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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Moving Bees Several Miles. — Frank 

 S. Abbott, of Cattaragus County, N. Y., 

 writes : 



Please give details, in the Bee Jour- 

 nal, how and when to move bees. I 

 have 20 colonies, and I want to move 

 them about 15 miles. F. S. Abbott. 



They can be moved any time, but, on a 

 sled when the ground is covered with 

 snow, would be preferable. Mr. Erkel 

 has had considerable experience in mov- 

 ing bees on wagons, over rough roads, 

 etc., and he gives his experience and 

 advice thus : 



To successfully move bees, the bottom 

 as well as the top of the frames should 

 be securely fastened, so they will not 

 slide together and kill the bees. To 

 fasten the bottom of the frames, cut ten 

 notches in a stick one inch wide, or just 

 wide enough to correspond to the ten 

 frames ; or you might drive small nails 

 through a thin strip in such a way that 

 a nail will come between every two 

 frames. 



Now, with a smoker in hand, pry up 

 the hive from the bottom-board, and 

 give them a puff or two of smoke to drive 

 them out of the way ; then, before they 

 get time to come down, slip the projec- 

 tion on the notched stick, or the nails 

 between the frames, using one, or better, 

 two of these sticks ; let down the hive, 

 and the frames cannot get out of place. 



I generally fasten the top of the 

 frames by placing a thin strip of enamel 

 cloth on top of them, and carefully 

 shove, not pound, 3^ -inch wire brads 

 through the strip and down into the 

 frames. 



If it is warm weather, and the bees 

 are to be on the road for some time, they 

 must have plenty of ventilation. This 

 must be regulated according to the 

 weather. Sometimes it would be advis- 

 able to remove the cloth and put a wire- 

 screen over the whole of the top ; but, as 

 a general thing, I pull back the cloth 2, 

 3 or 4 inches from the end and fasten 

 wire-screen over this opening. Do not 

 nail up the entrance, but put wire-cloth 

 over that, too, which will give circula- 

 tion through the hive. 



If you move your bees by wagon, put 

 a wood-rack on a lumber wagon, nail 

 boards inside the stakes, and fill up the 

 space about 2 feet with hay, and then 

 place the hives on the hay, with the 

 frames crossing the road-bed. I con- 

 sider the hay better than springs. 



Likes the New Form. 



With the first mail of the New Year 

 came the Bee Jofrxal in its new form. 

 Allow me to congratulate you upon its 

 improved appearance ; although so like 

 the old, that nothing is lost. On the in- 

 side, among the first items, I noticed that 

 you had not been receiving the Nebraska 

 Bee-Keeper. This I do not understand, 

 as a copy has been mailed to you of each 

 issue. L. D. Silson. 



York, Nebr., Jan. 2, 1891. 



Mr. Stilson is the editor of the Ne- 

 braska Bee-Keeper, which, as we stated 

 last week, had not put In an appearance 

 for some time. He has our thanks for 

 his appreciation of our enlargement. 



The "Nebraska Bee-Keeper" for 

 January, is now on our desk. Among its 

 items of interest, we find the following : 



Look out for the leaky roofs on your 

 hives ! They are more disastrous and 

 annoying to bees, than a leaky roof 

 would be, to you, on your own house. A 

 good coat of paint, run well into the 

 cracks, will generally answer the pur- 

 pose. 



The beginner has to commence at the 

 foot of the hill, and learn by experience. 

 True, he should have some knowledge 

 of bees and their ways, in order to begin. 

 He needs to read some good bee-book, 

 and should take one or more bee-peri- 

 odicals. 



Honey-producing is a business that is 

 especially suitable for women. They 

 will attend to the numerous small details 

 which are necessary ; while but few men 

 are willing to give the time that is 

 requisite. 



IW The Iowa State Horticultural 

 Society will meet in the Horticultural 

 Rooms at the Capitol, at Des Moines, on 

 Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 

 Jan. 20, 21 and 22, 1991. Programme 

 and premium list will be sent to all ap- 

 plicants. 



Eugene Secor, President, Forest City. 



Geo. Van Houten, Secretary, Lenox. 



We Club the American Bee Journal 

 and the Illustrated Home Journal, one 

 year, for $1.35. Both of these and 

 Gleanings in Bee Culture, for one year, 

 for $2.15. 



