GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



A swarm of Ijeos can break down a tree (if the tree isn't too big and the 

 swarm is large enough). 



has to work in wliile loading will certainly 

 put a crimp in his spine as quickly as any 

 thing he can go at. I know from experi- 

 ence all about that part of it. Every thing 

 was firmly fastened in this upper deck, as 

 one always has to prepare for rough usage, 

 even if he does not happen to get it. 



All of this work was done by Monday at 

 4 o'clock p. M., and in the evening the real 

 work of moving the bees was to start. Farm- 

 ers were asked to be there by 7 p. m. ; and 

 before that hour a few of them had arrived. 

 Strips of lath were all ready, one at each 

 hive, so that, as soon as the bees stopped 

 flying, the entrances could be closed. An 

 inch nail at each end was used, and it was 

 a short job to close entrances, one man do- 

 ing it as fast as the loading was done. 

 Wagons were brought as near the yard as 

 possible, and I insisted that teams be re- 

 moved while loading, a plan I have always 

 followed when having help to move bees. 

 Mr. Kendvick took charge of one wagon 

 while I mounted another; and as the help- 

 ers carried the bees to us, we put them in 

 place. Eight wagons took the whole outfit ; 

 and so nicely did every thing work that in 

 less than an* hour from smarting we had the 

 lot — 241 colonies, to be exact — all on wag- 

 ons ready for moving. 



Then the trip started; and I regret that. 



owing to its being dark, 

 I could get no picture 

 of the procession, as I 

 never expect to see just 

 the same scene again. 

 The road to the station 

 was fairly good, but a 

 little rough, as most of 

 it is on solid rock. I 

 walked back and for- 

 ward all the time from 

 one wagon to another, 

 but all arrived safely at 

 the cars about 9:30. I 

 stated that all supplies 

 were put in that upper 

 deck; but I forgot to 

 say that a tier of full- 

 depth supers filled with 

 combs — about 160 of 

 them — were placed on 

 the bottom of the single- 

 deck car, and then the 

 bees were placed on 

 them. They rode per- 

 fectly, thanks to u. F. 

 Holtermann for the sug- 

 gestion before I left 

 home. 



Just a word about 

 how the bees were plac- 

 ed in the ears and the 

 provision made for watering them. At 

 each end of the car about six inches of hay 

 was packed between the first row of hives 

 and the end; and as we loaded from both 

 ends of the cars any space left at the center 

 was also packed with hay. This is a splen- 

 did " buffer," and takes nearly all of the 

 jolt from the hives. Of course the hives 

 were loaded with the ends of the frames 

 facing the ends of the cars. Last year I 

 used 60-pound cans for carrying water, and 

 ran out of this necessary article while on the 

 road. It was a nerve-racking business get- 

 ting water along the road, so no more of 

 that for me on another trip. This time 60- 

 gallon barrels were prepared by having a 

 hole 10 inches in diameter cut in one end. 

 These barrels were filled at the station 

 pump, and, with lots of help, were lifted 

 into the car after every thing else was in, 

 standing right at the doorway. With a 

 dipper one could reach any hive in the car 

 quite easily, although a large veterinary's 

 syringe, holding about a pint, had been 

 provided for the double-deck car. It was 

 not necessary, though, as even in that rath- 

 er limited space a dipper worked to perfec- 

 tion. With a hole in the center of the bar- 

 rel there was no splashing out of the water 

 — in fact, I sat on top of the barrel on a 

 cushion most of the time while on the trip. 



