406 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 19,1887. 
(Continued from page 3G4.) 
There can be no doubt that bees properly wintered 
are those which give the least trouble and the greatest 
yield of honey. Properly speaking, however, it is not the 
winter we dread, but the spring with its sudden changes 
from bright sunshine to the cold blasts so frequent at this 
season, and which ai e so destructive to bee life. Take 
the present season for example. Many hives that were 
strong three months ago are now so much reduced in 
numbers that they will be profitless this season. It has 
no doubt been an exceptionally cold and protracted 
season, but we have no assurance that such seasons will 
not occur again, but rather may expect a recurrence 
oftener than desirable. 
My object, therefore, in writing this article is with 
the view of impressing bee-keepers with a few things 
which ought to be remembered and acted up to. It 
ought to be borne in mind that whatever condition a hive 
is in and whatever season, the crown ought to be well 
but not too much covered, and the material of a non¬ 
conducting and porous nature through which all the 
vapour ascending from the bees shall be carried freely 
away, and, of course, the hive otherwise protected from 
the weather. Crowding many bees into as little space as 
they can be crammed, or as the Americans and other 
writers term it, “ bees are the best packing,” is folly in 
the extreme. Bees so treated, as well as those that are 
put up for winter with a scarcity of provisions, are often 
on the wing during the winter and spring months, when 
those differently treated remain quiet and within doors. 
On the other hand, care must be taken not to give too 
much space, but if the bees occupy one-third of it that 
will be about right if all other things necessary have been 
attended to. If the heat generated by the bees is unduly 
carried away, then abdominal extension is sure to follow, 
and the longer the confinement the greater the malady. 
In an open winter, or one with much frost without snow, 
my bees never suffered. Only at the breaking up of a 
storm when snow is upon the ground have they been 
injured, and sometimes, nay often, have I witnessed strong 
hives decimated on the bees coming out with a sudden 
rise of temperature when snow was on the ground. It is 
bad policy to close in bees during severe frost and snow 
storms unless ventilation has been provided elsewhere than 
at the regular entrance. Where there are ventilating 
floors they may be shut in with safety for weeks. When 
bees are comfortably hived they will stand confinement 
with impunity for at least three months, and when kept 
comfortable they consume less food and do not require to 
cluster so closely together as they do when the conditions 
of the hive are unsatisfactory. It is when bees are kept 
in this state that they are liable to die during cold 
weather, as they are unable to raise the temperature 
to about 60° so as to enable them to feed and to travel 
from one part of the hive to another without being 
chilled. 
After the spring has set in with all its variations of 
temperature bees should not be induced to fly unless 
when they are inclined. If there is a scarcity of pollen 
in the locality peameal should be substituted as well as 
water, so as to prevent them roaming too far from their 
hives. It will be remembered by your readers that I 
gave most of my hives some feeding in January which 
they took readily. Many hives in this neighbourhood 
that were not fed until March are now useless, they would 
not feed during the inclement weather we have experi¬ 
enced. However much we may confine our bees duifing 
the winter, it is not desirable to do so after March has 
arrived. Still, it is very often advisable, especially 
when “Boreas’ blasts are blowing keen” and nothing 
can be had outside. Strong and well-provisioned hives 
will brave the severest weather when weaklings and 
hives short of food will dwindle. Hives short of pollen 
breed small and often worthless bees, while those unable 
to keep up a proper temperature from any cause will have 
many defective winged bees, and much brood and many 
eggs destroyed, just as is sure to occur when brood¬ 
spreading and stimulative feeding have been resorted to, 
especially at an unseasonable time. My crossed Cyprians, 
notwithstanding the untoward season, have never been 
fed and never require the brood to be spread, yet are well 
forward; in fact, are now getting the swarming sound 
since thaw came. 
Housing bees during winter is a subject I have given 
some attention to, and have proved that when properly 
managed is a very safe and satisfactory way to prevent 
bees becoming diseased through long confinement in severe 
weather. There is no better place for this purpose than 
a dwelling room, the temperature of which should never 
be lower than 45° Fahr. It may be either kept light or 
dark as desired. If the former the bees must be kept 
closed in, but if the latter they will not require it. A 
great many hives can be housed in very little space if of 
a proper sort, and it is unnecessary to keep away from 
them, because if bees are accustomed to much disturbance 
they are not affected in any way by it, but if kept quiet 
for a time then any sudden disturbance annoys them. It 
is therefore rather desirable to be often amongst the hives 
when so treated. Bees are capital barometers, and when 
kept within doors, although the temperature is raised to 
60° or even more, if it does not reach 50° outside they 
show no desire to get out, but the moment the day is 
favourable for bees flying outside they will attempt to get 
out. Of course the bee-keeper will attend to them and 
their w r ants when this occurs, and a favourable oppor¬ 
tunity should not be lost to let them have an airing, 
after which they may be again taken inside. In some 
localities it is quite unnecessary to be at any trouble in 
housing bees, but in others it is desirable if not actually 
necessary. 
When bees are housed, if they have a fair complement 
of bees, say from twenty to thirty thousand or more, it is 
not necessary to have so high a temperature as if the 
bees were much fewer; but if the rule of having two- 
thirds more empty space than is occupied is observed and 
carried out, there will be little danger of any succumbing. 
Still there is a number we must not come under, but that 
number when comfortably quartered may not be more 
than will fill an ordinary teacup. I have brought such 
bees and queen successfully through winter on more than 
one occasion. 
The error of ci’owding bees into too little space has 
been well illustrated in the case of the Ligurian queens 
and bees sent to this country, when very often all were 
dead if at all crowded, when those boxes having few bees 
arrived in capital condition. I may return to this sub¬ 
ject at a future date; meanwhile it is'well to remind all 
bee-keepers to keep a sharp look out so that no hive 
suffers from a scarcity of food, keep all crowns well 
covered, prepare for raising queens to unite to swarmed 
