FORTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES. 333 



hives. Cleats nailed on the floor hold the hives in place. 

 Another advantage is that instead of hauling 31 at a load, 

 52 can now be taken, so that only two trips are needed to 

 haul the bees to or from an out-apiary. 



SCRAPER FOR SCRAPING SECTIONS. 



Instead of a knife, as mentioned on page 266, a hand 

 cabinet or veneer scraper is now used for the first part of 

 cleaning sections, and with more satisfaction. It is a 

 square of thin steel which can be made of a piece of an 

 old saw-blade, or one can be bought for 10 or 20 cents, 

 acording to quality. It can not be sharpened by means of 

 a grindstone or whetstone, but is sharpened in a peculiar 

 manner which can be learned from any cabinet-maker. 



STARTING QUEEN-CELLS. 



Instead of keeping two colonies to start queen-cells, 

 as given on page 238, I now take a plan much less fussy. 

 Any colony that is found starting cells preparatory to 

 swarming has its queen removed, all queen-cells de- 

 stroyed, and a frame removed. In the center of the hive 

 is then placed a frame of the young brood on the new 

 comb, taken from the best queen, and prepared as men- 

 tioned on page 240. Ten days later this frame is taken 

 out, the cells cut out, and used wherever needed. The 

 vacant place in the hive is filled, queen-cells in the hive 

 destroyed, if there are any, and a young laying queen 

 given to the colony, or else its own or some other old 

 queen. That colony will not swarm that season if the 

 queen given is one of the current season's rearing, and 

 there is little chance of swarming if an older queen is 

 given. 



I think I hear some one asking : "But that colony has 

 seven of its own combs of brood to start cells on, and 

 only one of the choice kind ; isn't it likely it will start 

 seven cells on its own brood for every one started on the 

 choice brood?" Well, I've tried it a great many times. 



