156 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW, 



rather parallel with the length of the car. 

 Otherwise, with the terriffic shocks in start- 

 ing and stopping, wreck and ruin would 

 have been the result. 



I found that sprinkling daily with water, 

 about noon, was a great help in keeping the 

 bees quiet, they remaining so for hours 

 after. I have shipped many car-loads, pre- 

 pared as described, without material loss. 



In shipping single colonies, or so few as 

 not to justify a person going along to care 

 for them, I have found one or two combs 

 filled with water to be of great service, 

 generally resulting in saving the unsealed 

 brood from destruction, as the great heat 

 engendered by the excitement renders the 

 bees very thirsty, and honey alone will not 

 answer their purpose. This method is far 

 superior to that of placing a cloth, or old 

 sack saturated with water, on top of the 

 screen, as that soon dries out, besides, it 

 also obstructs the free passage of the air. 



Bottom ventilation for strong colonies is 

 excellent for short distance ; but, as the bees 

 are dying more or less all the time, they 

 drop down and soon cover the wire screen 

 and render it useless. All I have said has 

 been in regard to bees shipped in warm 

 weather ; but even in the cooler weather of 

 spring and fall it is best to be on the safe 

 side and give ample room and ventilation. 



The foregoing applies as well to hauling 

 to out-apiaries, even to the sprinkling with 

 water, for I have noticed time and again 

 that the danger by overheating, and melting 

 of the combs, is immediately after the start 

 is made, the jolting and confusion excites 

 the bees to such a pitch that great heat is 

 generated. The application of cold water 

 works wonders, and many colonies are saved. 

 If I apprehend danger, I always, if possible, 

 drench them thoroughly a few minutes after 

 starting to haul to out-apiaries. 



Another thing of importance is not to 

 have too much honey in the hives, espe- 

 cially in hot weather, as it renders the combs 

 more liable to break down by their weight, 

 and there is less room for the bees. 



In shipping bees by the pound they should 

 always go by express, and the cases made as 

 light as possible, consistent with the strength 

 necessary to resist the rough handling gener- 

 ally given by express men. I have, however, 

 noticed time and again that where a notice 

 is pasted on the package giving information 

 as to the contents, it is handled very gin- 



gerly indeed, for fear of the consequences 

 should there be a snlash-up. 



After years of experience I find it is safer 

 and better in every respect, both for buyer 

 and seller, to send bees by the pound, in a 

 light shipping case, with a frame of brood 

 and honey. They ship safer, are safer to 

 handle, and then the buyer has the advan- 

 tage of having a lot of young bees hatch out 

 to take the place of the old bees that die off, 

 and it more than compensates him for the 

 very slicjht additional express charges. 



Cautionary labels in regard to leaving in 

 the sun, handling with care, etc., should al- 

 ways be pasted on. 



One very important point is, fasten the 

 bees in securely. Go over them again and 

 again, so as to be sure there are no cracks or 

 crevices by which a single bee can escape. 

 More loss, damage, vexation, and serious 

 trouble have resulted from carelessness in 

 this respect than any one other thing in 

 shipping bees. So do be careful. That is 

 one advantage the new Heddon and the 

 dovetailed hive have over the old Simplicity 

 and other hives, they can be made bee-proof 

 so much easier, better and quicker. 



In regard to what friend Snyder has to say 

 about those 400 colonies of bees he had 

 charge of, I did make one error in the 

 matter, and that was that I did not go along 

 in person. 



It would take too long to tell you all about 

 it, but a few words will make it plain, I 

 prepaid the freight on the 400 colonies to 

 Kenner, La. The R. R. Co. took the bees 

 beyond Kenner twenty miles to New Orleans 

 and then brought them back, and charged 

 me I.W.OO additional freight. Had friend 

 S. paid it, though it was an unjust charge, 

 as / would have done had I been there, the 

 bees would have been unloaded in good con- 

 dition and a success assured ; but friend S. 

 telegraphed me for instructions. I was 

 away at the St. Louis fair, and the telegram 

 did not reach me for three days after. As 

 soon as I got it I telegraphed, "Fay the 

 %m.m and unload the bees." But the hot 

 sun and the long confinement had done the 

 work, more than half of the bees were dead 

 and the balance almost worthless. 



I sued the R. R. Co. for $2,000 damages, 

 and after five years litigation a verdict, with 

 interest for five years, was rendered in my 

 favor. 



Belleville, Ills., 



April 18, 1892. 



