"WINTERING BEES. 831 



was lathed and plastered, and no air admitted, except what 

 might come through the floor. It was single, and laid rather 

 close, though not matched." 



" In the fall of 1849 I built a room for this purpose ; the 

 frame was eight by sixteen feet square, and seven high, 

 without any windows. A good coat of plaster was put on 

 the inside, a space of four inches between the siding and lath 

 was filled with saw-dust ; under the bottom I constructed a 

 passage for the admission of air, from the north side ; anoth- 

 er over head for its exit, to be closed and opened at 

 pleasure, in moderate weather, to give them fresh air, but 

 closed when cold, and so arranged as to exclude all the light. 

 A partition was extended across near the center. This was 

 to prevent disturbing the whole by letting in light when car- 

 rying them out in the spring. By closing the door of this 

 partition, those in one room only need be disturbed at once." 



" Shelves to receive the hives were arranged in tiers one 

 above the other ; ihey were loose, to be taken down and put 

 up at pleasure. Suppose we begin at the back end : the first 

 row is turned directly on the floor, a shelf is then put across 

 a few inches above them, and filled, and then another shelf, 

 still above, when we again begin on the floor, and continue 

 thus till the room is full ; or if the room is not to be filled, 

 the shelves may be fixed around the sides of the room in two 

 or three courses. This last arrangement will make it very 

 convenient to inspect them at any time through the winter, 

 yet they should be disturbed as little as possible. The man- 

 ner of stowing each one is to open the holes in the top, then 

 lay down two square sticks, such as are made by splitting a 

 board, of suitable length, into pieces about an inch wide. 

 The hive is inverted on these ; it gives a free circulation 

 through the hive, and carries ofi" all the moisture as fast as 

 generated." 



