38 DR. miller's 



ping, and how to load them in a car. Can the hives be placed on 

 top of each other in the car? 



A. Perhaps 500. The hives must, of course, be fastened bee- 

 tight, but with plenty of ventilation. The hives must be placed so 

 the frames will run parallel with the track, so the bumping will 

 strike the combs lengthwise and not sidewise. If there are no 

 more than will stand on the bottom of the car— say 90 to 100 hives 

 —the only fastening needed will be strips nailed to the floor, so 

 the hives cannot move in any direction the strips being one or two 

 inches thick. If the hives are piled on top of one another, then 

 they must be strongly fastened by braces running from side to 

 side, or else from top to bottom, perhaps both. 



Carniolans. — Q. Describe the color of the Carniolan bee. 

 Some say that this kind of bee has yellow bands, and others say 

 there are none of yellow color, but that they are all gray. 



A. I think you would not recognize any yellow in Carniolans. 

 They have very distinct rings on the abdomen, but these rings are 

 not yellow, but whitish. They look much more like blacks than 

 Italians, but have the credit of being a little larger than blacks. 



Q. Is the quality of honey of the Carniolans better than of 

 other races of bees? I have been told so, and that they don't 

 gather honeydew as much as the other bees. Is there any truth 

 in the statement? 



A. The quality of honey gathered from the same source will 

 no doubt be the same, no matter what bees gather it. I don't 

 know whether Carniolans are less inclined than others to gather 

 honeydew. I didn't know it was claimed for them. 



Q. I have some Carniolan bees in 8-frame hives. If I had 

 them in a larger hive would they swarm less? Can I get surplus 

 honey in bigger hives, that is, if I have bigger brood-chamber? 

 I like the Carniolan bees; they stand the severest winter and 

 breed up faster in the spring. They gave me a nice surplus of~ 

 honey early in the season, two supers to each colony. I sold the 

 honey and got a good price for it. I have some colonies that will 

 give four supers, and this is not the best honey year for Illinois, 

 either. 



A. Yes; a large hive will reduce the probability of swarming, 

 since a crowded condition of the brood-nest is one of the chief 

 factors in producing the swarming fever. Neither will a larger 

 hive take away your chances for getting surplus. Formerly I 

 used 10-frame hives, and changed to 8-frame hives chiefly because 

 it was the fashion. If I were to start in afresh I would study 

 some time before I would decide to adopt the smaller hive. With 



