1905- 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



177 



the hive the object was seemingly ac- themselves into a wrong position. 



omplished, and they were left to their I have clipped many queens without 



own sweet will for the day. touching them at all save with the 



At even a neighbor drove a little out scissors, but like this way better: 

 oi his way to bring the information take a small stalk or spear of grass 

 that the bees had swarmed by the and bend it into a loop by holding 

 roadside some rods from the scene of both ends between the thumb and fin- 

 the robbery. ger of the right hand. Now, as the 



Once more were hive and sheet queen runs, away from you, place the 

 oaded up and a repetition of the pre- loop of grass down over her and 

 /ious work performed. The bees corral her. Usually, she will 

 inally went into the new home and "ot hesitate tn cross it at any 

 hough no queen was visible it was point, and if you are quick about it. 

 hought that she was probably safe, you can lift her off the comb as easily 

 frames with some old honey were put ^^ eating pie and not hurt her one bit. 

 nto the hive and the bees soon amus- When you have done this and she is 

 :d themselves by building a quantity hanging onto the loop, receive her 

 )f comb in the upper part of the hive. ^"^ ith your left hand, allowing her to 

 But it was too late to store anything run up the index finger. Here is 

 or winter, and evidently they were a where you ma}' need a little practice, 

 iisorganized household. As a result, but the plan is a good one and I know 

 nly ruin came. With the time spent yo" will like it when you have learn- 

 Ar. Y. could have purcliased a good <?d the trick. As the queen crawls up 

 warm of bees, to say nothing of the the finger, gently slide the thumb up 

 ard work entailed. Hunting bee after her and seize her by two of her 

 rees, like "cooning," may pay in fun, legs. In this way she cannot get into 

 n rare occasions, but as a matter of a position to hurt herself, or to inter- 

 usiness, it most certainly does not. fere with the clipping of the wing. I 



Connautville. Pa. assure you the method is a good one 



when you have learned how to use it. 



A TRIO OF TOPICS. T like it so well that I now really en- 



joy the work of catching a queen and 



clipping her wing. 



iv W. VV. McNeal. 



Kemoving Propolis from the Hands. 



^ ID YOU EVER have trouble get- 

 ^ ting propolis otf your hands? 

 Bad job unless you know how, 

 nt it? Well life is too short to try to 

 a-h it off with soap and cold water. 

 lu- kind we have here is the genuine 

 nd no mistake about it. Dipping the 

 liters in hot water and immediately 

 ipiiig them with a dry cloth is one 

 Liy efficient way of removing it; but 

 like Fairbank's gold dust washing 

 iwder just as well, for with this one 

 in use cold water which is often 

 aiidier. After wetting the hands take 

 H.ut a half teaspoonful of the dry 

 nwder in them and rub it into a good 

 tlier; then rinse well and dry the 



Hand.v Wa.y to Hold a Queen While 

 Clipping:. 



^'ou who have tried clipping the 

 m<;s of queen bees know what an ex- 

 .perating way they have of twisting 



Bottling Extracted Honey. 



Generally speaking, honey is not fit 

 to be bottled for table use till the bees 

 have capped it over in the combs. 

 Prior to that, it is too much on the 

 order of commercial syrups. When 

 honey is left on the hive during the 

 long, hot days of summer, it becomes 

 so much improved in flavor and rich- 

 ness, as to be hardly recognizable with 

 the same kind taken earlier in the sea- 

 son. Honey should always have the 

 expression of bees and this character- 

 istic mark of quality cannot be impart- 

 ed to it in the brief time that modern 

 methods allow for the ripening pro- 

 cess. However, an upright taak, 

 similar to a two-frame honey extrac- 

 tor, will aid quite materially in separat- 

 ing the ripe, thick honoy from the 

 thin and unripe when the crop has 

 been harvested a little premature. 

 The gearing should be removed and 

 the can then set on a bench of some 

 kind to raise it a foot or so ofY the 

 floor. .\ good piece of muslin tied 



