WINTERING IN CELLARS 
921 
author has been able to make and from the 
results of his own experience, he comes to 
the conclusion that the ordinary bee-cellar 
should be relatively long with the entrance 
in one end. The temperature of Mother 
Earth in most localities where cellars are 
used is between 40 and 50 Fahr. — just 
about the right range to have inside a cel¬ 
lar. The walls next to Mother Earth be¬ 
come radiators of heat and cold because 
they draw from an enormous reservoir, so 
to speak. The larger the amount of wall 
surface exposed below ground, the more 
even the temperature in the cellar. A rel¬ 
atively long, nar¬ 
row cellar, sub¬ 
merged five or six 
feet below ground 
thru which cold 
can not pene¬ 
trate, gives the 
1 a r g e st possible 
amount of wall 
and a tempera¬ 
ture of approxi- 
m a t e 1 y 45 de¬ 
grees — just where 
it should be for 
good wintering in 
a cellar. The au¬ 
thor’s cellar is 12 
feet wide by 60 
feet long, by 6% 
feet high inside, 
wholly submerged 
beneath the sur¬ 
face with con¬ 
crete walls, sides, 
ends, and ceiling. 
This cellar is cov¬ 
ered with some 
four feet of clay 
closely packed. 
The cellar opens 
up into the basement of a main warehouse 
building, from which ventilation is se¬ 
cured by means of an electric fan. Up 
thru the ceiling and earth, at the back end, 
is an 8-inch sewer-pipe chimney thru which 
the air is forced by the fan where there is 
not a natural draft. During a very warm 
winter, the first year this cellar was tried 
it gave excellent results in spite of the fact 
that the temperature outside was around 60 
and 65 degrees for many days. 
It was also found that sudden changes of 
temperature have very little effect on the 
cellar. About Jan. 9 the mercury outside 
dropped over 40 degrees in 24 hours; yet 
this did not change the temperature of the 
cellar one degree. Not until spring did the 
temperature go above 50 degrees and then 
only a few times; 44 is the lowest mark 
registered, and this only three times. The 
average daily variation in the bee-cellar 
was less than 2 degrees and the greatest 
change in one day was 3 degrees. 
Where the soil is not impervious to 
water there should be a roof over the three 
or four feet of clay top. In our Ohio soil 
the clay is impervious to water and no roof 
is used. 
SUB-EARTH VENTILATORS. 
Sub-earth ventilators should be from four 
to six inches in diameter, made of glazed 
tile, about 100 feet long, and from four 
to six feet below the surface of the ground. 
The outer end is brought to the surface of 
the ground, and the inner opens near the 
bottom of the cellar. Cold air entering the 
ventilator is warmed in passing under 
ground to the cellar, and not only sup¬ 
plies the latter with pure air, but at the 
same time raises its temperature several 
degrees. 
Sub-earth ventilators are not used to any 
great extent at this writing. The plan of 
using a furnace under the house, placing it 
in a room by itself adjoining the cellar, is 
preferable, provided, however, that outdoor 
air is allowed to go into the furnace room 
from a door or window. 
ARRANGEMENT OF HIVES IN A BEE-OELLAR. 
The hives may be piled up one on top of 
another in such a way that any one can be 
removed without disturbing more than the 
one or two above it. The reason for this 
will be apparent later. Strong colonies 
should be put in first and placed on a 
2x4 scantling. On top of these may then 
be placed the weaker ones. This has the 
special advantage of having the heavy ones 
at the bottom and the light ones on top. 
The former, requiring a lower temperature, 
will be where it is cooler; and the latter, 
being weaker, will require a higher tem¬ 
perature, and will be where it is wanner. 
Ventilating chimney at 
rear of cellar. Air leaves 
the cellar thru the door 
(A), passing over the top 
of board (B), thru the 
wooden shaft and tile (E). 
When desired, door (A) 
is closed, board (C) re¬ 
moved, and air from the 
top of the cellar allowed 
to pass thru the upper 
opening under the lower 
edge of board (D), and up 
thru the chimney. 
