E a
Early Breeding. Put hives after they have flown and have well cleaned themselves
[crossed out: into] upon fermenting stable manure. Old stocks which have abundance
of bee bread only ought to be forced. 
March 22, 1852. Let the dark space as soon as weather has allowed bees to fly
and cleanse themselves, be filled with manure? Smell, vapors, must be excluded,
doubtful how will answer. Suppose pipe from greenhouse heater to pass under
dark space. This might answer, and a very pleasant heat might be kept
up. Air tight coal stove might be used for experiment. Dark space may have a
chimney, so that bees will never perish for want of air, even if snow closes entrance. 
The heat, etc. might be kept from entering the hive directly, allowed to warm
bottom board, or to fill doubled space, manure can be watered from time to
time by moving separators, bees must have water given to them, and ought to
have a little honey. Where horse manure can be had on the spot I think
that this plan might answer. The manure afterwards used for gardens. 
Last page. The bees would thus have smaller pieces of foundation, each piece having two side attachments
and it seems as though there would be much less chance for stretching or sagging. 2nd Instead of tin use
strips of bass or other springy wood, very thin. In letting them into slits dip ends in glue. 
Frames would be much stiffer. With wood or tin, the combs would be much more secure in the
frames having thrice the amount of side attachments. If the guide frames can be used to advantage
then these strips may be used thus, the foundation for guides cut in this fashion, after the style
bees use in starting their combs in an empty frame. I presume that without the guide frame
three strips of foundation, would secure much straighter combs than usual, on the same plan as
my old plan of wax pinches. Have foundation starters only kept say 1/4 inch from uprights and tins, the
bees will have at once quite a large surface of foundation to work on, and probably in a day all the surface they can
use. To test this fully a large number of newly made or natural swarms in a time of great plenty
of pollen and honey should have some full foundation and others starters between guide frames, and others
without, perhaps a few with only a few pinched starters. I think the starters might save 1/4 or 1/2 of the
usually spent in filling frames with new comb. The starters should come at tops close to tins and uprights
of frames. It has also occurred to me that strips of tin foil [inserted: waxed] might easily be laid in the foundation sheets of wax and then
rollers would easily press them into foundation, cut them thus so that the broad side would give more
support and protection melted wax at (a, b) [crossed out: illegible] [inserted: could] not this keep the foundation from sagging even if very thin? The sheets need
not then be cut at all, and might be kept as far from the upright as may be found best. 12th 50 degrees this A. M. Mr. McCord
put on full comb and four frames with foundation starters between comb frames cut as on opposite page. After putting in
the bees the rain commenced. (N.E.) 13th 52 degrees. Very rainy night. If the middle starter was made long enough to [illegible]