OUT—DOOR SIIELTERING. 837 
Mr. Geo. H. Beard, of Winchester, Mo., safely wintered 
ninety-three colonies out of ninety-six, in the severe Winter 
of 1884-5, in two-story Simplicity hives, (324) by removing 
the oil-cloth and replacing it with coarse sack-cloth, filling 
the upper story with maple leaves, and covering the hives, 
on all sides, except the front, with what is commonly known 
as Slough-grass. This success is worthy of notice, for in 
that memorable Winter, more than two-thirds of the bees 
in the Northern States died, some Apiarists losing all they 
had. Like that of 1855-6, it will long be remembered, 
not only for the uncommon degree and duration of its cold, 
but for the tremendous winds, which, often for days to- 
gether, swept like a Polar blast over the land. 
We have, for years, wintered part of our bees on the 
Summer stand, by sheltering them on all sides but the front, 
with forest leaves closely packed, and held with a frame- 
work of lath. 
636. One of the most important requirements for succcss- 
ful out-door wintering, is the placing of warm absorbents, 
immediately over the cluster, toimbibe the excess of moisture 
that rises from the bees, without allowing the heat to escape. 
In March, 1856, we lost some of our best colonies, under 
the following circumstances: The Winter had been intensely 
cold, and the hives, having no upward ventilation, were 
filled with frost, — in some instances, the ice on their 
glass sides being nearly a quarter of an inch thick. A few 
days of mild weather, in which the frost began to thaw, were 
followed by a severely cold spell with the thermometer 
below zero, accompanied by raging winds, and in many of 
the hives, the bees, which were still wet from the thaw, 
were frozen together in an almost solid mass. 
As long as the vapor remains congealed, it can injure 
the bees only by keeping them from stores which they 
need; but, as soon as a thaw sets in, hives which have no 
upward absorbents are in danger of being ruined. 
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