Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1873-10-16
Farm ann honstboIo'
Wintering Bees.

There j. no question that deeply con-
ccrn> bco-keepers a. how TO Winter bees
successfully. Ii man does not get much
honey. or does not get 4 good price for it,
bat ha> hi, bees left he can try again with
the hope ot doing better next time; but If
h- bees die in winterin-. the goose that
iay golden egg j dead
Throughout the Northwest there are
nasc bees lost every year in wintering
than from all other causes combined. Last
Spring foand. nj the lowest estimate, nine
tenth, OF all the bees in Iowa and Illinois
dead. One man of my acquaintance lost
over three hundred stands. Many per-
sons having from ten 10 twenty stands lost
every one.
have kept from twenty 10 forty stands
in the common Lansstroth hive over
eleven Winters. Daring ten Of these |
w.ufergd jbcm Ia the cellar. aud lost alto
gcIher tire, stands that ran out of honey.
For the last tour years have not lost any.
The other Niuter-thc Winter l>'s-6-on
fN-itN "a at.A 49, tA'a-"4f 4A'7 80 hhN
fire, l neglected my bees. aud left them on
their summer stands, and By The middle of
February fourteen stand, ljust one-haiG
were dead. / dug the diners out ofthe Snow
dr.ils pat lh,m Ia the cellar, and saved
all Of tbe.n.
Having had >Hch uniform success in
wiuteriug ia the cellar, and having exam
iurd the circumstances OF many who failed.
! have thought that might help Others by
giving few of the principles by which
an governed ia ny operations will state
them In Older Of their Importance.
/. IN. room in trhich bees are 'rii.fered.
Pc l. altar. hee-houSc, or camp. must be 81
"a. srss JsIaDsritsre. about SIS Fdhrenhen.
lt4f going Jo.o,r 32- nor dbgue AZ
Ifit l. too cold the the bees will eat too
much. NIL themselves with leces. and have
The dyeenicry. II il be too warm they will
be uneasy. and want 10 get out ofthe hive
:. IN bees should be pat into the cellar
or see-tyuse early or Oh tn first COLI day.
lftbry stay out for some time after. they
have flown they will be partially filled
with frees. Will be uneasy all winter. and
smear their hives badly before spring. II
they stay out late there will some moist
IRE PerEaP, frost. collect in the hive, and
lu"y should 20 ia as dry a. possible. Ny
bees Niutefcd better last winter than ever
before. | put ihcm ,a the cellar Novefn-
Der IT, tn inst cold day we had while the
hives Throughout were - dry a. mid>un-
mer. Joog, thca ont March TO- The
combs ncrr generally dry and free from
ml.d. aud The bees strong aud healthy.
, TIE rom should be entirely dirS.
Nnc4 this j., the case aud other circum-
stances are favorable the bees will be quiet
aB winter wi,hole closing the entrance to
ile hive which from ms experience
fhtlh preferable 10 closing il. Ifthe room
j. light and bee are closed in the hive,
iAcl will gn4w for hall the winter To get
oHI. ii They are not closed in they will
come ont 10 the light and never get back
1. Jkr room shoH'd be IS Org as possible.
always put my bees on platform
about four feet high to avoid the damp air
near the floor. Three years ago last win
ter the water was six inches deep in NV
cellar for some time. and the floor was
damp from that until spring. | did not
lose any bees. but in the spring the hives
were wet inside, the frames damp and
mouldy, and the bees out OF sorts gene
rally. The next summer put a drain in
MY cellar. and since then the floor has
been dry, even dusty. and have had no
trouble whatever.
> The larger the rom the bener.
have used three diferentc ellar.. One
thirteen feet square, | used one winter; an
other, fifteen by twenty-six feet 1 used six
winters. and the one am now using is
twenty-five by thirty-hve feet. In the last
the temperature is less variable. there is less
moisture and bees have better ventilation
than in either of the others. Large rooms
are healthier than small ones for bees Is
people.
la my experience | have not found any
thing additional TO the above essential to
successfully winter bees Bee Journal
SAVE THE BEST FOR BREEDING.-It Is
the worst possible policy to kill all the
best and handsome fowls, and save only
the seraggy ones TO breed from. Ii is the
way to run out your stock; for like tends
to breed ike and the result is, that by con-
tinnally taxing away the best, and using
the eggs of the poorest. your flocks will
grow poorer every year. 1t would seem as
though this was too plain to be insisted up
on. but. in fact. Lime upon line is reeled.
1t is the crying wan, OF poultry upon the
farms the country through. this careful
and Intelligent selection Of the best breed
ing. Nothing is lost by careful self-de-
NAL 10 start with. The extra pound OF
two OF poultry flesh that you leave on its
legs. instead of sending it to the market,
is as good seed, and will bring forth ten to
twenty fold in your future brOods. Save
your best stock for breeding.-Poultry
World.
l should Ike to Inquire through The