SEPTEMBER 15, 1912 



583 



whole hive bottom was covered Avitli Avire 

 clotli, to which air was admitted by two- 

 inch legs nailed to the sides of the box. It 

 will thus be seen that we had quite a varie- 

 ty of hives to experiment with. 



LOADING. 



We decided to make sure not to reach 

 our destination on Sunday. In tlie first 

 place, I did not Avant to unload on Sunday, 

 even if I could secure teams for the pur- 

 liose, which was unlikely. In the second 

 place, in hot Aveather it Avould be a serious 

 matter to be obliged to leave the bees tAven- 

 ly-four hours in the car after landing' — 

 much more serious, in fact, than a similar 

 confinement before the start. 



The three nights before the night that Ave 

 loaded, Ave spent in moving the bees in 

 from dili'erent points in the country, as 

 mentioned above, and on the fourth night 

 Ave loaded both cars, Avith the exception of 

 some thirty-five colonies, Avhich Ave left un- 

 til the next night, as Ave did not leave until 

 9 :00, and Ave kneAV Ave should have time to 

 get them in before the train i)ulled out. 



We had engaged two 36-foot cars for the 

 triji. Forty-foot cars are better, even if 

 they do cost a little more; for with the 

 former one loses much more room than the 

 mere four feet difference in length. A 36- 

 foot car should hold from 200 to 225 colo- 

 nies in ten-frame hives fitted Avith shalloAv 

 supers on top. We loaded the hi\'es so as 

 to alloAv a narrow passageway betAveen the 

 roAvs, the Avhole length of the car. The 

 hives Avith top ventilation had a tAvo-inch 

 strip laid above them to keep the next tier 

 of hives that distance from those beloAv. 

 Of course there Avere some exceptions to 

 tliis because of the unevenness of the liives. 



Strong colonies in hot Aveather, Avhen 

 they are to be confined for a considerable 

 time, should not be packed solidly side by 

 side, as they give off considerable lieat 

 through the hive Avail — a matter of consid- 

 erable imj^ortanee. (The combs in the hive 

 should run parallel Avith the sides of the 

 hive. ) 



Those hives haAdng front ventilation, as 

 Avith the porticos, were not placed in 

 straight roAvs end to end, but staggered and 

 held apart on all sides by strips of lath in 

 the right place. In case of upAvard venti- 

 lation, the hives Avere located more directlj' 

 in. line; but even then laths Avere used at 

 the back to keep the bottom-board, brood- 

 chamber, and super together and to keep 

 the hives apart. 



ON THE AVAV. 



As there Avere two of us (my son, Wil- 

 liam Ivar, and myself) Ave thought Ave 

 could take turns at night watching the two 



cars ; but in this Ave were mistaken ; for 

 neither one of us saAV the inside of the ca- 

 boose. The piles of hives, although well 

 braced each Avay, and securely fastened to- 

 gether Avith laths, gradually moved sideAvise 

 in the long fast trip, and Ave needed all the 

 spare lath and the assortment of nails, 

 hammer, and lantern that each car had, to- 

 gether Avith our oAvn most careful Avatcliing, 

 before Ave could call every thing safe, and 

 then Ave did not dare to trust the hives 

 alone. During the three nights on the 

 road Ave had only snatches of sleep on top 

 of a couple of bare boards or hive covers. 



Our other equipment consisted of a bar- 

 rel of Avater, a pail, and a dipper for 

 sprinkling the bees Avhen they rushed about 

 their hives Avith their tongues sticking out 

 through the screen. We also had cotton 

 batting for quickly stoiDping any little open- 

 ing that might alloAv bees to get out. 

 The good Avife of Mr. Diemer had provided 

 a generous supply of lunch. One can not 

 depend on getting meals on the Avay. 



I have found it good policy to recog- 

 nize he fact that, Avith a jar of honey or a 

 little cash, a raihvay man may serve my in- 

 terests Avithout Avronging his employer. 1 

 do not believe in trying to bribe a conduc- 

 tor to let one ride free. We had an under- 

 standing as to the transportation of our- 

 selves, and in Canada the raihvay compa- 

 ny, b}^ order of the raihvay commission, 

 has to give free transportation for one man 

 with each car any Avay; but as the train is 

 made up, if the car is near the center of a 

 long line of cars the slack of the train re- 

 sults in a tremendous and unavoidable jar 

 to the car. We made up train at Chicago, 

 and again partially at Detroit ; and in both 

 instances, as Avell as at the starting point, 

 Ave secured a place near the engine. Again, 

 at the stop-overs the bees are likely to get 

 restless. While traveling, the air is circu- 

 latin.g freely, and the bees remain quiet ; 

 but if the car is at a standstill with the sun 

 beating on one side, and perhaps a build- 

 ing close by to reflect it on the other, and 

 to shut off the air, the care-taker has need 

 to be anxious, and a dollar is nothing to 

 pay to be put in a breezy position. 



SPEED OF FAST FREIGHT TRAINS. 



The run to Chicago took only about 31 

 hours. Trom that point Ave Avere trans- 

 ferred to the Chicago Belt Line. Avhich took 

 our tAvo cars to the Wabash Line, on Avhich 

 the one run from there to Detroit took a 

 little less than sixteen hours. There we 

 made up train again and reached home 

 about 10 :00 p. M.— four days from the time 

 Ave loaded the first bees, or three days from 

 the time Ave started. 



