THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



75 



used to nail up the extra boxes with 

 empty combs. When these hives are 

 put to use, or sooner, each hive gets 

 an extra cover. This makes it a venti- 

 lated cover; wliich is very important, 

 since it is always warm or hot where 

 the bees are. The cover is always ready 

 to be used as a bottom for nucleus, and 

 the extra cover can be placed on top. 

 The combination avoids the handlingf of 

 the bulky bottoms and covers, and saves 

 much space in the car. I use a burlap 

 cloth over the combs during a dearth of 

 honey. 



The bees bought in the South are a 

 mixture — black blood predominating. 

 With their young queens, they have com- 

 pared well with my Italian apiary. I 

 much prefer this mixed breed to the five 

 banded stock, and to the blacks in Wis- 

 consin. All things being equal, I think 

 my three-banded Italians are superior. 

 I have marked a few hives of my best 

 honey gatherers, and will requeen every 

 colony from this stock in April. In the 

 South is the right place to requeen every 

 colony, every spring. 



WHAT BEES COST IN THE SOUTH. 



Bees can be bought in the South in 

 the spring from one to five dollars per 

 hive. Usually two or three dollars are 

 asked for bees on movable combs, in 

 dilapidated hives. I would not advise to 

 transfer old combs from box hives. I 

 have found that this discourages most 

 colonies. Put the bees on combs or full 

 sheets of foundation, on the plan as given 

 in E. D. Townsend's book. If one is 

 handy with the saw, and wants to econo- 

 mize, hives can be made very cheaply 

 from cypress lumber. First, common 

 boards can be bought for S25.00 per 

 1000 feet, double-dressed. Frames 

 should be secured from a supply dealer. 



COST OF TRANSPORTATION. 



The freight on the car of bees from 

 Kenner, Louisiana to West Bend, Wis- 

 consin, was 3146.00. From West Bend, 

 to Illinois river, S80.00. From there 

 back to Kenner, SI 08.00. The rate is 

 third class north of the Ohio river, and 



fourth class south of the Ohio. Minimum 

 weight, 20.000 pounds. Attendant must 

 accompany car, and should pay first 

 class fare. 1 was allowed free transpor- 

 tation on the Wabash railway after 

 signing a contract. 



My large and growing honey business 

 takes up all of my time in the office, 

 when I am not on tne road with some 

 bees. 1 am compelled tj hire lots of 

 help. I have not one expert apiarist. 

 I pay from 525.00 to $28.00 per month, 

 good room, and board, to green hands, 

 and teach them enough to do my work; 

 or teach them enough to work some 

 where else. In Illinois I paid twenty 

 cents per hour and secured good, in- 

 experienced help. In Louisiana 1 pay a 

 dollar per day for colored laborers. They 

 board themselves. The white assistants 

 have some experience and gtt more pay. 



SHIPPING BEES SOUTH IN THE WINTER. 



Jan. 17th, I expect to ship South 

 another car of bees — 237 colonies. 

 These bees are all I have left in the 

 cold North. They are all ready for im- 

 mediate shipment. They were closed in 

 Nov. IBlh. Screen frame on top. Inner 

 cover under bottom, nailed with four 

 six-penny, cement coated box- nails. In 

 single hives They were placed in my 

 large cement bee cellar. Two windows 

 and a door are open. A ten-inch venti- 

 lator was put in the northeast corner of 

 cellar this fall. The bees are fairly 

 quiet in tieir confinement. They will be 

 shipped in a good grain car, with the 

 ventilator leit partly open at each end. 



A half-interest has been sold in one 

 car of bees. This car will be taken to 

 the northern peninsula in Michigan the 

 latter part of May. This is a money 

 making venture. The spot has been 

 selected. The location should yield a 

 bumper crop of raspberry, basswood and 

 fireweed honey. The hives and combs 

 will be bought by advertising. The bees 

 will be dequeened in July, all cells re- 

 moved ten days later. The honey wi.I 

 be extracted as it becomes sufficiently 

 ripe. At the end of the season every 



