1908 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



503 



there was a car shortage at that time I knew 

 it would be quite difficult to hold this one 

 car that contained only 4000 pounds. I had 

 found that the agent could not bill both cars 

 together, so I counted up all the pieces I 

 could tind in the supply-car, and found there 

 were something like 600, as before mention- 

 ed. As good luck would have it, the two 

 cars started out hitched together. We went 

 over four different divisions of railroad; and 

 at each division, armed with a shipping-re- 

 ceipt calling for 600 pieces, I went to the 

 agent and asked him to let this car of sup- 

 plies go through with the bees. If he did 

 not seem to be inclined to grant the request 

 I would mention the fact that there were 600 

 pieces in the car to transfer, many of them 

 in poor shape to handle. The consequence 

 was I had my way at each point, and both 

 cars were sidetracked together at the desti- 

 nation. 



If not too many colonies are to be moved, 

 the hives might be tiered up along each side 

 of the car, leaving an alley in the center be- 

 tween, so that one could walk the whole 

 length of the car. Better ventilation could 

 be afforded by this plan. 



In moving bees in hot weather, when the 

 colonies are more populous and the weather 

 such that it is necessary to have more venti- 

 lation, an empty story might be placed over 

 each hive with the screen on top, thus giving 

 a large clustering-space for the bees. While 

 I have had no experience in moving bees by 

 railroad in hot weather, my experience in 

 moving by wagon would convince me of the 

 necessity of this additional clustering room 

 at all times when the weather is hot. 



Mr. O. H. Townsend has had considerable 

 experience in shipping bees; and concerning 

 this part of the suljject he writes as follows: 



My experience in shipping bees has taught me that 

 it is hest to load them so that it will be possible to 

 have access to any hive in the car if necessary. In 

 order to accomplish this the upper tier of hives must 

 be placed some distance above the lovt-er tier instead 

 of resting upon it. This leaves every hive in the car 

 so that it can be moved independently of any of the 

 others. The engraving on the preceding page gives 

 an idea hovr this is done. 



In order to save all brood it is best to feed e7i route 

 vrith thin sugar syrup. The barrel indistinctly shown 

 in the engraving is for the purpose of holding the su- 

 gar. Last spring I shipped the colonies late, and so 

 had a shallovp Heddon case on each hive with the 

 screen on top of this. An Alexander feeder made just 

 right for fitting lengthwise in each hive, and resting 

 on the tin rabbets, was filled and placed in each hive 

 the day before the colonies were taken away. These 

 were also filled again as the bees were loaded into the 

 car. The feed was poured from a common garden- 

 sprinkler with the perforated end removed. 



Even in hot weather it would be better if one could 

 get the air to the bees without the light shining in, 

 for this lifeht keeps the bees trying to get out. 



One who has never moved bees in car lots 

 by freight has no idea how much the cars 

 are bumped together in switching. Anybody 

 in the car will be almost knocked from his 

 feet, and the first thought is that every comb 

 in the hive will be broken down; but if the 

 combs are a few years old there will be no 

 breakage, it is not necessary that the combs 



be wired to stand moving, but they should 

 be two or three years old so that thev will 

 be well fastened to the frame on the ends as 

 well as the top. Combs used for brood-rear- 

 ing are also tougher and less easily br<jken 

 than those that have not contained brood. 



Bees in car lots go by freight at a second- 

 class rate on 12,000 pounds. If the car goes 

 to a station where there is no agent, as will 

 be the case many times in shipping to a new 

 location, the freight will have to be prepaid, 

 and there will be no siding privileges in- 

 cluded in this. In other words, in shipping 

 to a prepaid station or over a different road, 

 the car can not be sidetracked at different 

 points for the purpose of taking on more 

 bees along the line. In shipping from Remus 

 over the Pere Marquette Railroad we can get 

 the car sidetracked at any point along the 

 line by paying $3.00 as a minimum charge. 

 If it is necessary to sidetrack on some differ- 

 ent road the matter must be taken up, of 

 course, with the officials of that road. 



In order to make the best headway with 

 the car, find out from the agent the time 

 when the car will be transferred to the next 

 division of the line or to the next line, for it 

 sometimes happens that the car would have 

 to wait for several hours before being trans- 

 ferred. In such cases always have the agent 

 ask the division superintendent for permis- 

 sion to have the car transferred immediately 

 after arriving at the point of transferring. 

 In asking for this privilege, always present 

 the argument of very perishable goods It 

 is then necessary to see the agent of the next 

 division, or road, as the case may be, and 

 tell him that there is a car of very perishable 

 goods on the transfer siding, and ask him to 

 get it off on the very first freight. I always 

 ask if there is any through freight that might 

 got the car to destination first, for it is al- 

 ways best to wait a little longer if a through 

 freight can be made use of that will save a 

 little time in the end. There is also less jar- 

 ring because of the shorter number of stops, 

 etc. 



On arrival at the destination the hives 

 should be unloaded, placed on the perma- 

 nent stands, and the entrance-blocks removed 

 as soon as possible, for the bees seem to suf- 

 fer most when confined if the hives are not 

 being jarred. A neighbor once moved two 

 wagonloads of bees in very hot weather. 

 The hives were placed on the new stands 

 about noon, and part of the tees were not 

 allowed to Hy until the next morning. The 

 result was that these colonies that were con- 

 fined were suffocated, for the combs were 

 melted down. When there is danger of suf- 

 focation on the car, water should be sprin- 

 kled on the bees frequently with a sprinkler 

 in order to keep the temperature down. For 

 this purpose a couple of five-gallon cans 

 should be kept tilled with water, to be used 

 in case of an emergency. A lantern will he 

 found necessary also. If the destination is 

 reached during the night the colonies may 

 be unloaded early in the morning, as the 

 bees will keep quiet during the night. 



Remus, Mich. 



