WINTERING BEES. 
339 
if right side up, yet the result showed no difference. 
I had now. tried both methods, and had some means 
of judging. 
BEES WHEN IN THE HOUSE SHOULD BE KEPT PERFECTLY DARK. 
When not kept perfectly dark, a few would leave 
the hives in either case. I have found it much better 
to make the room dark to keep the bees in the hive, 
than to tie over them a thin muslin cloth, as that pre- 
vents a free passage of the vapor, and a great number 
of full stocks were not at all satisfied in confinement; 
and were continually worrying, and biting at the 
cloth, till they had made several holes through it for 
passages out. Thus the little good was attended by an 
evil, as an offset. Even wire cloth put over to confine 
them, which would be effectual, would not save bees 
enough to pay expense. I have thus wintered them 
for the last ten years, and am extremely doubtful if a 
better way can be found.* For several years I made 
use of a small bed-room in the house, made perfectly 
dark, in which I put about 100 stocks. It was lathed 
and plastered, and no air admitted, except what rn'ight 
come through the floor. It was single, and laid rather 
close, though not matched. 
A ROOM MADE FOR WINTERING BEES. 
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 
* I was so well pleased with my success, especially with small fa- 
milies, that I detailed the most important points in a communication 
to the Dollar Newspaper, Philadelphia, published November, 1818. 
