10 
DAVI8* PLATFORM FOR BEE-HIVES. 
up and clear out the filth. Then commence feeding, with 
the cheap feed, —feed them sufficiently to encourage them 
and to have their hives filled with honey, grubs, eggs and 
young bees by the time blossoms appear; then take the 
feed away, scald the drawer, and put in the door. When 
blossoms disappear, commence feeding with choice feed, 
and continue to feed until prevented by the cold. Then 
take off the boxes, put wove wire over the holes on top of 
the hives, pul on the chamber, close the buttons, shut the 
slide, take out the feed-trough, put in the doors, and let 
them remain quiet until spring. 
After the snow has gone and the weather sufficiently 
warm, you may let them out, but not before. The slide 
back of the feed-drawer is to be closed w-henever the 
drawer is removed ; take hold of the string, keep it close 
to the drawer, so as not to kill the bees. The slide should 
be closed except when feeding. 
When feeding, slide tins under front ends of all the empty 
hives, over the same feed-drawers, to prevent robbery. 
There may be a faucet in front of feed-trough to match 
the channel in bottom board, to take off the feed and scald 
it if it is likely to sour. Scald your feed-drawers often. 
Should it become necessary to feed in cold weather, use 
the winter feed-trough, in the chamber. 
The ventilation may be increased by starting out the 
miller-drawers, more or less. 
The filth-drawer may be put in, from the inside, by 
leaving j| of an inch space at the top of the back-board for _ 
millers to enter. 
When your swarms are young, and hives new, or when 
you wish to be gone some length of time, crumble some * 
old comb into the miller-drawers; be sure to kill the worms 
often, and return a portion of the filth in the drawers. 
The wire should be No. 24 or 25, and 12 mash, and 
varnished. 
