834 WINTERllJO. 



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. 

 CO.MMON HIVES PROTECTED BY STRAW. 

 (From Hamet.) 



Yet small colonies can sometimes be safely wintered 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. 



