20' MANAGEMENT OF OUT-APIARIES 



■when mixed «'itli the other honey which has been accumulating since these 

 combs were put in the hives during the spring, together with that coming 

 in from the clover at this time, it will give the honey in the sections from 

 the first super filled a \evy delicate pink hue, and a taste not quite like 

 clover in its ])urity. I thought at first that this part would be against my 

 A\'orked-out plan, but I find that these pinkish-colored sections (the same 

 being detected only by holding them up and looking through them toward 

 the light) are preferred to any of those which are filled with only clover 

 or basswood honey, and, coming off later, tliey often sell for a cent or 

 two more a pound than the white, to those knowing about them.^ 



Ha'^'ing everj' thing now in readiness, the hive is closed by putting on 

 the cover, when the queen-excluder is taken off the hive of brood, and I 

 at once proceed to shake and brush the bees off their combs of brood in 

 front of this prepared hive. 



Perhaps I'd better say a few wolds regarding this shaking-off part, for 

 \ery many do not seem io be handy at shaking the bees off their combs, 

 some of our best beekeepers telling me that it could not be done to any 



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DOOLITTLE'S QUEEN-BXCLUDEB WITH DRONE-HOLE. 



advantage till I liad shown them how. Let me see if T can tell the reader 

 so he can do it with ease. Let the projecting ends of the top-bar to the 

 frame rest mainly on the big finger of each hand ; then, with a quick up- 

 ward motion, toss these ends against the ball of the hands at the base of the 

 thumb, and at just the instant the ends of the frame strike the ball of the 

 hands give the hands a r|uick downward motion. This takes the bee off its 

 guard, as it holds on to keep from falKng off the comb downward, havini;- 

 no idea that there is any danger from falling off upward. But this "falling 

 iipwaid" is exactly what it does, as three-fourths the bees, when I shake 

 the combs, are tossed up in the air as they are dislodged. The instant the 

 ends of the frame strike the fingers again, toss it up against the ball a 

 second time, and then back to the fingers, when, if you get the "hang" of 

 the matter, as you will after a few trials, you will find that 990 out of 

 every 1000 bees are off the comb; and if you have that proportion off you 

 will ha\-e no need of 'he brush, foi- it is not necessary to get each and every 

 bee off the combs of brood. Only 10 to 15 bees Jeff on each comb will 

 be but fi-om 100 to l.'iO bees for tlie whole, which Avill make little difference 

 i Such honey would have to be placed in a lower grade for most markets. 



