The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-11-11
agricultural department.
,ospucrgu BY ALBERT CHAPMAN.
Wihtering Bees.

HAS tits
The yield ofboney from cuckwheat
this year has been quite good in most
portions Of the state, and as a little
has been added from the late wild how-
ers, the hives must be well supplied
for the winter. In sections where fire.
weed Is abundant, or certain species Of
golden-rod are plenty. the hives are
filled very full almost every fall. The
sisters which grow in our state are not
the kinds which furnish the large
yields Of honey so often spoken of, so
comparatively little can he counted
upon from that source II would pay
our apiarists TO procure seed of the
most common species Of wild aster
which grows in the middle southern
states. We suppose, then, that our
hives are fairly supplied with honey
this fall, yet, TO be sure, each hive
should be examined, and any that may
BIZ deficient, supplied by feeding honey
or white sugar syrup, or by giving
them combs full of sealed honey. While
shere are many expensive styles of
feeders, simply n shallow pan set in the
cap or top story Of the hive will answer
every purpose. A quart or so of food
nay he poured in just at dusk, and
shavings or cut straw scattered on the
surface to keep the bees from drowning.
III order to estimate correctly the guam
tity Of honey In hive, ii will be nee.
essary to examine each comb separate
ly, or to weigh the whole together and
then deduct the weight of The hives, as
well as something for the weight of the
bees. combs and pollen. The easiest
way have found is to ascertain by
weighing the amount Of honey which
a comb of average thickness will con.
tain, aud from that estimate the
sinount in each hive. or course an al .
lowance must lie made for the weigh,
Of the combs, especially if old, and the
pollen they may contain. A little prac-
tics will enable one to judge quite &C.
euEateiy by simply lifting one comb af-
ter another from the hive, how much
honey it contains. There ought to be
not less than thirty pounds to each
stock that is to be wintered OH the sum-
mer stand; for indoor wintering
twenty pounds will suffice.
Ny experience has convinced me
chat, other things being equal, those
stocks that have a supersbundance of
honey are much more apt to prove the
paying stocks during the next year,
than those that have to be fed any time
after November, OF even than those
that have just enough to carry them
through until spring flowers appear.
Forty or fifty pounds then would be
preferable to thirty. In examining tho
combs, 1t is well to cut one or two holes
near the center Of each, to serve as
winter passages for the bees and If
psssible, arrange the combs In such
manner as to leave some empty cells, or
such a. contain brood, nenr the center
Of the hive. The brood soon matches,
and in cold weather the bees crawl into
these empty cells, and being densely
packed between the combs, the whole
mass is enabled to keep up the neces.
snry heat Of the hive. 1t is the natural
disposition of the bees to store their
honey in this shape-that is over and
around the brood nest but during a
good yield of honey late in The season,
they fill and seal all the combs to the
bottom. When this occurs, the bees
being separated by the cold sheets of
honey are liable to perish before emp
ty cells are obtained. The remedy is
to use the extractor on the central
combs. removing only portion of the
honey from each. We suppose then
that one OF the conditions upon which
successful wintering depends Is present
namely. all abundance Of honey.
The second point to be mentioned is
shat the hive should be well stocked
with bees Carefully lift the cover or
turn the hive up some cool morning,
and il the cluster occupies Ave or six
spaces, call the stock fair. Yet 1.-THE
more the merrier," and safer too.
Our third point Is. every hive should
have good queen. one that has shown
no signs Of failing and is not past her
third season
Special repositories. with thick walls
like those OF ali ice house, are often
constructed for wintering purposes,
Day cellars are also devoted to the same
purpose. These rooms should be dark,
and, ifpossible, kept at temperature
OF about forty-two deg. +. The hives
should be set la as soon a. cool weather
makes its appearance and before the
cornbs become frosty, the top of the
hive may he removed and blanket or
straw mat laid OH the frames.
II the stocks are populous. aud have
good queens and plenty of honey, and
the hives can be properly packed, /
would rather have them remain on
their summer stands. Make box just
the width and length Of the hive and
three Inches deep and set the hive over
1t. This will give an air space below
the combs and preclude the possibility
OF the freezing up of the entrance. II
the hives are large. SO much the better.
Place the eight or ten combs containing
the winters food near the center, and
hang on each side division board,
made by mailing together pieces OF lath
with an even layer Of straw between
them; place above cap or top story
several inches deep, lay quilt or straw
mat across the tops of the frames, and
pack chan or cut straw over and around
Them very closely. The cover should
not shut very tightly, but should not
admit water. Ifsnow-drifts cover the
hives. they will be much better Off