WINTERING. 
25 
them in the earth, housing them in a room, or keeping them 
in a cellar ; whilst others maintain that it is more natural to 
leave them out of doors on their stand. I have myself 
practised all of these plans, and doubt not that bees have 
been wintered well on each of them. But I do not consider 
them all alike good; and it would be as well to adopt the best 
plan at once. What we wish to accomplish is to give com- 
fort to our bees Our cattle, sheep, and bees may all winter 
in the open air, if they are strong and vigorous and have 
plenty of food; but they will surely all winter more com- 
fortably and cat less food if somewhat protected. Some wish 
to keep their bees in a dormant condition during cold weather, 
like other insects, and thus lessen the consumption of honey, 
When the kee-keeper succeeds in stupifying his bees by cold 
for a short time, he will suddenly arrive to the unhappy con- 
sciousness that they are past recovery. Bees are diiferent 
from most other insects in this, that they live in families and 
cluster together to economize heat in winter, besides being 
prepared at all times to defend their stores and their young. 
Out-uf-door wintering is subject to the difficulties arising 
from external cold; and the bright lights and moderate heat 
inducing the bees to fly out when the weather is yet so cold as 
to chill them. Besides, the ground around is so wet that they 
may perish on it ; and when fresh snow has fallen and is yet 
light, bees will alight upon it, and sinking in it will perish. 
However, if the snow has a crust on it, or has become com- 
pact, bees will rise from it as easily as from dry ground. At 
this present writing, December 18, 1867, I doubt not there 
are many colonies of bees smothering to death by the rain 
and snow having frozen closely around the bottom and en- 
trance of hives, making them air-tight. It is not an unfre- 
quent occurrence, that the exhalations from the bees run 
down the inside of the hive and freezing on the lower edges 
make them air-tight and smother the bees. 
Some of the difficulties to be encountered by in-door win- 
tering, are — keeping them confined too long from water and 
from emptying themselves ; although they will suffer but 
little from the first of December until the first of March. If 
they are kept in damp cellars, or buried in damp ground, the 
combs will mould and the honey sour and disease the bees. 
