GENEEAL SUMMEE WORK 133 



postpones it for a day or two) just look at two or three 

 super combs, the centre ones. They will usually have 

 some brood in them, and it is from these, that the con- 

 dition of the colony is gauged. If the hive has really 

 decided to swarm, these brood-combs in the super show 

 the first indications. The author has repeatedly proved 

 this season after season. By thus judging the conditions, 

 one man can accomplish the work of an out-yard in a day 

 comfortably. Except during extracting, one day in every 

 twelve should be sufficient to do the work of the yard. 



When extracting comes round, it is better to take a 

 crew of workers, and concentrate on the job. An apiarist 

 owning, or working, a series of out-yards, should cer- 

 tainly invest a few pounds in an uncapping device. These 

 machines are very portable, so their carriage from yard 

 to yard is a mere item. They are great time savers, doing 

 the work of melting the cappings automatically while the 

 extracting is in progress. Cappings stored away in 

 kerosene tins, or barrels, soon block up the honey house. 

 At any rate, after digging out a few tins of cappings, 

 and candied honey, the apiarist will not require much 

 urging to purchase a cappings-melter. As it is rather 

 risky to leave much honey at out-yards the extracting 

 crew should be taken out on a waggon, so that a load of 

 honey may be carted home in the evening. 



CLIPPING THE QUEEN. 



The operation of clipping the queen's wing is not a 

 very formidable proposition. Should the apiarist be at 

 all nervous over the work he should practise on drones 

 until he gains confidence. However, to help him in the 

 matter, here is a detailed account of how it is done. Do 

 not use too much smoke when opening a hive to find its 

 queen, especially if the bees are of the black variety. 

 Lift out the frames carefully, and remember that the 

 queen will most likely be on the frame containing most 

 eggs, and not much brood. The keen observer will very 

 soon be able to tell where her majesty is engaged. In a 



