ILLINOIS STATE BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION 



115 



make bee-keeping a secondary affair; 

 keep three or four stands of bees, and 

 the prolJability is they will get close 

 to some one else who has a number of 

 colonies, and in not caring for their 

 bees properly will hurt the large bee- 

 keeper. 



I have one yard of bees near a small 

 city. The people have noticed that I 

 have been getting some honey around 

 there, and everybody it seems is anx- 

 ious to go into the bee business. They 

 get a few colonies, and the result is 

 that this year I got less than 10 lbs. 

 a colony where formerly I got 50. It 

 may not be on account of the people 

 that have two or three or four hives, 

 but on account of the poor season. 



It seems to me, as in every other 

 business, the one who is engaged in it 

 in a small way, who does not have 

 time to attend to it properly, really 

 ought not to be in that business. 



I have no objection to other people 

 keeping bees — if they do not get too 

 close to me, and keep them in a way 

 that they ought to keep them, but the 

 way most people who keep a small 

 number of bees do is to encourage foul 

 brood. I do not think it is a good 

 thing for me to have more bee-keepers 

 of this class. I believe, too, that 

 honey should be sold for what honey 

 is worth. 



The great problem in the future is 

 to sell the honey that we have raised, 

 and I think we have enough in the 

 market now. 



Pres. Kannenberg — Any more 

 answers to this question? 



I notice that Mr. Ahlers has ar- 

 rived. He will give us something on 

 "Shipping Bees North and South." 



Shipping Bees North and South. 



Mr. H. C. Ahlers. 



I wrote to the Secretary that I would 

 be at the meeting, so he put me on 

 this list and he gave me this subject. 



I have had considerable experience 

 in this line, having shipped ten full 

 carloads besides many express ship- 

 ments. 



Now what has been the object of 

 these shipments? 



(Mr. Ahlers promised his manuscript 

 for our report but failed to send it in — 

 he got so busy shipping bees south. 

 His talk was a fine one, we are told, 

 and we very much regret not getting it. 



But we get a good deal of value out 

 of the discussions that followed his 

 talk. SEC. STONE.) 



Mr. Baldridge — How much did you 

 have to pay for shipping those bees? 



Mr. Ahlers — $175 a car, New Orleans 

 to Wisconsin. 



Mr. Baldridge — You have to release 

 the company from all damage? 



Mr. Ahlers — No, sir. The corupany 

 is always responsible for all damage 

 that they do but I have never made a 

 claim yet for freight. There is a certain 

 amount of damage tha* ahv-^^s will 

 occur but if the company sets my car on 

 the side track for no reason at ail, to 

 pass a coal car through, they are going 

 to pay the damage if any, ard ;f there 

 is a wreck they are going to pav every-" 

 thing and probably about $2,000 for 

 myself. 



A member — Do you ride in the car 

 with the bees or in the caboose? 



Mr. Ahlers — The conductor- will toll 

 you to go into the caboose — that is his 

 duty; after that you can stay in your 

 car. In the daytime I ride mostly in 

 the car. It is very pleasant to saj- ia 

 tliere, .«!'• in the door an.2 see the coun- 

 try, and you can make things as 

 pleasant as you want to. Carry som<> 

 kind of bunk that you may lie down, 

 have all kinds of things to eat and any- 

 thing you want to drink. 



A member — How many colonies in a 

 car? 



Mr. Ahlers — I am getting ready 500 

 next year. I have shipped 350 colonies 

 and I had three story boxes. I know 

 that I can ship 500. I have the whole 

 thing figured out, and I will have the 

 door space to set some tanks in and I 

 will let my presses rest on those tanks. 



Mr. France — Do you get transporta- 

 tion with your car? • 



Mr. Ahlers — No, a man must pay; 

 furthermore a man must pay the full ■ 

 first class transportation, and he must 

 pay it and he must go with the car 

 or you can't ship your bees. They will 

 ship your bees and they will ship theJTi 

 through, too. Of course if there is any 

 damage and you are not with the car 

 you don't know anything about it. 

 They will tell you probably afterwards 

 you did not pack j'our bees right. The 

 fare from here to Louisiana is about 

 $37.50; from "here to Natchez or New 

 Orleans, round trip. I will probably 

 ship by way of Natchez, and then I 

 will have to pay my fare to Jonesville 

 or Black River, 30 miles. The car will 



