Corn cob from D e the better. In every neighborhood there will in time
be those who will attend to bees of others. This corn cob arrangement cannot
be used except in movable comb hives, and to better advantage in my style
of hive than in any other. October 14th. Today have filled up a hive
with corn cobs except over the frames. A sharp hatchet cuts the cobs to
a proper length, lay them on the bottom, Stand them up on end at the
sides, to hold them use annealed fine iron wire. These dots
represent nails driven into the sides to fasten the wire so as
to keep them in place. Over the frames may be best to use four mats of
cobs wired together. Until I try cannot tell whether mats or putting them
in frame will answer best. (15th). Select the cobs of the most uniform diameter
to put on rabbets to elevate frames. Put them butt to butt so as to raise the
frames the highest in the center. Let the nails 1, 2, be put so as to hold
fast the cobs next to front and rear, and give a better chance to fasten
the wire around the head of the nail. The cobs for the sides [crossed out: illegible] should be of uniform size
and will thus allow eight frames with room to move one, which should be the one farthest
from the entrance. In laying them on the bottom see that no layer butts are put
centrally. Three pieces of old carpet or old woolen garments can be had. I am
of the opinion they would serve a better purpose for putting on top of the frames
than cobs. If the bees have abundance of stores and need no feeding, the bees will
pass from comb to comb under the frames on the cobs, and a winter passage will
be of small consequence. The present shape of my frames I prefer for every season
except wintering bees. Best to command with the eye, best to hold and
handle, best to take out or put in, gives more top surface for supers,
bees enter boxes over better than deeper frames. By the use of the corn cobs this
shape will be better for wintering bees than a deeper frame. The bees will
be nearer to the warm bottom and top, and farther from the cold front and rear. 
It will also contract the hive which is a gain for winter. If there is any honey in frames
to be kept out, lay these frames kept from top and each other by pieces of cobs over the
tops of the frames for bees to empty, or put brads in them to keep them up from frames and
from each other, might then be allowed to stay there all the time until needed in the Spring on
the hive. No winter passage will be needed with the cobs. The bees will have no cold
bottom to travel on to get in or out. In very cold, windy weather close the entrance
with a small piece of [illegible]. This will
prevent cold currents passing through the hive. If hives are made in winter to face the east
or southeast, entrance should be open on the north or northeast. This will keep the bees
quiet best, they would lie more away from entrance and they see but little
light to tempt them to fly unless weather quite propitious. At the same time, by