152 WINTERING. 



few warm days, or open from the caps, if snow Is deep, and the "bees 

 get a good fly naturally, without mixing up, as they often do when set out 

 for a fly. The labor of moving out, and returning several hives to the 

 cellar, is considerable, and the warm day may be most inopportune, — 

 just when some other business is pressing, and the bees must be neglect- 

 ed. There is less danger from ' ' spring dwindling, " and on the whole we 

 would recommend out door wintering. It is well always to have the hive 

 on the south-east side of a good evergreen hedge, or high, tight board 

 fence to break the force of the cold penetrating winds. If convenient, 

 extra coverings for winter are useful ; but they should be such as are 

 easily removed as spring opens, so as to permit the rays of the sun to 

 shine directly on the hive in April and May, to promote breeding. 



There should, by no means, be permitted any cracks in the cover or 

 sides of hives through which rain or wet may beat or drive. Dryness 

 is an essential condition, else combs will mould, and conduce towards 

 dysentery, whether in the cellar or on the summer stand. 



In preparing for winter, half inch holes should be cut out in the 

 centre of each comb, two or three inches below the top bar, and one or 

 two strips laid across top of the frames, under the quilt, to procure free 

 passage of the bees from one comb to another, in very cold weather. 

 In the North this is very essential, but not so important in the South. 

 Whether chaff cushions, straw, thick quilts of batting or other absorb- 

 ing material be used, the quilt should be put over the bees first and the 

 packing afterwards. A plain piece of ducking is perhaps as good cloth 

 as any other for this use, as bees will gnaw it less than any other, except 

 enameled cloth, which is both more expensive, and difficult to fold down 

 close and tight to the sides of the hive. In Spring the absorbing mate- 

 rial should be replaced by some warmer material, to better confine 

 the heat. 



