The following suggestions, published in _The Country,_ by Mr. Cheshire for skep covers will be found both useful and ingenious :"Double back upon itself a flour or manure sack, as "you would a stooking before putting it on, and draw "this down over the skep until the doubled edge is " round the lower part of the hive, just above the "flight hole, which should be kept open by a little "bridge of wood, zinc, or tin. A cord may now be "tied round the sack at the lower part, while shavings, " sawdust, or straw should be filled in between the "parts of the sack, as it were between the foot and \(\,\mathrm{le}_{\mathrm{\SIUnitSymbolFace}}\) " of the stocking, until the hive crown is well covered, " for here it is that the loss of heat is the greatest. "The sack's mouth being tied, the operation is com- "plete, and we may make the hive sufficiently secure " to winter in the open by putting over it an inverted " milk pan, if of sufficient size, or, better, the cover, " Fig. 9, to be presently described. I could wish all "skeps were too large to be covered by American " cheese boxes; but this not being the fact, I will " explain how these covers, which may be obtained for " the sum of \(\,3d\), may be made into capital raintight "protectors, good for ten years' wear. The lid of the "box, placed on four inverted flower-pots, or some bricks, " will make an excellent bottom board, while the box " proper forms the case for the hive itself. Before being " used, the bottom of it, which will be its top as a hive " case, should be painted well over with hot pitch, " which should be made to cover 1 or 2 inches " down the side. A sheet of newspaper, or canvas if " preferred, should now be evenly spread over the cold " pitch, when, by the application of a hot flat iron, used " after the manner of the laundress, the pitch is re- " melted, well incorporated both with the wood and the "paper, all cracks are closed, and the cover made * " absolutely rainproof. The box may now be placed "over the hive, which should be previously furnished "with sufficient hay, straw, sacking, or such like "material, to fill up any spaces. A capital cover may "be made of roofing-felt, which is sold for \(8d\). the "yard run, and is 2ft. 8in. wide. It should be cut as "shown, in Fig. 8. "Make a notch in a "lath, 17in. from its "end, at one inch "from which bore a "hole with a broad"awl, which stick "16in. from the end "of the felt at B, "and equally distant "notch in the lath run round the three-quarter circle, "A, C, E. Now place the awl at A, and describe the "three-quarter circle F, D, B. Cut out the two covers "through F, A, B, E. Draw their straight edges "together, until one edge touches the dotted line. "Tack these two edges together into a thin lath, and "the cover is in form. The waste pieces of felt, which "will be very small, will suffice for four straps, to be "fastened underneath by clenched nails, and which "may be tied to the "hive by astring passing "round it. This will "effectually prevent the "over being blown "away in the stiffest "gales. Fig. 9 shows "the cover complete;"it will be 24in, in diameter, G, H, and will afford, in " consequence of its greater size, far better protection " than a milk pan, while it costs only \(5
rac{1}{2}d\). Coated " with tar, and afterwards sprinkled with hot sand, " this cover will last many years. The same form in " zinc would be more sightly, but it would cost about " \(1s.\ 6d.\) for material."