THE bEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



2is 



this is enough on this subject, and I will 

 now give a few points on bee hunting. 



First catch a bee. Anil for this pur- 

 pose it is well to have a handy "bee-box." 

 Make a shallow box about as big as — well, 

 as a f>ook say — but thicker. That is def- 

 inite enough as to size; but make it with 

 a sliding cover so it will slide either way, 

 (endwise), but groove only one side of 

 the box for the cover to slide in. The 

 other edge should be a square shoulder, 

 so that the cover sets on it. This is for 

 convenience in catching bees. Have the 

 cover longer than the box, with a window 

 of wire cloth, or glass, near one end. 

 This is to make the box dark or light at 

 will. When ready to go, put in a piece 

 of old cotnb and pour honey on it; or use 

 scrap honey. Take along more old comb 

 and honey put up in a bee-tight pail or 

 can. 



Now seek bees in the woods where you 

 suspect there may be wild bees. Look 

 along the edges of streams or marshy 

 places, and when you find one at work, 

 cuff it gently off the flower into the box, 

 and darken it till it begins to "fill up." 



.\fter it has made a few trips, or other 

 bees return with it. you ma"}' leave the 

 cover oflF till you are ready to move. Set 

 the box up on something, if nothing more 

 than a stake with a l)it of board nailed 

 on top, and "lie low" so you can watch 

 the circling bees between j-our eye and 

 the sunlight. Bees will always "circle" 

 at first to mark the location of the bait. 

 Old huJiters have a "knack" of "lining" 

 bees and can see a bee flying direct in a 

 line from the eye for quite a distance. 

 They also have a way of "sighting" bees, 

 by watching up by the edge of a shady 

 tree, noting the direction the bees take, 

 between the eye ami the sunlight. A bee 

 can be seen in that way above the top of 

 the tallest trees. Old hunters often find 

 bee-trees by lining in that way, without a 

 bait. As soon as you have a "line" move 

 zw'M the bees; and if they are working 

 steadily you may carry the box open and 

 keep going . But if only a few come, then 

 shut some in the darkened box when vou 



move on the line; and go quite a distance. 

 If convenient go to some open spot suit- 

 able to sight from. Leave a^bit of old comb 

 on your last stand, as it may enable you 

 to "pick up the line" again if you go 

 past the bee-tree. When plenty of bee* 

 are at your bait, and making quick trips, 

 look for a tree. If you do not find it by 

 "sighting," try a cro«s-line. Carry 1»he 

 box to a suitable spot at rigtft-angles to 

 your line, and "sight" as before; and the 

 tree will be found where the lines inter- 

 sect. It is sometimes quite difficult to find 

 where the bees go in, even after the cross- 

 line is taken, especially if the timber is 

 thick, and the leaves are on the trees, oritf 

 clouds obscure the light, or if the hole is 

 very high up, or in thick shade. In such 

 cases choose a time when there is good 

 light, and move back and forth in the 

 shade and "sighit" for flying bees between 

 your eye and the strong sunl%ht as seen 

 close by the edge of a ^ade. 



I onutted one point in order — while 

 "finding" bees they may .sometimes be 

 "called" by burning some old com!) on a 

 heated stone or hot iron. 



Nkw RiCHMOXD, iMlch., May 22, 1899. 

 EXTRACTING UXFINISHEB SECTIONS. 



Hiiw to .Manipiilaie lhe<ii Four at a Tune, k 

 New Shop and Honey-Hwuse. 



O. H. TOWNSEND. 



T ILW'H just finished extracting my 

 I unfinished sections, nearly kxk) in 

 number, and, as I struck upon a very 

 convenient way of holding them, I send a 

 setof the four which I had in use, to see if 

 you remember of anything so good for 

 the purpose. I don't remember of ever 

 having read of awy contrivance for this 

 purpose that is anywhere near as good. 

 The contrivance is simply two slats of 

 wood held together by strips of rubber at 



