752 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



As mentioned in onr editorial in the Oc- 

 tober 1st issue, we solicit answers to the 

 following questions: Do you use an auto- 

 truck for your out-apiaries? If so, what 

 is the saving over horses? Do you have 

 one central extracting plant, and haul the 

 combs to it ? Do you have a separate plant 

 at each yard? Do you have a portable ex- 

 tracting plant that may be moved from one 

 apiary to another? 



We want the very best that the country 

 affords for our special number on swarm- 

 ing, May 1, and we are willing to pay good 

 prices for it. If you have a good plan that 

 you have tried thoroughly, let us hear from 

 yoi'i on such subjects as the control of 

 swarming, artificial swarming, and other 

 methods of making increase. 



We have some good material on new 

 and up-to-date methods of selling honey, 

 but we want more. Do not be afraid to 

 tell the other fellow. We will make it worth 

 your while. 



For the August 1st issue we desire pro- 

 fessional men who have found beekeeping 

 a rest from worry and hard work to tell 

 us of their experiences. If you think bee- 

 keeping is ahead of any other pursuit for 

 this purpose, tell why you think so. 



We es^Decially solicit good clear photo- 

 graphs that tell a story; for, just as a 

 child's picture-book is a never ending de- 

 light to his heart, so the illustrations in our 

 modern magazines serve to break up the 

 solid printed page; and what might be dry 

 and uninteresting is reindered attractive 

 and full of interest. There are other pic- 

 tures that tell a story in themselves. They 

 are the best of all, because they save the 

 readers time in getting the idea. 



SHIPPING BEES IN THREE AND FIVE POUND 



PACKAGES WITHOUT COMBS LONG 



DISTANCES. 



Several times in these columns we have 

 mentioned that we are conducting experi- 

 ments in shipping bees in wire-cloth cages 

 long distances without combs. For a num- 

 ber of years back we have made a success of 

 sending combless bees in pound and half- 

 pound packages all over the United States. 

 During the fall we have shipped bees in 

 three and five pound packages to a number 

 of prominent beekeepers. These were made 

 up precisely the same as the smaller ones, 

 except they were on a larger scale, in lieu 

 of combs, they contained a series of slats 

 standing centrally through the cage. These 

 slats we believe are important, as they pro- 

 vide a means of foothold and of support. 

 Years ago, in our earlier attempts, we 

 found that bees without combs would not 



travel as well as those with. We finally 

 came to the conclusion that it was a lack of 

 proiier support, and probably a lack of 

 water. Our modern cages are, therefore, 

 supplied with artificial suj^ports — slats — 

 and, during extremely warm weather, a bot- 

 tle of water. The difficulty of supplying 

 water en route has been met by the use of 

 a small tin can with a self-sealing top. Tliis 

 is filled with water, and properly secured 

 in the cage. In the bottom of the tin is 

 punched a hole about the size of a pin. 

 This hole, while very minute, gives the bees 

 a chance to take a drink en route. Large 

 holes would not be permissible, as they 

 would allow the escape of too much water, 

 incurring the risk of wetting down the 

 candy and daubing the bees. While we 

 have not as yet perfected this scheme for 

 watering, Ave feel that, with a little more 

 experimenting, we shall solve the problem 

 to our satisfaction. 



As before explained, we have sent, in an 

 exiDerimental way, bees all over the United 

 States, in three and five pound packages. 

 To give the reader something of an idea of 

 the success we have so far achieved, we are 

 presenting here letters from beekeepers to 

 whom we have sent bees across the conti- 

 nent. These will speak for themselves : 



A THREE-POUND PACKAGE OF COMBLESS BEES TO 

 THE EDITOR OF THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Mr. Root: — Your letter of the 11th and the eag« 

 of bees were both received on the 13th, the letter 

 preceding the bees by only a few hours. As it was 

 rather late in the day, they were not hived until 

 the next day, when they were put into a queenless 

 hive. They were in iirst-class condition, not more 

 than a dozen being dead. It is certainly a success. 

 However, we must say that the weather was not hot 

 when they arrived. It had cooled off about two days 

 earlier here, so that they must have met fairly cool 

 weather most of the way. 



We noticed a queen-cage in the box, so we 

 thought you perhaps introduced the queen at the 

 time of shipment. Would you kindly tell me about 

 this, and how you succeed in such introductions ! 

 Or was the queen caged temporarily just for safety ? 



Hamilton, 111., Sept. 16. C. P. Dadant. 



In relation to the matter of the intro- 

 ducing-cage which you found, we find it a 

 little safer to introduce these queens in an 

 ordinary nursery cage. The bees are shak- 

 en in the box from one or more hives, and 

 then the queen is caged in the form you 

 saw ; and in about four or five hours the 

 bees will eat out the candy and release the 

 queen. While 90 per cent of the queens 

 will be accepted when we drop them down 

 into the cage in with the bees, we find we 

 lose too many to waiTant continuing that 

 way; but when we cage the queen just be- 

 fore sending the bees out they go through 

 in good order every time, so that the caging 

 is really a precaution. 



