Ski'TIv.mukk, 1918 



G L K A N I N G S IN BEE C U li T U H !■; 



tiirbed later by changing the j)laees of the 

 eonibs, for in the subsequent rearrangement 

 the bees might earry some inferior honey or 

 lioneydevA' from some other part of the 

 Inood-cliamber and p\;t it into the inner 

 circde of stores. 



The time for this feeding in the North is 

 usually late September or early October. If 

 at this time each colony has plenty of 

 _\oung and vigorous bees (see page 462, 

 August Gleanings), plenty of stores for 

 both winter use and spring brood-rearing, 

 and if a quantity of these stores sufKcient 



to last until March is of the best quality 

 and so arranged that it will be used first, we 

 have most favorable pre-winter conditions. 

 If to such colonies we add adequate winter 

 ])rotection, either by packing them well in 

 a sheltered location out of doors or by hous- 

 ing them during the cold weather in a com- 

 fortable dry cellar, we have provided con- 

 ditions which should enable the winter crew 

 to live so slowly that they will be able to 

 hold the fort until the arrival of reinforce- 

 ments in the foiin of young bees next 

 spring. 



THE CAGE THAT WILL DO IT 



Ho^ the Neijv ''Postal Order Allow- 

 ing the Shipment of Bees in Pound 

 'Packages May be Made Use of 



By E. R. Root 



A 8 explained 

 editorially 

 in our July 

 issue, page 39;', 

 beekeepers now 

 enjoy the privi- 

 lege of sending 

 bees in one, two, 

 three, and five- 

 pound lots by 

 mail. Our dear Uncle Samuel up to this 

 time has granted every reasonable request 

 that has been made by beekeepers, and not 

 the least of these by any means is the rul- 

 ing that now permits the sending of bees by 

 parcel post in suitable cages. 



During the last two or three years, condi- 

 tions brought about by the war have great- 

 ly delayed express shipments of bees. In 

 a few instances the express companies de- 

 clared embargoes on bees. While these re- 

 strictions have since been lifted, the fact 

 remains that bees in package form by ex- 

 press have been greatly delayed. In many 

 cases there have been losses of 50 and" even 

 100 per cent; and while under normal con- 

 ditions express companies could have been 

 held liable, and are legally liable now for 

 any unusual delay or carelessness in hand- 

 ling, yet ex})erience shows that it will be a 

 long time before any claims are satisfied, 

 even if they are ever taken care of. 



These claims of delav and loss of bees 



in shipment led 

 Dr. E. F. Phil- 

 lips, Apicultural 

 Investigator i n 

 the Bureau o f 

 Entomology, and 

 the writer, t o 

 appear before 

 the Postoffice 

 D ep a rtmdnt, 

 urging the necessity of the privilege of 

 sending bees by mail. We explained the 

 delays that the express shipments of bees 

 w^ere receiving, and how the bees were dying 

 en route as they had never done before; 

 that there had been very heavy winter loss- 

 es east of the Mississippi; that there was a 

 shortage of bees in some parts of the coun- 

 try and a great jjlenty in others. We showed 

 that it is impracticable to send bees in car- 

 lots, owing to the congestion of freight; 

 that unless the beekeepers of the country 

 could have the parcel-post privilege of send- 

 ing bees in package form without combs, 

 the industry would suffer materially. 



At the last interview we submitted evi- 

 dence from shippers from all over the coun- 

 try, showing how bees have been lost in 

 shipping by express. We met very favorable 

 res])onses at each of the interviews, and 

 finally the Department, as told in our July 

 issue, issued a ruling making it possible to 

 send bees in quantities by mail, as has been 



The cage for shipping hces hy mail that tlic ))osfal authorities favor. Notice the frame of foundation in 



IMisitinii in sccciiul rase sliown ahove. 



