MANAGEMENT OF OUT-APIARIES 



13 



as a serial in Gleanings, Mr. W. 0. Perkins, Bristol, Conn., writes: "I 

 should like Mr. Doolittle's reason for going back 'empty' after mowing the 

 first swatli in front of row No. 1; also after fifth in rear of row No. 2. 

 If after mowing in front of row No. 1 he will commence at the west end of 

 row No. 1 and mow a swath in the rear of the same row, and come back 

 in front of row No. 2 ; then back from west to east in rear of row No, 2, 

 and back to west in front of row No. 3, and return in rear of same, he will 

 save two trips across the yard 'empty,' and therefore do the mowing in less 

 time than by his plan." I wish to thank Mr. P. for calling attention to 

 this matter, as his plan would seem the quicker to many; and it would be 

 not only the quicker, but the better, if room enough could be afforded so 

 the rows of hives could be 14 to 16 feet apart. But as 10 feet between 

 rows is all that can well be afforded, considering both land rent and 

 travel, other things come in that hinder mowing as Mr. Perkins proposes. 



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DOOLITTLE'S METHOD OF MOWING THE GRASS IN A BEE-YAED. 



A man naturally cuts a swath about seven or eight feet wide, which is little 

 less than the distance between hives when the rows are ten feet from center 

 to center ; and if we cut back of row No. 1, or any other row, as Mr. P. pro- 

 poses, the swath of grass would be thrown on and into the entrances of the 

 hives on row No. 2, resulting in our seeing which was the "quickest" and 

 "best" way out of ttie apiary, rather than the quickest and best way to cut 

 the grass or to save time. By the plan I have given, the swath of grass is 

 thrown against the back side of the hive first, and consequently the bees 

 take no offense thereat. At half past six the grass is cut, raked up, and 

 put in a pile outside the bee-yard fence, for the farmer who owns the land 

 to use, if he so desires, and I am ready for my breakfast lunch, which I eat 

 sitting in the auto. 



That the reader may better understand, I will say that the fence en- 

 closure is calculated for 30 colonies, three rows with ten in each row. The 



