hole in center for warm box, loose wool laid on this mat, with a few sticks, etc. to hold at
place. After warm box is no longer needed lay honey board over loose wool, piece of carpet,
mat, etc. which was cut and folded one side to give room for warm box, folded
back in place all covered with wool except small hole to let bees up to comb or other
[illegible], this no doubt best of all so little trouble to remove, examine bees, etc. Those who
will not go to this expense can use rags between spaces. Now double the front
rear and sides of hive on my rabbeted corner post plan, filling in the spaces for
winter with old rags, etc. Do not let side pieces for doubling go down nearer than 3/8 inches from
bottom board so that bees can keep all clean in summer. In such a hive I could
winter bees in the open air even in Minnesota, with warm box, etc. arrangement. Not
a quarter of an hour (if as much) needed to fill in doubled spaces, lay on mat, box, over
and above time spent in examining and preparing hive for winter. 26th. Examining
the stock which had small warm box find it today in admirable condition, as compared
with other colonies in 13 frame hives which were in the Fall equally good and with the exception
of small box had better protection above for wintering, carpet doubled or covering more
completely tops of frames so as to prevent escape of air. Space above frames before and behind
warm box may be fixed thus. 4 wide spaces between combs stopped with [inserted: woolen] rags with
wool inside of them, other spaces stopped with woolen rags if you have no mat or carpet
to lay over them, mat, carpet, old pants, etc. , laid over spaces back of box, large enough
when wool laid on to fold over wool, same on front before the small box, you now
have the most perfect protection above the spaces where the bees lie not only under the box
but on each side of it. For want of such an arrangement small or moderate stocks and some
[illegible] ones shift to one side of the hive (usually the side where the sun shines warmest)
and get out of food and perish. This arrangement will keep them centrally where they
will be warmest and where the food will be most accessible. In preparing a large number
of bees for wintering, go through with them all, cutting winter passages, cutting off
wax on edges and tops of frames, adjusting combs, etc. and put on warm box. The filling
[illegible] between combs, putting on mats, loose wool, etc. can be done later. With a
little smoke easy to do it when weather too cool to allow hives to be opened. In the
Spring if weather continues too cool to allow bees to fly before you want to bring their combs
[illegible] could be done with loss of very few bees. It would not however be necessary to
bring combs to their proper distances until the bees could fly freely, as they would not enlarge
much before they could get fresh supplies. If any importance in retaining upper
warm box, might be kept until about time to put on honey board. Easy to
arrange for stimulative feeding. Wool good to stop ventilating holes in winter, will
[illegible] any damp air, not too much current, might answer to stop hive when
being robbed, put on in place of ventilator, entrance over holes in honey board,
bees could do nothing with it, would give plenty of air to bees within. 
27th Small box might be one inch deep, stretch under rag over it, pinned on or tacked
over top, cover with wool, or cobs might be laid down and under cloth over them. 
Pins in tops of frames would hold all the cobs in place. After laying on
the wool, honey board might lay over all to hold wool in place. comb taken out on the
honey board, wool bundles might be laid over the cobs. We now get rid of box, easy to unpin
woolen rag, raise up rag, or lift off bundles, if no mats, carpets, or old pants, etc. Fill
in between frames with woolen rags, lay loose wool as before described honey board to