There is little difference in the insulating value of the various materials which may be obtained easily for the packing of hives in winter. Exaggerated claims have been made by some beekeepers for such materials as broken cork or certain commercial insulating materials, but it is safe to say that there is not 25 per cent difference between the poorest and the best of the available insulating materials, provided, of course, that obviously poor things such as corn fodder and straw be eliminated. Sawdust, fine planer shavings, forest leaves, chaff, broken cork, and such materials may be used, the choice depending chiefly on the availability of the materials. In general it may be stated that the smaller and the more numerous the dead air spaces confined in the packing, the greater will be its efficiency in insulation. If forest leaves are used they must be gathered the year before and stored, as the leaves fall some time after the bees should be packed. If sawdust is used it is best not to pack it down tight, but if forest leaves or planer shavings are employed it is essential that they be packed in closely and that the containers be completely filled. Broken cork, such as is used in the shipping of certain types of grapes, is good and has the advantage that it does not hold moisture as does sawdust. In all cases the packing should be placed in some sort of box which will be rain-proof and thus protect the insulation from rains and snow, for all insulating materials lose part of their efficiency when wet. BOTTOM PACKING. There has been considerable discussion among beekeepers as to the value of placing packing material below the bottom boards of the hives. This is usually provided by placing the hives on 2 by 4 inch supports or on racks of 4-inch material. Those who have opposed this have pointed out that "heat rises," overlooking the fact that while warm air attempts to rise, if this is impossible other avenues of escape of warm-air currents may be set up. Furthermore, and more important, they have overlooked the important fact that heat escapes from the hive not only by convection currents but by conduction and radiation as well. In an extensive series of experiments performed by the writers it was found that in hives packed at the top and sides most of the heat escapes through the bottom boards; in fact, this was so noticeable that the packing at the top and sides never served its full purpose so long as heat was escaping rapidly at the bottoms. It may be stated, therefore, that so long as the bottoms are unprotected there is little insulating value in materials piled on the top and sides beyond about 2 inches. This amount is insufficient for most parts of the United States, therefore bottom packing should be considered as absolutely essential wherever bees are packed.