D e
Heath. Beautiful description of before decay. Byron's Giaour. 
Depravity total. Folly of urging inability from this source to do anything
good as an objection to the attempt to become religious
ably explained by Howe (Blessedness of the righteous, Chapter XVII)
Decrees of God. presumptuous discussion of discouraged (Leighton vol. 2 page 450) [possibly Robert Leighton 1611-1684]
[illegible] Or bees running out. This is not uncommon, may it not
result from breeding inflexibly the same stock? Bright not new
stock to be obtained from time to time, [illegible] of drone comb
and encourage drones, or [illegible] from them. 
[illegible] Bees do but little or nothing in a hive when they [illegible]
[illegible] start to desert it. Noticed their refusal to work in an [illegible]
[illegible] when they meant to desert it. 
 (See De next page) To make this large enough to cover the frames, tie one cob
fast to [added: each] upright, and two to the top and two to the bottom
of the frame. Frames fixed in this way to be hung up when not in use in a dry place
so as to last as long as the hive itself. If desired the honey board can be laid over the whole. 
Any air [added: or heat] which may pass up will only carry away all dampness from the bees. They will
lie on the [crossed out: frame] cobs on the bottom of the hive, no bees can fall upon a cold bottom board to perish
and no winter passage will be at all needed, as the bees will pass either above or below
from comb to comb without being chilled. Am I mistaken in supposing that by
using corn cobs in the way above described, as great an advance will be made in
wintering bees in cold climates as was made by the movable frame to handle bees? 
Mr. O. Sprague of Fulton, Whiteside County, Illinois first suggested to me the use of
corn cobs as the best material for wintering bees. He has for several years used
them placed on top of the frames and has found them admirable. I think that the
extended use which I make of them will be a very great improvement upon his
plan, and will enable us to winter bees to perfection in flat hives. It will also
enable us to paint the hives thoroughly white without fear of cold or dampness, and
thus protect them better in summer. Are not corn cobs a very near approach to
cork? If it is objected that to fix hives for winter too much trouble, not to the business
beekeeper. The more the unskillful will delegate this to the expert
[illegible]