396 Burying Bees in Winter. 



having all our hives, combs and honey, we can buy col- 

 onies in the spring with a perfect certainty of making a 

 good per cent, on our investment. Even with'the worst 

 condition of things, we are still ahead, in way of profit, of 

 most other vocations. 



BURYING BEES, OR CLAMPS. 



In principle this is the same as cellar wintering. There 

 are two serious objections to it. First, we do not know 

 that the temperature is just right, and secondly, if aught 

 goes wrong we know nothing of it — the bees are awav 

 out of sight. If this is practiced, the ground should be 

 either sandy or well drained. If we can choose a side-hill 

 it should be done. Beneath the hives and around them, 

 straw should be placed. I should advise leaving the entrance 

 well open, yet secure against mice. The hives should all 

 be flaced beneath the surface level of the earth, and a 

 mound should be raised above them sufficient to preserve 

 against extreme warmth or cold. A trench about the 

 mound to carry the water off quickly is desirable. In this 

 arrangement the ground acts as a moderator. I would 

 urge the suggestion that no one try this with more than a 

 few colonies, for several years, till repeated successes show 

 that it is reliable in all seasons. I tried burying very suc- 

 cessfully for a time, then for two winters lost heavily. 

 These last winters the bees would have wintered well on 

 their summer stands, as the weather was very warm. The 

 bees became too warm, and were worried to death. 



SPRING DWINDLING. 



As already suggested, this is not to be feared if we keep 

 our bees breeding till autumn, prepare them well and early 

 for winter, and use a good cellar for wintering. It may be 

 further prevented by forbidding late autumn flights, fre- 

 quent flights in winter, when the weather is warm, and too 

 early flying in spring. 



I am aware that this matter of spring dwindling is most 

 stoutly urged as an objection to cellar wintering, and as an 

 argument in favor of chaff-hives. I have had excellent 

 success in cellar wintering, and never yet lost a colony by 



