104 



TWELFTH ANNUAL. REPORT OF THE 



(usually a barrel or more we would 

 liave). 



We would have the trailer all washed 

 out before leaving- the yard the next 

 morning; and all we had to do was to 

 put in a supply of cans and what 

 gasoline we need for the machinery 

 and oil and a few little things like 

 that; and then we have all our tools 

 and everything ready for another day's 

 run. In that way we avoid loss of 

 time and we also gained time on the 

 road, which enables us to do a big 

 day's work at the apiary instead of 

 putting in a big day's work on the 

 road; of course when we used horses 

 and went thirteen to sixteen miles, 

 we would have to spend from two to 

 four hours on the road each way;' and 

 if you make it up by getting up early 

 and coming home late, it is at the ex- 

 pense of the helpers and expense of 

 the time taken. An automobile makes 

 the trip each way, in perhaps an hour, 

 and it leaves more time to sleep in 

 the morning, and more time to work 

 in the apiarj-. So much for the prac- 

 ticability of the unit extracting sys- 

 tem. 



So far as the pleasure automobile 

 i.s concerned — it is an entire failure; 

 the car I had would not stand up 

 under it; because not built for such 

 heavy work. 



This year we have an automobile 

 truck and we are following- up the 

 same system in our apiaries, of going 

 to the yard with our unit extracting 

 system, and coming home at ni,2:ht with 

 the extracting all done, and with this 

 addition: We put the honey, now, on 

 the truck and haul it home. 



In regard to the automobile for out- 

 apiary work: Before deciding to buy 

 an automobile, consider this: 



If you are living in a place where 

 there is heavy sand — don't attempt an 

 automobile; an automobile is not built 

 for a sandy country; you will find they 

 are too expensive and too much trouble; 

 If you have good gravel or dirt roads, 

 it is a good proposition. 



Another thing about the size of the 

 automobile and the tires: Do not buy 

 an automobile with 3 inch tires and 

 expect to put a thousand pound load 

 on; you had better have a 4% or 5 

 inch tire and pay more; they will last 

 you much longer proportional to the 

 cost. The man who sells you the car 

 should be told the amount of weight 

 on each wheel; and also remember that 



a car is rated throiighout as for a given 

 load, and when you take a small pleas- 

 ure car or a light runabout, and put on 

 a heavy load, you are apt to injure the 

 car. 1£ you are going to use a car for 

 trucking, buy a truck, and if you are 

 going to use a car for pleasure, buy a 

 pleasure car, and don't buy either one 

 unless you have the roads to run it on, 

 for it will not be satisfactory. 



Another proposition, on the handling 

 of bees: 



We run our bees on the migratory 

 plan a good deal. We have a good fall 

 flow and we use an automobile truck 

 in moving bees back to clover and re- 

 turning again for fall blossoms. We 

 have not tried the plan out very 

 thoroughly. We have not been in busi- 

 ness long enough and have not had the 

 truck long enough to know whether or 

 not the plan is a success. It costs a 

 good deal to operate those cars and 

 it takes a inan who understands ma- 

 chinery; if you use a truck, you want 

 to be sure you can g-et out to the yards 

 and be sure that you can get back 

 again; and if anything goes wrong, you 

 want to understand how to make it 

 right. 



We move our bees by starting at 

 night; in the evening, or very early in 

 the morning; going from one j'ard to 

 another, twelve to thirty miles. We 

 move them without shutting the bees 

 in the hives at all. 



The question of whether it is best 

 to use a team or an automobile, de- 

 pends largely on whether you have to 

 make distances or not, the condition of 

 the roads, et cetera. 



One way to get around the expense 

 of traveling is to camp out at the out- 

 yards which plan is followed by several 

 prominent specialists. 



You can go to the yard the night be- 

 fore, do your work during the day and 

 move on to the next yard the next 

 evening, and save the expense of re- 

 turning each night. The question of 

 which system is best to follow lies 

 somewhat in how badly a man w"ants 

 to get home, and how he looks at those 

 things. If he is willing to rough it, he 

 can save money in that way; as it 

 costs so much per mile to run a car a 

 rtiile. If you buj^ a new car, they are 

 being made very reliable, if you get a 

 standard make. If you buy an old car, 

 you need a mechanic to run it, or run 

 the risk of having it tied up on the 



