46 ALEXANDER'S WRITINGS ON PRACTICAL BEE CULTURE 



queens If we shake some of the combs outside the hive. Our frames 

 hang on a wooden rabbet, just even with the top of the hive; then we 

 use an under cover, which has a bee-space on each side. This, with our 

 telescope top, makes a cool water-tight cover which we like very much. 



THE COLOB OP THE CLOTHING. 



When working in the apiary we very decidedly prefer white. It 

 does not irritate the bees as all dark colors will, and is nice and cool on 

 hot days. I don't know of any thing that will make your bees much 

 crosfeer than to work among them when wearing dark clothes. If you 

 are careful about these things you will find it much pleasanter to handle 

 3'our bees. 



HOW TO STOP LEAKS IN H0NET-BABBEL8. 



If any of you are troubled with your honey-packages leaking, either 

 barrels or tin pails, just rub the leaky place with common hard soap 

 and see how nice and quick the trouble is over; also when barreling 

 up your honey, after you insert the bung a little, tip the barrel over 

 so as to bring the honey up solid over the bung, then you can drive it 

 in tight and run no risk of splitting or breaking the head. 



V GOOD HONBT-STEAINEB. 



This is one of the handiest and best strainers that was ever used 

 for straining honey. A tin-smith can make them by cutting off the top 

 of a stout tin pail 2 Inches, then make a frame of folded strips of tin, 

 soldering these strips to the top rim of the pail you cut off, then line 

 the Inside of this frame with the same fine copper wire cloth that is 

 used for milk strainers, and you will have a strainer that will never 

 clog or run over, as the honey can run through the sides all around 

 as well as the bottom, and it will take out every particle of foreign 

 matter from your honey, and with proper care will last a lifetime. I 

 now have three that I had made over 25 years ago and they are ap- 

 parently good for 25 years more. The way we use these strainers is 

 this: Our honey-tanks are covered with sheeting, except about two 



