Mr. Editor:—I believe the inventors of all hives claim—each for his special invention—better wintering qualities “than any other hive in use.” But many of them, after being tested, prove to be no better than any old common hive, from the fact that they are not constructed on the right principle. When I constructed the hive described in the Journal for July, it was my intention to make it one of the best for wintering bees that had ever been devised; and I have yet to find the man who has seen and examined it, who says it is not upon the right principle for that purpose. If we can have a hive constructed on the right principle for successful wintering of bees, storing honey, and allowing of as much room for surplus honey-boxes as the largest stock needs, it is certainly an improvement over anything yet constructed in the shape of a bee-hive. I claim that my hive combines more good qualities and fewer bad ones, than any hive now extant.

When I commenced to write, I did not intend to say anything in favor of this hive. Those who have used it will say enough in its favor. I will now give my plan for wintering bees in it, which I can do in very few words; and it will not take longer to prepare one of them for wintering, than it will to read this article.

First, make the winter passages through the combs. This I do by taking a stick twenty inches long and three-fourths of an inch wide, made sharp at one end, and slowly worm it through the combs, from front to rear of the hive. If a hive be examined, twenty-four hours after this has been done, the bores will be found as round and as smooth as though the bees had made them. Next remove the board from the top of the brood chamber, and cover the frames with any old rug, coat, or woolen cloth of any kind; and, although it is not necessary, it will be found a good plan to remove the sides of the brood chamber, and cover them the same as the top; or they can be covered with cotton cloth, leaving the surplus box holes open as a means of ventilation, and at the same time keeping the bees confined to the combs and from going into the outer hive. I did not remove the woolen cloths from the tops of my hives this season, and the only ventilation my hives have had during the very hot weather was through the entrance. There was no melting down of combs as in the shallow form of the Langstroth hive.

The entrance should be closed during the winter, so as to leave only about one inch space between the blocks. A stock of bees will not smother in this hive, even if it be covered up in snow all winter; but the ventilating holes in the cap must be left open during the winter. In most of the hives sent out, I left a hole in front of the brood chambers to make the winter passages through.

In the spring the brood chamber can be lifted off the bottom boards and cleaned of bees and droppings; and I have done this without even disturbing the bees.

Three years ago I gave a plan for wintering bees in the shallow form of Langstroth hive. Many who tested that plan, have written to me that it worked well. I think the plan a good one, and hope some one who has a copy of it will send it to the editor of the Journal to have it republished. I will guarantee that all who try it will be pleased with the plan.

H. Alley.

Wenham, Mass., August, 1870.

[For the American Bee Journal.]