ADVANCED BEE-CULTURE. 



79 



of the colonies, the weaker ones might 

 be left nearest to where the bees were 

 unpacked. 



Speaking of being compelled to wait 

 about packing Ihe bees until they were 

 not likely to fly again until some time 

 in the winter, reminds me that advantages 

 have been claimed for early packing; 

 that the bees in single-wall hives only 

 wear themselves out with frequent flights 

 that are to no purpose, while those 

 that are packed are not called out by 

 every passing ray of sunshine; that the 

 early packed bees sooner get themselves 

 settled down for their winter's nap, and 

 are in better shape when winter comes. 

 It is possible there is something in this, 

 but there were two or three years in 

 which I tried packing a colony or two as 

 early as the first of September; and I 

 continued to pack a colony every two or 

 three days until the fore part of Novem- 

 ber, and I was unable to discern any ad- 

 vantage in very early packing. If the 

 bees are protected before freezing weather 

 comes, I believe that is early enough. 



There is one other point that ought not 

 to be neglected in preparing the bees for 



winter, whether in doors or out, and that 

 is the leaving of a space below the combs. 

 When wintered out of doors there ought 

 to be a rim two inches high placed under 

 each hive. This not only allows the 

 dead bees to drop away from the -combs 

 to a place where they will dry up instead 

 of moulding between the combs. Then 

 if there is an entrance above the rim 

 there will be no possibility of the entrance 

 becoming clogged. This space under 

 the combs seems to be a wonderful aid 

 in bringing the bees through in fine con- 

 dition, and I am not certain why. 



Weak colonies can seldom be success- 

 fully wintered out of doors. They can- 

 not generate sufficient heat. In the cel- 

 lar, where the temperature seldom goes 

 below 40°, quite weak colonies can be 

 successfully wintered. 



As I understand it, this whole matter 

 of out door wintering of bees might be 

 summed up in a few words. Populous 

 colonies; plenty of good food, and 

 thorough protection. Simple, isn't it? 

 Yet there is a world of meaning wrapped 

 up in those few words. 



ft«^>i;<^?*^ 



Ventilation of Bee-Cellars. 



HFEW years ago "sub-earth" 

 ventilation of bee cellars was 

 almost universally recommend- 

 ed. Nearly every one who 

 built a bee-cellar, also buried 200 or 300 

 feetof drain tile; the outer end connect- 

 ing with the open air and the inner end 

 entering the cellar. To remove the air 

 from the cellar, a pipe, connecting with 

 a stove pipe in the room above, extend- 

 ed down through the floor to within a 

 few inches of the cellar bottom. The 

 draft in the stove pipe "pulled up" the 



air from the cellar, and more flowed in 

 through the sub-earth pipe to take its 

 place. In passing through the sub-earth 

 pipe, the air was warmed. If there were 

 no stove pipe with which to connect the 

 outlet pipe, it was extended upwards un- 

 til it reached the open air. The air in the 

 cellar, being warmer than the outside air, 

 flowed out of the upper ventilator and 

 more air flowed in through the sub-earth 

 tube. 



In order to keep the temperature even 

 there was much opening and closing of 



