JUNE 15, 1912 



Fici. 4. — AVasronload of 91 luiclei e>i route to the Basswood yard. A low-wheel wide-tired wagon i.s 

 .iiist right for loading and unloading, and for carrying bees from one yard to the other. The wide tires 

 make it possible to get over soft sod when the ground is wet. We use this wagon with the team. We also 

 have a light spring wagon and a horse for small loads. 



While railroad men are used to handling" 

 perishable freight, they seem to think bees 

 can lie over aAvhile and cool off, and that 

 it would be better for them. 



In spite of the extremely hot weather, in 

 spite of the cool nights, and in spite of the 

 snow, rain, and hail, the bees came through 

 in splendid order. Not a particle of brood 

 was destroyed, and, so far as we can dis- 

 cover, all the unsealed brood was left in- 

 tact. More remai'kable still, the queens 

 kept on laying in spite of the bumjis and 

 jolts and the changes in temperature. When 

 the bees Avere unloaded at Medina we found 

 young brood in all stages, and eggs, while 

 a good part of the sealed brood had been 

 hatched ; for it is a Avell-known principle 

 in shipping bees that it is always advisable 

 to send only sealed brood. Unless the bees 

 are watered they will lick up every particle 

 of unsealed brood. 



But Mr. Marchant prevented this by wa- 

 tering the bees three or four times a day. 

 This was done Avith a Avatering-pot, spray- 

 ing water right on the Avire cloth. The 

 frequent sprayings, he thinks, prevented 

 the bees from destroying their unsealed 

 brood, as they usually do Avhen sent by ex- 

 press in the usual way. Not only did the 

 bees continue to rear brood, but some of 



the queenless nuclei kept on cell-building; 

 and Avhen they arrived there Avere several 

 that had A'irgins running loose; and Avhen 

 they had no oj^i^ortunity to fly, there seemed 

 to be no disposition on their part to fight, 

 on the principle of the survival of the fit- 

 test. 



Still again, there Avere several nuclei that 

 had caged queens ; and in every one of these 

 the queens Avere released, and in some cases 

 had laid eggs. All together, I think this 

 was one of the most successful shipments 

 of bees ever made. Briefly stated, the se- 

 cret of that success Avas in giving the bees 

 plenty of Avater as often as they needed it, 

 ventilation top and bottom, and protecting 

 them from the hot sun, and, I might say, 

 from the wintry blast at the latter end of 

 the journey ; for it Avill be remembered that 

 considerable snoAV fell here on the 12th and 

 13th of May. 



Let us noAv take a look at the nucleus 

 boxes themselves; for no small part of the 

 ruccess Avas due to the style of the carrier. 

 The reason we decided on three-frame nu- 

 clei Avas to get a large number of queens 

 and frames of bees and brood Avith as little 

 weight as possible. In Fig. 2 the construc- 

 tion of the carrying-box will be apparent. 

 The ends are made of 7-16 lumber, Avhile 



