VENTILATION. 
27 
fected by the external air. It had an opening at the top 
and another at the bottom for ventilation. These openings 
were covered with wire cloth to keep out the mice, and 
shaded with a cloth to keep out the light. It had four tiers 
of shelves all around, so that the hives could be set on these 
like store goods. Common hives were inverted on these 
shelves and left bottom up, that they might be thoroughly 
ventilated. [It is not necessary to be alarmed about the 
bees having to stand all winter on their heads.] Movable 
comb and ocher hives were left quite open that the exhalations 
might evaporate. In this way I have kept from sixty to 
eighty colonies from the first of December until March very 
nicely. When the mercury is below zero out of doors, in 
such a room it would be fifty degrees above I have fre- 
quently gone into my bee room in extremely cold weather, to 
warm myself by the heat of my bees and listen to their gen- 
tle hum. 
The amount of honey consumed in these three months, 
by a colony kept in this manner, averages from eight to ten 
pounds. 
In the absence of such a room, when there arc but a few 
hives to be housed, they could be set in a corner of a dry cel- 
lar where there are no decaying vegetables, and where there 
would be no pounding or motions to jar them in the least; 
for this always keeps them in motion, and quiet is very es- 
sential. It is well also to keep them well covered or shaded 
so that not the least ray of light could fall on them. To- 
wards spring, when they begin to feel a strong inclination to 
fly out to empty themselves, if there come several days of 
warm weather, and the bees see the light, they will leave 
their hives and fly to it and will fail to return. 
Care should be taken to set the bees out on a fine day 
when they can fly without being chilled, at a time when it is 
supposed that severe freezing is over — generally about the 
first of March. 
When the bees are set out, or at any time that they are 
disposed to fly in chilly weather, when the ground^ is wet 
around the hives or a light snow has fallen , it is advantageous 
to spread some hay or straw for them to alight upon. 
tt If bees are wintered out of doors, they should always have 
a small opening in the side of the hive some distance up 
from the bottom. Such an opening will always prevent suffo- 
