834 WINTERING. 
In the American Bee-Journal for February 8, 1888, page 
83, Mr. J. P. Stone of Holly, Mich., asks why a colony, 
which was hived in 1859 in a large box, is prospering yet, 
while others have perished. The size given, 16X16X22, 
which shows that the box has twice the capacity of an 
8-frame Langstroth hive, answers his question. 
In the following number of the same journal, page 107, 
Mr. Heddon mentions a colony which had wintered safely 
for seven years in a box ten times larger than the Lang- 
stroth, while many others died by its side. ‘‘The colony, 
when transferred, contained about double the number of 
bees usually raised from one queen.’’ 
Fig. 104. 
COMMON HIVES PROTECTED BY STRAW. 
(From Hamet.) 
Yet small colonies can sometimes be safely winterec out 
of doors, if their combs and honey are not spread over a 
large space, and if they are sheltered so as to maintain the 
proper heat. It is therefore indispensable to reduce the 
combs of a hive to the amount of room which the bees can 
best keep warm, by the use of the division or contracting 
board (349), without forgetting to leave a sufficient supply 
of good honey, supply which, sometimes, can be taken from 
too rich colonies. 
