giving of protection, chaff hives have the advantage of 

 always being ready for winter, and of doing away with the labor and 

 untidiness of packing and unpacking; but they are expensive and 

 cumbersome. It is some work to pack bees in the fall, and to un- 

 pack them again in the spring, but light, single-wall, readily movable 

 hives during the working season are managed with enough less 

 labor to more than compensate for that of packing and unpacking. 

 Then there is another point: The work of packing and unpacking 

 comes when there is comparative leisure, while the extra work 

 caused by great, unwieldy hives, comes at a time when the bee- 

 keeper is working on the keen ]ump. 



For packing material I have used wheat chaff, forest leaves, 

 planer shavings and dry sawdust. I have never used cork-dust, but 

 it is probably the best packing material. Its non-conductivity is 

 nearly twice that of chaff, while it never becomes damp. The only 

 objection is that it is not readily obtainable, and usually costs some- 

 thing, while the other substances mentioned cost nothing. What 

 they lack in non-conductivity can be made up in quantity. And this 

 brings up the point of the proper thickness of packing. I have often 

 thrust my hand into the packing surrounding a populous colony of 

 bees, and found the warmth perceptible at a distance of four inches 

 from the side, and six inches from the top. This would seem to 

 indicate the thickness when sawdust or chaff is used. 1 presume 

 that packing has been condemned when it was not more than half 

 done — that is, when not enough material is used. I don't appreciate 

 the arguments of those who advocate the use of thin packing. I 

 don't believe that the benefit of the heat from the sun during an 

 occasional bright day, can compensate for the lack of protection dur- 

 ing months of extreme cold. 



