■WINTERING BEES. 325 



to the easy intercommunication of the bees in winter, than 

 one of any other construction. 



To those who desire to avail themselves of some of the im- 

 portant improvements in my hives, and vt'ho yet are too timid 

 to open them and properly adjust the frames for winter, I 

 would recommend the use of slats, with my peculiar guides 

 for securing straight combs. In hives furnished with these 

 slats, the bees will winter, without any special care, as well 

 as in any other hive ; and if, at any ticne, their owner wishes 

 to change the slats into frames, he will find no difficulty in 

 cutting out the combs, shaking off the bees, and supplying the 

 parts needed to complete the frames. In this way, after in- 

 venting the frames, I managed to substitute them for the slats 

 or bars, in all the hives in my Apiary ! 



Not only are hives with movable frames, if not opened and 

 adjusted for winter use, liable to the serious objection already 

 described, but while no better than those with slats, they are 

 more costly, and all the money invested in making the 

 frames, is worse than thrown away. I therefore strongly ad- 

 vise, that slats only should be used, by all who from timidilj'^, 

 or any other reason, are indisposed to open their hives, and 

 use the extraordinary facilities for the management of bees, 

 furnished by movable frames, unless they can secure the ser- 

 vices of a competent assistant. All money invested in frames, 

 will be of as little service to such persons, as capital invested 

 in labor-saving machinery, by those who cannot or will not 

 use it. 



If the hives are to be kept out of doors, it will be necessa- 

 ry, especially when they are not made of doubled materials, or 

 very thick stuff, to give the bees a liberal allowance of air, 

 guarding them at the same time from high winds. A ventila- 

 tor on the bottom board, 4 inches long by 2 wide, with coarse 

 wke-cloth nailed over the upper side, will admit all the air 

 28 



