298 WmTEEING BEES. 



fore making the exchange, ascertain if the weak one is 

 not queenless. 



If it he impossible to build such a cellar as the fore- 

 going, one partially as good, is better than the open air 

 for wood hives. It should be near the apiary, and if no 

 side hill is within convenient distance, it may be made 

 on the level, excavating for one half the depth of the 

 room, if dry enough; or if not, make a room above 

 ground. But it will require much more expense and 

 trouble to make it answer as well as a cellar. The dif- 

 ficulty is in a lack of uniformity in the temperature, 

 rather than in the inability to make it warm enough. 



A few days of warm weather outside, will make bees 

 uncomfortably warm within, and nmny will be wasted. 

 To confine them to the hive does not avail much, as they 

 will continue their endeavors to get out, until they worry 

 themselves to death. Towards spring, this difficulty in- 

 creases. A few bushels of snow or pounded ice laid on 

 the floor, will do much towards keeping them quiet, till 

 the time to set them out. A room, even above ground, 

 should be made to obviate this difficulty in a great degree. 



A BUILDrNa FOR THE PUBPOSE. 



Put up the frame of the desired size, board it inside 

 and out, leaving a space of ten or twelve inches between, 

 to be filled with some non-conductor of heat, such as saw- 

 dust or spent tan-bark. Then enclose this with another 

 frame, leaving two feet on every side for a dead-air space 

 in which, if necessary, snow or ice may be packed, which 

 will have a tendency to keep the temperature more uni- 

 form. The inside can be arranged as already described. 



KOOM IN THE DWELLING HOUSE. 



Rather than the wooden hive should stand in the open 

 air, I would appropriate some small room in the house ; 



