Corn Cobs for lining See D e
of bee hives. 
September 7th 1864. In my journal this a last week or two will be D
found plans for lining hives with corn cobs. A better plan may perhaps
be devised from a suggestion of my brother-in-law, William G. Malin, of the
Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia. [added: to put the cobs in frames or covers,] Let the cobs be cut to suitable lengths square, say
in a miter box, then select those of nearly uniform diameter, then have a very
thin frame into which to drop them, alternating butts with tops, when all in, nail or fasten
on top of frame to hold them. Bottom of frame might be kept from bottom of hive say
3/8 to 1/2 inches. Top of frame might be so as to have the ground support or rabbet of the
frames to hang upon. In summer use none on the ends or sides of the hive, in in
winter either fill frames with them or make a case for them to be suspended between the
frames. If the frames were hung higher by front and rear strips, cobs might very
easily be laid on the floor of the hives in winter. Small cobs or cobs sawed or split so
as to occupy but little room would be best for bottom layer. Then use [illegible] for
the honey board. Shut up all below and let bees fly from the winter passage only. 
Of all the material for lining bee hives this will be for wintering bees the most admirable. 
If worms ever troubled a hive easy to take out. The bees in winter encased in a
most admirable non-conducting substance. September 9th. A corn cob floor will be a
very good thing if nothing more. In movable comb hives bees cannot be up
against front or rear of hive on account of space between uprights and frames,
nor against honey board, nor against bottom board. Corn cobs will remedy this. 
Bees that fall on bottom-board not chilled. Use only winter passage. 
It seems to me that just as I could foresee the value of movable frames
before they were actually used and when they existed only theoretically in my
mind, (See B a Oct. [illegible] 1851) so now I can foresee the great results that
may be made to flow from a proper use of corn cobs for wintering bees. There
can be no doubt that ordinarily bees do not winter as well in movable comb hives
as they do in the old box. With corn cobs above, below, and on ends, and only
the winter passage used, they would not be apt to come out unless the
weather was suitable. I attach the most importance to the cobs above and below. 
With them the winter passage would probably be of small consequence. 
September 16th. Fasten (screws from outside or fasten with long nails or dowels)
narrow strips front and rear to elevate rabbets so as to suspend frames
so that bottoms will just clear corn cobs on bottoms of hives, make of thin
boards a narrow frame to rest where honey board rests, fasten on its bottom pieces
of cloth or list so as to bear up corn cobs. There might be two layers. 