THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



89 



that occasionally gives a respite. In short, 

 a warm cellar is about the only place in 

 which a weak colony stands much chance 

 of living through the winter. 



Just a word more about disturbance : It 

 is not reasonable to suppose that it does 

 the bees any good, and it is possible that 

 in some cases it may do harm; but the 

 probabilities that it does harm are so slight 

 that no needed attention should be with- 

 held for fear that a disturbance may work 

 an injur}-. 



MIGRATORY BEE-KEEPING. 



Some Excellent Hints in Regard to Preparing 

 Bees for Shipment. 



There are only a few bee-keepers who 

 practice migratory bee-keeping; but there 

 are quite a number who ship bees, or 

 have occasion to move them; and, to such, 

 the experience of Mr. A. F. Brown, of 

 Florida, will be valuable. Mr. Brown 

 has, for years, been moving bees in large 

 quanities and for long distances, and has 

 learned a great many points upon which 

 success is dependent; and he has put 

 them into a long article that was publish- 

 ed last fall in the American Bee Journal. 

 No one who has occassion to move bees 

 can afford to miss reading it; and those 

 who are interested in migratory bee-keep- 

 ing will find it of especial value to them. 

 Here is the article: — 



I am asked by the editor to give a few 

 items on the above suVjject, touching es- 

 pecially upon the small details connected 

 with such line — those brought out in 

 the everyday life of one following the 

 production of paying crops of hone}- by 

 moving the colonies from place to place 

 as seasons and blossoms oflfer inducements. 



The subject is well worthy the attention 

 and careful consideration of every 

 thoughtful honev-producer, especially to 

 those who live in localities that are more 

 or less uncertain, and at the same time are 

 within reach by a short move of some lo- 

 cality that furnishes a surplus from some 

 other source, or at a different season of the 

 year than at the home location. 



My experience in migratory bee-keep- 

 ing covers about five years' active work 

 in'moving from 150 to '250 colonies, three 

 or four times each year, and covering 

 distances of from 20 to 200 miles at each 

 move. iVIost of my moves -were of dis- 

 tances of 50 to 150 miles. 



In this State (Florida) there are several 

 classes of soils, the timber growth and 

 flora of each being quite distinct. In 

 some the surplus honey-flow comes early 

 in the spring, in others it may be a couple 

 of months later, or at midsummer, anil 

 still others in the fall or midwinter, con- 

 sequently to one informed on the locali- 

 ties it becomes quite apparent that by be- 

 ing in position to move from one locality 

 to another makes the success of securing 

 a crop just so nmch more sure. 



With the exception of a ver}^ few short 

 moves, I have used the railroads, and 

 places accessible by water transporation, 

 for all of my mov'ings. In going long 

 distances I prefer the railroad, for the 

 saving of time, as well as expenses. For 

 distances under 25 miles I have found 

 teams the most satisfactory. Transporta- 

 tion by water on boats disturbs the bees 

 least of all, yet the actual gain therefrom 

 is .small. 



After the colonies are once properly 

 packed and ready for a move, the great- 

 est point of success lies in getting them to 

 their destination and opened for a ''flighV' 

 at the earliest moment possible. In my 

 experience I have found colonies to stand 

 three or four days' bumping and jolting 

 over roads and railroads better than they 

 withstand a week's confinement on board 

 a "lighter" towed by a steam tug-boat. 

 I find it is the long confinement that tells 

 on the vitality of the bees. Colonies giv- 

 en plenty of room, plenty of ventilation, 

 and space to cluster off from (and away 

 from) the combs of brood, with ample pro- 

 vision of honey and water, will stand 

 transportation during our hottest weather 

 by hauling with teams or on railroads, 

 providing you do not keep them confin- 

 ed more than four or five days. I en- 

 deavor to accomplish my moves in a space 

 not exceeding three days' confinement 

 for the bees, and only once have I lost 

 any number of colonies. In fact, I sel- 

 dom lose any colonies. A few old bees in 

 nearly all colonies will die, but I think it 

 is only about the actual number that die 

 each day when in their normal condition. 



Covering about 20 moves in five years, 

 I have never kept bees more than four 

 months at a time in one locality, general- 

 ly about two months, and I was off for 

 some other pasture, frequently 150 or 200 

 miles distant. 



