The Manipulation of Bees 
251 
beekeeper should not err by giving inadequate ventilation. 
In transporting colonies on a wagon, the length of the frames 
should be across the wagon bed, while on a train they should 
be parallel with the length of the car. 
It is customary to ship colonies in hives with combs, but 
recently the shipping of bees in wire-cloth cages without 
combs has been practiced. This has much to commend it, 
especially in reducing the danger of introducing bee diseases 
into new locations. The cages contain numerous slats on 
which the bees hang, and they are provided with food for 
the bees en route. The bees are put into the cage by means 
of a funnel, either with or without a queen. Bees are now 
regularly sold by the pound in such packages and sliipped 
to all parts of the United States. It is probable that as this 
method is perfected it will be used in migratory beekeeping, 
thus avoiding danger of carrying disease to the home apiary 
and reducing the transportation charges. 
ELIMINATION OF NON-ESSENTIAL MANIPULATIONS 
While it is necessary in any discussion of beekeeping which 
aims at completeness to describe the various manipulations 
which may be needed during the course of the year, the bee¬ 
keeper should early in his experience establish a system for 
the care of his bees so that unessential movements and 
manipulations may be avoided. If bees are kept solely 
for pleasure, it matters little whether they are disturbed in 
their work, and the time of the beekeeper need not be con¬ 
sidered an important consideration, but when bees are kept 
for profit, these factors become vital. Every manipulation 
which does not benefit the beekeeper by increasing his 
profit should be ruthlessly eliminated, and every time a 
colony is opened it should be for some definite purpose. 
Two essentials. 
There are two factors necessary to the production of the 
maximum honey-crop over which the beekeeper has no 
