1891 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



735 



[There, friend M.. you have given ns just the 

 article we have been looking for. It is no doubt 

 true that there are times and occasions when 

 bees may be kept with profit on shares. Your 

 form of contract seems to cover all or nearly all 

 contingencies that are likely to arise: and al- 

 though there have been a great many troubles 

 and disagreements between the contracting 

 parties, we believe it is mostly because of a lack 

 of a good contract and a proper understanding. 

 It is an excellent idea to agree to settle all dis- 

 putes that may arise, by arbitration: and if 

 both parties agree to abide in the first place on 

 their decision, there ought to be no hard feel- 

 ings left. As yon suggest, different localities 

 might require different forms of contract. For 

 instance, in warm climates they have no winter 

 troubles to contend with: and there can be no 

 dispute or disagreement over serious losses of 

 bees during winter as to who should stand the 

 losses or who is responsible for said losses. In 

 localities where there is usually a good flow of 

 honey, it would not be a difficult matter to di- 

 vide the pioceeds; Ijut in localities where the 

 Season is uncertain, one good year, say followed 

 by two or thi-ee very poor ones, it is sometimes 

 difficult to decide what are actual losses and 

 what are actual profits.] 



will not swing and rock. It is this rocking me- 

 tion more than sudden jars that does the mis- 

 chief with hanging frames, and it must be 

 avoided as far as possible. 



My rack was made for hauling bees. It is 

 raised high ennugh to cU'ar the hind wheels, 

 making it fiat on top, as per cut. 



MOVING BEES TO NEW HONEY-FIELDS. 



HOW .J. A. GREEN DOES IT. 



This is a time when many bee-keepers will 

 find it to their interest to see if there is not 

 some locality near at hand where there is a 

 better prospect for a fall crop than there is at 

 home. Every year's experience with out-apia- 

 ries makes me see more clearly the great dif- 

 ference there is in localities. Locations but a 

 few miles apart may differ widely in both the 

 quantity and quality of the honey they will 

 yield. My Marseilles apiary is five miles south- 

 east of the home apiary. Both are close to 

 timber-fringed rivei-s running through a prairie 

 country. My Wallace apiary, four miles west, 

 is on the prairie, but within reach of the timber 

 and river bottoms. There is a very perceptible 

 difference in the yield at these places. Some 

 experiments, tried several years ago. showed 

 me that bees did better only a mile and a half 

 a,way from the home apiary. These things 

 convince me that bee-keepers might often, 

 with comparatively little trouble or expense, 

 largely increase their yield by moving their bees 

 to more favorable locations. 



With many of the hives in use it is a very la- 

 borious and somewhat risky job to move bees by 

 wagon. But with the light, readily movable 

 hives and fixed frames so rapidly coming into 

 use, it is much simi)lified. With proper ai)pli- 

 ances and methods it becomes a very easy mat- 

 ter to load up an apiary and move it to a new 

 location. Last fall I drove to an out-apiary, 

 with one assistant. The hives were just as 

 they had been during the honey-season. The 

 bees were fastened into the hives, the parts of 

 the hive securely fastened together, and the 

 hives loaded on the wagon, ready to start back, 

 in a time that was an average of just two min- 

 utes to each hive. 



Bees may be moved very successfully on an 

 ordinary hay-rack. Put boards in the" middle 

 to make it as nearly level on top as possible. 

 On this load the hives, with the combs running 

 crosswise of the wagon, ."-^ome put on part of a 

 load of hay or straw, and set the bees on that. 

 This is unnecessary unless the roads are very 

 rough, or at a time when combs are brittle: and 

 it is objectionable because it is difficult to i^et 

 the hives on it so that th<'V will be level and 



.J. A. GREEX'S WAGON AND HACK FOR MOVING 

 BEES. 



If I were to make another I would have run- 

 ning-gear made with the hind wheels the same 

 size as those in front, so it would not have to be 

 so high. The top is divided up so as to take 

 four rows of hives, eleven in a row. Each hive 

 fits into a compartment of its own. without 

 touching other hives; and whenever hives are 

 placed on the rack, no matter how few or how 

 many, they will ride safely without any slip- 

 ping about. 



There is a box b, low as large as an ordinary 

 wagon-box, in which other hives, or whatever 

 is desired, may be hauled. Springs are not 

 really necessary. I have hauled a great tnany 

 bees over very rough roads, without springs, 

 and without bad results: but this spring I came 

 across some springs made by the Racine Econ- 

 omy Spring Co., to fit the ordinary farm- 

 wagon, that proved to he just the thing. With 

 them the rack rides almost as easily as a good 

 bnggy. and I should almost want them for my 

 own comfort, if nothing else. They work well 

 whether the rack is loaded or light. 



For fastening the hives together I use the 

 wire loop which I described before, and was il- 

 lustrated by you. The more I use this the bet- 

 ter I like it. and I use it for a great variety of 

 purposes. For hauling hives and supers to and 

 from out-apiar.ies I used loops long enough to 

 fasten together four sections of my hive or five 

 supers, making a package as easily handled as 

 a single box. 



For fastening the bees in the hives I use a 

 strip of lath. On one side the middle is cut out 

 to correspond wi I h the entrance. Over this is 

 tacked a folded strip of wire cloth. The whole 

 is fastened over the entrance by a couple of 

 inch wire nails. In hot weather a frame cover- 

 ed with wire cloth takes the place of the cover. 

 With these arrangements hives are very quick- 

 ly prepared for moving, and two trips will move 

 a good-sized apiary. 



I send you photographs showing the rack 

 empty, also loaded with bees. The large jiic- 

 ture shows a load that had been wintered in 

 the cellar just over the fence. The apiary and 

 honey-house are in the background. The hive 

 on top shows how the parts of the hive are 

 fastened together. A light rope is run around 

 the load, as a precaution against any possible 

 jolting out of place. J. A. Green. 



Dayton, 111.. Aug. 25. 



[Your article, friend G.. is very timely, es- 

 pecially for those who will be hauling home 

 their out-apiaries about this time of year. 

 As we have just moved our Shane apiary to our 

 home yard, over quite a hilly I'oad, covering a 

 distance of seven miles, I am in a position to 

 appreciate and indorse almost every point you 

 make above. We brought the apiary home in 

 two loads. For the purpose of experiment. 27 

 colonies were put into our spring platform 

 market- wagon for the first load; but as the 



