Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-12-21

years was far greater out of doors than
in the cellar; hence this fall have put
up permanent bee cellar in the place
of the temporary one, and shall here
after winter at least half of my bees in
it.
Near my apiary is small knoll, and
into this dug thirty-two feet by nine
feet wide A drain was then dug
around the outside, which was eigh-
teen inches ct the back. This drain
was filed up level with the ground, or
floor of the cellar, with small stone.
From the lowest point of this drain
dug ditch one hundred feet long, in
which was placed two tiers of three
and one half inch tiles, one above the
other, and so arranged as to serve the
place of ventilation and drain COM
bined, if any water should accumulate
in the drain around the cellar. These
| tiles were covered to the depth of
three feet so as to warm the air as it
came into the bee cellar. Upon the
drain around the cellar, a good wall
was built of stone, laid up with mortar,
which is Owe feet eight inches high and
gives me a cellar twenty-four feet long
and six and one-half feet wide inside.
| Upon the top of the wall placed plates
! Axe inches square, bedding them in
mortar, which raised my walls to SIX
feet high. Upon these plates, ratters
were place. osetogether so as to hold
great weight, and then covered with
inch boards. A ventilator vas placed
in the opposite end, giving about two
thirds the capacity of the other, when
the whole was covered to the depth On
three and one-half feet with dry earth;
over this was placed an outer roof,
which extends six feet further out than
the wall on either side, and good in
cline was given to conduct all the wa
ter of.
The front end Of the cellar is three
and one half feet lower than the sur
face of the ground about it, while the
back end is about ten feet. | intend
ed TO grout the bottom with gravel and
mortar, but the ground was SO hard and
dry that l have postponed it for the
present at least. AT the end next to
the bee yard, placed two well-built
door frames, which were two feet
apart from center to center. To these
were spiked plank at the sides and top,
and covered with earth with a slope
wall standing outward toward the bee
! yard, so as to have as much earth here
as elsewhere) over which the outer
roof is allowed to come, so as to keep
all dry. A door is hung on each door
frame, which gives three doors and
TWO deep air spaces of two feet each,
~ - oo1l,,. 10 ~. ID III al
cost of this cellar. is few cents over
SIS.
The hives are to be set around the
outside of the cellar, one on top of the
other, with chafi, or fine straw used as
packing, the same as if they were to
be left out of doors. as an experiment
shall leave one row of hives with the
entrance the same as they are when
on the summer stands; another row
will have the full entrance. q third be
raised on half.inch blocks, and the
| fourth upon inch blocks,
The cellar will hold eighty hives and
leave plenty of room for an aisle to the
back end, and 100 if filled full. One
fourth OF my colonies were placed in
this bee cellar on Nov. Sd, and to-mor-
low Slhll pun III Out-lOuElu more. Ill
one week shall put in another fourth,
and on the first of December the re-
mainder, which are to be placed there
in, and see which winters the best. AL
though the thermometer marks 400
inside, those already in are so still that
scarcely a sound from them can be
heard, but find those raised on the
inch blocks are aroused quicker By the
| light Of the lamp when taken in.
About one-half of my number will
be left on the summer stands, thor
oughly packed in chat, as heretofore,
for | think sucn a course gives the
best results, taking number of Years
together.
If anyone could tell just what the
winter would be beforehand, | would
place my bees in the cellar for cold
winter, and leave them out during
mild one; but as no one can do this, |
adopt the above, considering it the
best, all things considered.