not like the space left between tops of frames and cobs. 
December 6th. Have had a few splendid Indian summer days - bees are
put into winter arrangements - Today made some very valuable improvements
in my hive see Vol. 2, Ri - I seem now tp secure advantages
very great for very little additional expense - Dec. 10th - 14 degrees [inserted: 10 degrees] Cloudy - very windy
 (11th) 14 degrees In hives with old pieces of carpet put over frames bees lie well
up to carpet - frost on [inserted: underside of) bottom board laid over carpet - showing that dampness
passes through carpet and does not hurt bees - it may be better to keep
bottom board off of carpet (22nd) Weather has been cold for the
season - as low as 8 degrees - but few dead bees as yet on bottom board - am
better pleased with carpet arrangement than anything yet used. 
For what I have lately done to improve hive see Ro - Vol 2 - By
getting so simple a plan for raising frames above bottom board I
get rid of only objection to [illegible] bottom board - Having now room
to elevate frames as much as I please would it not be better to keep
bottom rail 3/8 inches only above bottom board? so that in [illegible] weather
bees can reach it from bottom board - Dec. 27th 6 degrees 13 degrees 4 degrees On the 23rd warm
rain 50 degrees - with some thunder - since then [illegible] with some snow. 
Weather has been very cold at the East (28th) 4 degrees 16 degrees Beautiful clear day
dampness comes up through double thickness of carpet, cob box and papers and
condenses in frost. (29th) 4 degrees 20 degrees - Some overclouded - not much wind - heard
of tremendous storms at the North and East - (30th) 5 degrees 18 degrees Still - Tops of
hives full of frost - Carpet with cob boxes work well - Inside of hive with
wide topped frames fuller of frost - even although much has escaped up
from back space and front space made by the partition for frames to rest
on - Have devised (see after De) better plan for wintering in open air. 
Easy to see how hives with broad topped frames must be bad in cold regions
like all chambered hives - no escape for dampness � does not melt and dry
as in single box. (31st) 10 degrees 26 degrees Overcast. Jan. 1st, 1867. 14 degrees 22 degrees Beautiful
bright still winter day (2nd) 2 degrees 22 degrees Splendid, bright, still day - Notice frost
in back of hives (slanted forward) - Bees in combs freely exposed as in Garret - where no
ice can form - not so badly off as in close shut hives - where frost or dampness can
form and prevent their moving freely to get food! (3rd) 0 degrees 30 degrees Bright - calm -
bees flew considerably - a colony of black bees flew more than Italians. Have never been
able to see the superior hardiness as to cold of Italians. (4th) 10 degrees 40 degrees Still but some
clouded over - opened colony of black bees that flew yesterday - Italian queen breeding
some have hatched already! Bees in full colonies flew scarcely at all today - Removed
five nuclei from cellar - three were queenless - Two with queens breeding - added bees to
them - fear for the queens one confined - these nuclei covered with carpet � flew