302 Wintering in Cellar. 



This arrangement secures perfect ventilation, and as the 

 fresh air is brought through the earth below the line of frost, 

 it is warmed in winter and cooled in spring, so that the refriger- 

 ator mentioned above is not necessary. This makes a cellar 

 much superior to a house. The pipe should join the stove-pipe 

 in the room above, so high as not to destroy the draft to the 

 stove. I would have this pipe four inches in diameter, and 

 the sub-earth pipe at least six inches. 



The College apiary cellar is grouted throughout, which 

 makes it more dry and neat. Of course it should be thoroughly 

 drained, and entirely mouse-tight. 



The colonies should be put into the depository when the 

 hives are dry, before cold weather, and should remain till April ; 

 though in January and March, if there are days that are warm, 

 they may be taken out and the bees permitted to fly, though 

 never unless they seem uneasy and soil the entrances to their 

 hives. Such uneasiness shows that either our cellar or our 

 preparation is faulty. Always, when taken out, they should 

 be placed on their old stands, so that no bees may be lost. 

 Towards night, when all are quiet, return them to the cellar. 

 I would not remove bees till towards night, as it is better that 

 they have a good flight, and then become quiet. When moved 

 out it is very desirable to brush away all dead bees, which is 

 an argument in favor of a movable bottom-board. In moving 

 the hives into the cellar, groat care should be exercised not to 

 jar them. It were better ifrthe bees should not know that 

 they were beiag moved at all. 



That the moisture may be absorbed, it may be well to cover 

 the bees with a bag filled with chaff, or fine dry saw-dust, even 

 in the cellar, though I doubt if this is necessary. I make the 

 bag so long that the chaff or saw-dust may not only cover 

 above, but extend close down outside the division-boards. I 

 partially or wholly remove the cover to the hive while in the cel- 

 lar. With others, I have found that water in a cellar is not 

 injurious, especially if the room be well ventilated. In fact, 

 water which may be contained in a cistern or pass into and 

 out of the cellar through tile, with the outlet a little higher 

 than the inlet, serves admirably to preserve a uniform tem- 

 perature, which is of the greatest importance. It not only 

 keeps the temperature up in severe weather but down in spring, 

 and saves all expense of sub-earth ventilation. 



