JUNE 1, 1914 



Pig. 3. — Loading the bees on the steamer. 



id instead of a solid framework 



plan ; an 



from the door to the ends of the car to sup- 1 



411 



port the rows of hives, we made three sepa- 

 rate tiers which were put together before 

 being placed in the ear, our idea being that, 

 after the bees were unloaded, this frame- 

 work could be taken out in three parts and 

 used again when the bees were to be ship- 

 ped north. The plan did not work well, 

 however, for the framework was not as 

 rigid as it should have been, and there was 

 considerable trouble all along the way, ow- 

 ing to parts working loose. Mr. Marchant 

 wrote afterward that his hands were bleed- 

 ing most of the time owing to pounding his 

 iingers when attempting to drive nails while 

 tlie ear was in motion. At Birmingham, 

 Alabama, the staging gave way to such an 

 extent that it became absolutely necessary 

 to unload a large number of the colonies in 

 tlie railroad yard, and make repairs. Un- 

 loading a car is no small task at any time; 

 but in the midst of a busy railroad yard, 

 with trains switching back and forth con- 

 stantly, and with barely enough room for a 

 man to stand between tracks, the problem 

 becomes a serious one. However, room was 

 finally made for the hives to be piled up 

 while the staging was repaired, and, finally, 

 when every thing was ready again, the last 

 lap of the journey by rail was undertaken 

 without further mishap. At Bainbridge, 

 Georgia, the car was unloaded, and the colo- 

 nies located on the floor of the freight- 

 house, awaiting the steamer. The railroad 

 freight-house being located very close to the 

 river, there was no need of a transfer. Fig. 

 1 shows a part of the outfit in the freight- 

 louse, and Fig. 2 the two tracks for the 



Pig. 4. — ^^On the boat down the Apalachicola River, between Bainbridge and Bandlett's Landing. 



