AUGUST 1. 19i:J 



531 



A hasty glance was taken over the bees. 

 J had not seen them since early last Sep- 

 ic jber. Then we started at once to nail on 

 boilom-boards. We had crating-staples with 

 us. but they did not make things secure 

 enough to suit me, so we used four nails in 

 each bottom-board, nailing right up into the 

 hives — the very thin nails called "box nails" 

 b?ing used for this purpose. This kept us 

 going all day, and it was the heaviest work 

 of the job stooping over and turning the 

 lives up — an awkward position that be- 

 comes tiresome after one has been at it for 

 a long while. The next day it rained all the 

 time; but we were not hindered at all, as 

 we fastened the cotton on the supers, strips 

 seiit down with the screens being used for 

 this purpose. The next day, Saturday, my 

 assistant was put to work fastening on the 

 screens and supers covered with cotton, 

 while I helped a good farmer friend to pre- 

 1 are a rack to haul the supers to the station, 

 and we started at the work at once. 



Fig'. 1 shows the rack as we prepared it 

 for mo'Ning supers, and, needless to say. it 

 was ideal for the purpose. This wagon also 

 took a load of bees at night. 36 hives going 

 i'l one tier. The supers were packed full 

 of comb, a number then being left empty 

 (full supers do not give any chance for the 

 combs to drop out). With this big rack we 



were able to haul nearly all the supplies in 

 three loads, and it surely saved a lof of time 

 and expense, as the stuff was more bulky 

 than heavy, and it was a question of how 

 much we could get on, not how much could 

 be drawn. An obliging- railway agent had 

 ordered cars for me two days before 1 

 needed them, so we started to load the sup- 

 plies on Saturday, intending, if all weit 

 well, to load the bees Monday evening. On 

 Saturday evening, in compain* with my 

 good farmer friend Mr. H. Kendrick, I 

 asked a number of farmers to help me move 

 the bees; and, although none were familiar 

 with bees, every man I asked consented at 

 once to help me. As there were no spring- 

 wagons in the community, I decided to get 

 them to bring- their hayracks, first placing 

 rails or scantling- around the sides about a 

 foot higher than the sides, and then placing 

 hay on the rack about 18 inches deep. Of 

 course, when hives were on the hay it would 

 settle down lower than the sides fastened 

 on the rack. This arrangement proved first- 

 class, and I really believe it is better than 

 most spring wagons. 



Two cars were procured — one an ordinary 

 stock-car, and the other a double-decked 

 one. All supplies were put above in the 

 upper deck ; and, while the plan worked 

 well to save space, the cramped position one 



A closci" examination. 



