BEE CULTURE. 7 
of that, three one-inch strips,two inches wide—one across the 
center, the others across each end, to insure ventilation when 
piled on each other. Now tack wire cloth over the entrance, 
and your bees are ready for shipment. 
If the hive has a portico, prepare in the same manner as 
above, except to bore a one-and-a-half inch hole in each side 
of the brood chamber, and also in’ the cover, which will be 
used in place of the wire cloth over the frames ; the holes to 
be covered inside and outside with wire cloth, to admit of 
ventilation. Leave the entrance open full size, but cover the 
entire portico securely with wire cloth, leaving free access to 
it from the interior of the hive; care must be taken, however, 
to bore a one-and-a-half inch hole under the roof-board of 
the portico, and left open, to allow free ingress to the interior 
of the hive, as the entrance beneath may become choked up, 
and the cluster of bees, with the queen, die of starvation 
through inability to get at the honey in the hive. Hives 
made with porticoes are much better for shipping bees, for it 
allows them to drag out the dead, cleanse the hive, and, to a 
great extent, prevent dysentery. Prepared in this manner, 
full colonies may be shipped at all seasons, from May 1st 
until Aug. 10th, with perfect success. 
Two colonies sent to New Zealand, after being confined six 
weeks, were received in splendid condition, and are thus de- 
scribed by the consignee, after their arrival: “The hives 
my bees came in were eight-framed ‘‘ Langstroth,” tin rab- 
bets, bottom board flush with entrance, nailed on to body of 
the hive, cover flat with one-inch strips, one-and-a-half inches 
wide, nailed across the top at each end : from one end of cover 
toward the center, over the middle frames, a piece about 9x5 
inches sawn out, and one-inch strips, one-and-a-half inches 
wide, nailed round the edge on the upper side. This hole was 
covered with wire cloth on under side, a sponge laid on that, 
and then covered with wire cloth on upper side, and the cover 
screwed down. The frames contained old tough comb, and 
where they had not been built right down to the bottom bar, 
strips of wood were joined in between the comb and bar, 
making it secure. Two wire binders were put around each 
frame, one-third from each end, and in one of the center 
frames a flat bottle containing water was fastened with wire, 
