Or how to Realize the Most Money with the Smallest Expenditure oi' Capital 
and Labor in the Care of Bees, Rationally Considered. 
MONTHLY. 
Von. I. 
MEDINA, O, OCT. 1, 1873. 
No. 10. 
KTARTING AN Al'IAHY. 
No. 10. 
II^EEPING AN APIARY" instead 
of the above heading would 
probably be more appropriate for tbe next 
six months ; yet we do feel confident, 
kind reader, that, with proper precautions, 
all stocks in good condition now, may be 
preserved without deterioration until j 
April, 1874. 
Jn giving directions for wintering we lj 
are obliged to bear in mind that our read- j 
ers are, many of them, placed under cir- 
cumstances widely differing, and that to I 
have our remarks equally applicable, 
these varying circumstances must be con- 
sidered. 
To illustrate: How many of our read- 
ers have only one colony to pilot safely 
through the winter ? But few, we trust, 
yet we will briefly consider the duties ol 
such. If no dysentery or bee disease lias 
been known in your vicinity, and you pre- 
fer to run some risk of losing them rather ] 
than to remove their natural stores, or if 
they are only in box hives, perhaps you 
may leave them on their summer stands. 
We would not undertake to protect them 
from the cold in any way that would de- 
prive them of the sunshine, for that is 
one of the great essentials for out-door 
wintering. Protect them on the north, 
fast and west, by fences, walls or build- 
ings, from cold winds all you can, but 
don’t intercept the sunshine; if they have 
no such protection, give it them now, and 
let it remain the year round. Such a i 
a fence can quickly be made of cheap , 
lumber, and it will be an excellent idea to 
have it extend on the south side also ; but 
far enough away to cast no shadow on 
the hives. If you contemplate building 
up an apiary, make it hexagonal all ; 
around your apiary, and it may run as 
close as within three feet of the row of 
hives furthest north, a little more than 
that on the other sides, and perhaps ton 
feet from the southern row. This fence 
should be at least eight feet high, and if I 
you secure it from being blown down, 
more would be still better. If you have 
plenty of ground, a hedge of evergreens 
will cost no more than a board fence, and 
will continually grow better. Consult 
your nearest nurseryman for particulars : 
you are sure to be humbugged if you e\en 
consent to talk with "tree peddlers.” 
These wind breaks are wanted even if 
your bees are wintered in-doors, and 
should not be neglected. In regard to 
ventilation, for out-door wintering noth- 
ing need be changed from their n.-unl 
summer condition, unless it be to nearly 
close their entrance ; but as this is liable 
to become stopped with ice or sleet, some 
upward ventilation should be given in 
such a way that it cannot become closed 
with snow or ice. A quilt made on pur- 
pose or any woolen blanket or clothing 
spread over the frames seems to answer 
best, for it prevents a strong current of 
air through the hive and yet allows them 
all they need; of course this covering 
must he well protected from the rain. 
Should the sun come out at any time very 
warm and bright after snow Inis just fall- 
en, it may be well to shade the entrance 
with a broad board, as lias been oftliines 
recommended. 
Now when we consider that out-door 
wintering is almost always unsafe, can we 
not, with less trouble, put even one colo- 
ny in the cellar? Where a dark, dry, 
warm cellar is at hand we should have no 
doubt in the matter. 
Much has been said about double ’walk 
for hives, and hives packed on all sides; 
but aside from our own observation (we 
have just gone over the whole file of A liter- 
tain llee Journals for tbe past seven 
years, as in fact we have all tbe other 
bee journals published as well, but their 
evidence is so meager compared with that 
of the A. II. ./., we hardly consider them 
worthy of mention in order to //lean 
facts on this subject particularly,) tin 
evidence seems to he that hives of thin 
lumber placed in the sun do as well or 
better than the double or packed walls. 
We should bear in mind that, strong col- 
onies winter well (or have in former 
years) under almost all cireinnstane ps 
