Hi all
I don't know how many of you read the old bee magazines. In their heyday, many published on a weekly basis, so information was not slow to get out, as many suppose. This is from the American Bee Journal,* week of Feb 4, 1892:
Winter Protection for Bees
CHAS. F. MUTH.
This much-discussed subject will remain before the bee-keeping fraternity as long as there are bee-keepers and new rercruits are enlisted. The matter is simple, but many erroneous theories persistently kept up by some zealous brethren, confound the ideas of many, and consequently Winter losses still remain a serious drawback to bee culture.
The only requisites to the safe wintering of bees, in our latitude, are: An abundant supply of food within easy reach of the cluster, a dry habitation, and at least, a good medium colony of bees. We need no cellars, nor double walled nor chaff hives. Single-walled hives of 1 inch or 7/8 boards, are all that is necessary.
It is immaterial whether their Winter stores are clover, basswood, or Fall honey or even honey-dew, or whether the bees have had access to cider mills or not. lt makes no difference even if most of their combs are capped or not.
We have all read and heard long arguments on the subject of wintering. I will, therefore, not tire you with scientific speculations but I will tell you my my manner of Wintering …
* published by THOMAS G. NEWMAN & SON,
I99, 201, 203 East Randolph St., CHICAGO, ILLS.
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