1901 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



817 



table they can not themselves produce it. 

 (If you have any customer who demands 

 this you can easily cure him by setting- him 

 at your tables, and lettint^ him get out his 

 own stuff, on condition that, if every piece 

 is the same in two months' time, he shall 

 have the use of the machinery' and power' 

 for nothing:; if not so, he shall paj' double 

 the price of the g-oods.) Reasonable accu- 

 racy, of course, one expects; but beveled 

 hives are prettj^ sure to spring a leak, es- 

 peciallj' if they have been in use for a while. 

 But hives with straight joints can be made 

 bj^ any experienced suppl3'-dealer to have 

 no leak. One clamp should be put at each 

 side of the hive and one at the back. The 

 upper story can be fastened on the same 

 wajs also the cover. I advise three for each 

 to make interchangeable; otherwise I would 

 have four. If the top cloth is used, free 

 from holes, four pieces of separator with 

 tacks will answer to keep the cloth down. 

 The hives so arranged can be ready for 

 loading- any time within, probably, an hour. 



The conversance should be in good shape, 

 g-reased, tires not liable to come off, as a 

 hired team did once with me when it g-ot 

 on the hot sand. I would have nothing to 

 do with hay-racks and hay if a platform 

 were available, and it would be if I intend- 

 ed to keep up the business. An ordinary 

 wag-on will do to make a platform, if you 

 can not rent. Make it to hold three or four 

 rows with an inch strip between. Make at 

 the side of the wagon an inch strip. The 

 two outer rows can project a third over the 

 side; the inch strip will prevent the hives 

 from working out. Any pitch will always 

 throw it toward the wagon; otherwise I 

 would have it perfectly flat, and a rope 

 bound about the load to keep the hives in 

 place. With the porticos on inner rows, 

 place there the weaker swarms; make the 

 portico one inch or even more shallower, 

 and wire cloth on top of portico; this can 

 be done by putting a half-inch strip of wood 

 next to the hive or portico, and bringing the 

 wire in one piece over the front and top, and 

 nailing- the wire to this piece. This change 

 in portico is necessary, as the inner hive 

 will be within an inch of the hive in front. 

 A strip one inch square or % should be 

 nailed on the platform. Now the two cen- 

 ter rows stand back to back down the cen- 

 ter of the wagon, and a strip between them 

 and the outside rows, which are held in 

 place as above described. If the wagon 

 platform is not wide enough, three rows 

 must do. 



Use a coil spring between the wagon and 

 platform. This can be adjusted to any 

 lumber-wagon, and answers well. Do not 

 use wild horses, but those that will obey 

 promptl3^ For tools, have a lantern, ham- 

 mer, nails of different sizes, some separat- 

 ors, and strips of wood, in case of accident; 

 a watering-can, smoker and fuel. Run 

 your wag-on by hand close to the bees about 

 the time the bees quit fljdng; if any are 

 left in the apiarj', a few bees shut out will 

 not matter. Smoke gently to get the bees 



hanging out in; then smoke again to put 

 the porticos in place. If no one makes a 

 botch it is surprising how quickly this can 

 be done. Next loading-. Set them on the 

 g-round on each side of the wagon; next to 

 the wagon a hive with an inside portico; out 

 from that, an outside. If any bees have ac- 

 cumulated, brush them off as 3'ou carry 

 them to the wagon. What next? Load? 

 No, not a bit of it. Would you load cattle 

 or stock for a long journey without giving 

 water ? Water the bees. Give them plenty. 

 If tipped up a little at the front, so water 

 will run in, all the better; and for this, in 

 moving bees a screen on the center row is 

 an advantage added to the portico. You 

 have a better chance to water on the jour- 

 ney. But water well; and unless a very 

 hot night and a long- journey, say over 15 

 miles, this will answer. This is a great 

 point in moving bees. Do not forget it. 

 Then load and off. I like to be an hour on 

 the road before it is quite dark. Go rather 

 slowly at first, and g-et off and g-o about to 

 see if the load is riding- right — if there are 

 any leaks, etc. — say after half a mile, and 

 ag-ain after another mile. Pick beforehand 

 your road. Know just where you are going. 

 In the middle of the night you are not like- 

 ly to meet many people; and if you g-o to 

 their door they often do not feel much in- 

 clined to direct you. Can you trot ? A 

 good fast- walking team I prefer; but if you 

 are quite sure of your road you can trot. 

 Clay roads are a little rough; but if not 

 much rutty I prefer them to sand. The 

 weight of the load will break down the clay. 

 If you are going 15 or more miles, give them 

 water again. After 8 or 10 miles, go over 

 them again and sprinkle the porticos. 



There should be on each load not only a 

 bee-keeper, but one awake, alive, and ac- 

 tive; and if more than one load, make them 

 keep within close hailing distance. In- 

 struct every teamster to unhook the moment 

 there is the slightest accident, and run with 

 his horses. I once moved something like 

 100 colonies on two wagons. The wagons 

 and teams were hired. One horse balked, 

 and they had to return some five miles to 

 get another. A teamster broke open one 

 hive, after getting the most definite and 

 specific instructions not to sit on the hive. 

 We had some 26 miles to go, and with one 

 thing and another we were much longer on 

 the road than expected. The horses had to 

 feed, the men thought they had to; and 

 when we got on the hot sand, one tire began 

 coming off; and while we watched that 

 wheel another came off entirely, which re- 

 sulted in another great delay. The man 

 with me came on the wagon on which I was; 

 once or twice I told him he should be on his 

 own, but gave him no absolute orders. It 

 was high noon when we went through a vil- 

 lage. Behind us we heard a crash. The 

 rear teamster had fallen asleep; the horses 

 turned a corner too short, and went into a 

 telegraph-post, stripping some porticos from 

 hives. The teamster jumped off to hold his 

 horses. I called out, "Unhook!" which he 



