PEARCE METHOD OF BEE-KEEPING 



19 



An outfit by the Pearce Method in the high school in Grand Rapids 

 which gave the teacher far above a hundred pounds of comb honey while 

 away on her vacation. Repeats this each year. ' 



If the bees have to be moved some -distance, go to the 

 bee-yard in the day-time and carefully put a covering of 

 burlap or wire screen over the whole of the top of the hive 

 and tack it to a little frame the size of the top of the hive. 

 This is done so that it can be tacked to the hive and taken 

 off quickly. Wait until the bees are all in at night, then go 

 and stop up the entrance, using some old cotton or calico 

 rags pushed in with a screwdriver or knife. Leave one end 

 out a little to get hold of, if desired. Take them in a good 

 spring wagon or buggy and handle carefully. The spring is 

 the best time to install bees — ^from the middle of April to 

 the middle of May — ^because then it is possible to get a 

 honey crop to pay for them the first season. But if neces- 

 sary, it can be profitably done in July, or the first of August, 

 just after the first honey flow is over. 



