PACKING CASES 



249 



close together, in a drygoods box of one inch lumber, or four in 

 a packing case. The drygoods and clothing merchants get a 

 number of boxes every fall just about the right size to pack two 

 colonies together. A box can sometimes be secured large enough 

 to pack three colonies side by side (Figs. 114, 115 and 116), but 



Fig. 115. — Packing two colonies with dry leaves in a goods box. The entrances are left 

 open to give the bees opportunity to fly on warm days. 



these do not give as good satisfaction, for the bees from the hive 

 in the middle seem to enter the hives on either side, until the 

 colony which is most favored as far as warmth is concerned 

 comes through the winter weak from loss of deserting bees. 



The advantage of using the drygoods box lies in the lower 

 cost and less labor necessary to get it ready for a packing case. 

 Sufficient lumber to make such a case would in most localities 

 cost eeveral times as much as is paid for the boxes. They need 



