742 
SHIPPING BEES 
side at intervals, center to center, equal to 
width of hive. The two by fours are 
spaced a distance equal to the length of 
the hive. A crate is set down on the car 
floor to provide bottom ventilation. Two 
rows of hives are piled on the crate side by 
side, lengthwise of the car or so the combs 
are parallel with the rails of the track. 
Fig. 1.-—Crating on platform ready to load. 
If everything has been done right the 
edges of each hive will rest upon .the long 
4-inch strips. Every other 2x4 in the 
crate is made a little longer so that it can 
be bolted to an upright 2x4 that binds the 
four tiers of hives 
together. The opera¬ 
tion of loading is as 
follows: 
One crate is plac¬ 
ed on the car floor. 
Two rows of hives 
with screens at top 
and bottom are load¬ 
ed on the crate. In 
hot weather it is not 
advisable to try to 
get along with only 
a top screen. Over 
the first tier is then 
placed another 
crate; on top anoth¬ 
er tier of hives until 
there are four tiers. 
The other sides of the car are loaded in 
precisely the same way. When all are in 
place, the upright 2 x 4’s as long as the 
height of four tiers are bolted to the pro¬ 
jecting end of the horizontal 2 x 4’s in 
each crate. Bolts are used because they are 
more easily removed than nails and are 
stronger. Thus there is a set of two tiers 
of hives on each side of the car with an 
alleyway between these sets. The two 
sets are then braced from each other by 
means of ties across the top and bottom. 
To stand the end shocks the two sets of 
tiers in each end of the car are securely 
braced apart by 4 x 4 7 s. These ties or 
braces must be at the top and bottom so 
that the operator can reach every colony 
with a watering pot. 
There will be a space in the alleyway of 
about 14 to 15 inches between the two sets 
of tiers lengthwise and a space of the 
width of the car between the car doors and 
between the ends of the tiers. This latter 
space is occupied with tools, cot-bed, bed¬ 
clothing, lanterns, hammer, saw, nails, a 
few extra bolts, a brace and bit, and a lit¬ 
tle extra lumber. Usually it is an advan¬ 
tage to carry along a little oil stove to heat 
water for coffee or do a little light cooking, 
as one gets "a little tired of all “cold grub” 
on so tedious a journey. It is important 
that each of the hives should be screened 
top and bottom as explained under Moving 
Bees Short Distances. That makes it 
necessary to remove covers and bottoms. 
These should be piled on top of the tiers of 
hives just under the car roof. They should 
be secured by means of a rope or wire. 
Where a cattle-car is used the crates can 
be wired to the frame of the sides of 
the car. This helps, to hold each tier to 
itself. 
Fig. 2.^ — One section in the car ready for the hives. 
