68 FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 



solution and spread out to dry in the sun, and when thoroughly 

 dry are put in the tool-basket, which always contains a supply. 

 When taken out of the crock, the rags may be wrung quite dry, 

 thus containing not so much saltpeter, or they may be wrung 

 out just enough so the liquid will not run off on the ground and 

 waste, in which condition they will be strongly dosed with salt- 

 peter. 



A plentiful supply of dry smoker-fuel, with a correspond- 

 ing stock of saltpeter-rags, is a great saving of the " disposi- 

 tion." 



POUNDING BEES OFF COMBS. 



Mention was made of getting bees off combs. Sometimes 

 shaking is used altogether, sometimes brushing, and sometimes 

 both. The weight of the comb has something to do with the 

 manner of shaking. The most of the shaking — in fact all of 

 the shaking, unless the combs be very heavy or the bees be 

 shaken on the ground — is done as shown in Fig. 26. Perhaps it 

 might better be called pounding bees off the comb. The comb 

 is held by the corner with one hand, while the other hand 

 pounds sharply on the hand that holds the comb. By this 

 manner of pounding I can get almost evei-y bee off a comb with 

 a few strokes, unless the comb be too heavy. 



DOOLITTLE PLAN OF SHAKING. 



With a very heavy comb, G. M. Doolittle's plan is better, 

 and is the one used. Let the ends of the top-bar be supported 

 by the first two fingers of each hand, the thumbs some distance 

 above. Keeping the thumb and fingers well apart, let the frame 

 drop, and as it drops strike it hard with the balls of the thumbs, 

 then catch it with the fingers, raise it and repeat the operation. 

 The bees are jarred both up and down, and don't know which 

 way to brace themselves to hold on, so a very few shakes will 

 get most of them off. 



PENDULUJI PLAN OF SHAKING. 



Often it is desirable to shake the bees back into the hive. 

 In that case brushing may be better than shaking, but the 

 pounding plan serves very welL A space may be made by 



