MERRILL: WINTER PROTECTION FOR BEES 
111 
1918. The Preparation of Bees for Outdoor Wintering. Bui. No. 1012, U. S. 
Dept, of Agri. 
Gates, B. N. 
1914. The Temperature of the Bee Colony. Bui. No. 96, U. S. Dept, of Agri. 
Mr. G. M. Bentley: We have a great deal of trouble with the 
wintering of bees in Tennessee. We are sorry that Dr. Merrill is not 
with us to explain more concerning his methods. In Tennessee we 
have found it very difficult to interest people in the winter protection 
of bees, simply because we frequently have open winters. When Mr. 
C. E. Bartholomew was in Tennessee doing extension work in bee¬ 
keeping, he patterned a winter hive, an enclosure, after that of Dr. 
Phillips, which included four hives with four entrances. That method 
of winter protection was pretty generally introduced, but the greatest 
trouble was that many beekeepers thought that nature had given them 
plenty of protection simply because the winters were not severe. With 
the experimental apiary at the Experiment Station we have found that 
sudden changes are the causes that have developed the dwindling or 
weak colonies of bees in the spring, often making them too weak to 
overcome that trouble. We have some concrete examples in the sta¬ 
tion apiary and in different parts of the state where persons who care¬ 
fully pack their bees in the winter receive a yield of 110 and sometimes 
200 pounds of comb honey per hive. The average production for the 
state of Tennessee is 39| pounds, counting the log gum, the box hive, 
and the ordinary modern hive. Without any doubt winter packing 
in the southern states is a success. 
Mr. G. G. Ainslie: Didn’t I understand that the packed hive 
is a one-story or two-story hive? 
Mr. M. C. Tanquary: A packed hive is only a single-story hive. 
Chairman W. E. Britton: The next on the program is a three- 
reel motion picture illustrating beekeeping in the Californian National 
Forest. These reels have been furnished by Mr. George A. 
Coleman. 
Chairman W. E. Britton: We will now listen to the report of 
the committee on nominations, consisting of Messrs. J. G. Sanders, 
E. C. Cotton and G. G. Ainslie. 
Mr. J. G. Sanders: The Committee on Nominations presents 
the name of Mr. F. B. Paddock for Chairman and Mr. G. M. Bentley 
for Secretary for the ensuing year. 
It was voted that the report of the committee be accepted and the 
recommendations adopted. 
The above-mentioned members were declared elected and the session 
adjourned. 
