GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



677 



worth knowing," remarked Fred; "those wires 

 in the center of the frame appear to prevent 

 fitting the comb in properly; but by cutting a 

 little crease in the comb quite to the center 

 along each wire, the latter can be imbedded, 

 holding the transferred comb securely, as you 

 see," said Fred as he slipped his honey-knife 

 under the comb and raised it and the frame to 

 an upright position, and placed it in the hive. 

 "Now the bees will have something to cluster 

 upon." 



Fred was an expert at transferring, and the 

 combs were rapidly fitted into the frames. 



" MATT, C.\N WE HANG ON HERE ALL DAY ? 



Pieces of comb, several to a frame, were fitted 

 and held by the wires, as well as full ones; and 

 by the time the colony was transferred, Matts 

 knee-caps had ceased to rattle, and his interest 

 increased. His questions were asked at the 

 top of his voice, for the roaring of the bees was 

 now terrific. Nearly all of the bees that be- 

 longed to that individual colony were secured, 

 and the hive was carried up to its place on the 

 bluff. Here a latticework arrangement was 

 placed before the hive, so that the bees would 

 be sure to mark their location; "and, Matt, if 



you ever wish to move bees a short distance 

 successfully," explained Fred, "shut the bees 

 in the hive in the evening, and keep them shut 

 in until an hour after sunrise; then move to 

 the new location. The excitement inside the 

 hive, and the lattice arrangement in front, lead 

 them to thoroughly mark the location when 

 they do come out." 



"Och!"said Matt, with a sigh; " me educa- 

 tion about baas has been sadly neglected. Faith, 

 an' it's a great study, aqual to astronomy, 

 geology, raisin' pigs, or any other science. I 

 fear me thick head'll not contain the half 

 yees are a tellin' me." 



Again the expert and the 

 novice went down the cliff with 

 a hive for another transfer. 

 Matt had not received a sting, 

 and was getting very free in his 

 movements. 



"Knee-pans all right?" asked 

 Fred. 



" Not a flicker there this time," 

 replied Matt, looking down his 

 trousers legs. But a few min- 

 utes later, while Fred was mak- 

 ing an opening toward the next 

 colony, and Matt close behind 

 him, the latter grabbed the leg 

 he had been admiring, and 

 shouted, " Be gorry, Fred, there's 

 a baa a crawling up me leg! 

 Shoo! go back, ye little strake 

 of avil." 



" Now, Matt, you just let the 

 bee alone, and stand still. When 

 a bee gets to climbing so. it 

 never goes back." 



"And where in the name of 

 sinse will it go to? I am won- 

 thering," shouted Matt. 



"Oh! if nothing happens to it 

 upon its perilous journey it will 

 come out with a happy buzz 

 upon your shirt-collar. Where 

 is the bee now. Matt?" 



"Ouch! it be a climbing me 

 backbone — wo-o-o!" and Matt 

 trembled as though he had the 

 ague. " Bedad ! bad luck to the 

 pizen baste! it's a stinging me!" 

 and Matt was jumping and stamping in good 

 style, to the edification of Fred, who stopped 

 work to laugh heartily. But the next moment 

 the chalky ledge upon which they were stand- 

 ing could endure no more stamping, and sud- 

 denly gave way, and they were both plunged 

 into the water, twenty feet below. Such a fall 

 sent them both under the water; but as no 

 further harm came to them from the falling 

 debris they soon came to the surface. 



Frantically tearing off their hats and veils, 

 which were now decidedly inconvenient fix- 



