BEES AND BEE CULTURE. 



1149 



shade is very important in mid-summer, a not over-dense grove, 

 trimmed quite high so as to be dry and admit the early and 

 late sun is very nice. Some utilize the apple orchard for the 

 purpose of shade. A grape vine (Fig. 23) or evergreen to the 

 south of each hive furnishes a not very satisfactory shade. 

 Many place the apiary in an open space and shade by use of a 

 piece of tent-cloth fastened just above the hive. 



Immediately about the 

 hives we should have saw- 

 dust, gravel, coal ashes, or 

 closely mown grass, as we 

 shall then see without trou- 

 ble any queen that may 

 fall to the ground as we 

 handle our bees, or that 

 may have defective wings 

 and attempts to wander 

 from the hive at times of 

 swarming. 



TRANSFERRING. The be- 

 ginner, and even the expe- 

 rienced apiarist, may often 

 be able to buy bees so 

 cheaply in box hives that 

 it will pay to purchase them 

 and transfer them to mov- 

 able comb hives. 



If in the middle of a 

 warm day, when the bees 

 are gathering, we approach a hive ;md blow enough smoke into 

 it (see article on quieting bees) to quiet the bees, we may then 

 safely turn the hive bottom side up, and by placing a box with- 

 out cover above the hive, this also being bottom up, we can by 

 rapping on the hive with a stick or hammer for twenty minutes 

 cause the bees to leave the hive and go into the box. Only a 

 few of the young bees will remain behind. 



The bees that have been drummed out may now be hived, 



FIG. 23. HIVE ANT> NUCLEUS, SHADED BY A 

 GRAPE-VINK. 



