76 FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 



of rags are prepared at a time. They are wrung out of the 

 solution and spread out to dry in the sun, and when thoroughly 

 dry are put in the tool-basket, which always contains a supply. 

 When taken out of the crock, the rags may be wrung quite dry, 

 thus containing not so much saltpeter, or they may be wrung 

 out just enough so the liquid will not run off on the ground and 

 waste, in which condition they will be strongly dosed with salt- 

 peter. 



A plentiful supply of dry smoker-fuel, with a correspond- 

 ing stock of saltpeter-rags, is a great saving of the "disposi- 

 tion." 



POUNDING BEES OFF COMB. 



Mention was made of getting bees off combs. Sometimes 

 shaking is used altogether, sometimes brushing, and sometimes 

 both. The weight of the comb has something to do with the 

 manner of shaking. The most of the shaking — ^in fact all of 

 the shaking, unless the combs be very heavy or the bees be 

 shaken on the ground — is done as shown in Fig. 26. Perhaps it 

 might better be called pounding bees off the comb. The comb 

 is held by the corner with one hand, while the other hand 

 pounds sharply on the hand that holds the comb. By this 

 manner of pounding I can get almost every bee off a comb with 

 a few strokes, unless the comb be too heavy. 



DOOLITTLB PLAN OF SHAKING. 



With a very heavy comb, G. M. Doolittle's plan is better, 

 and is the one used. Let the ends of the top-bar be supported 

 by the first two fingers of each hand, the thumbs some distance 

 above. Keeping the thumb and fingers well apart, let the 

 frame drop, and as it drops strike it hard with the balls of the 

 thumbs, then catch it with the fingers, raise it and repeat the 

 operation. The bees are jarred both up and down, and don't 

 know which way to brace themselves to hold on, so a veiy few 

 shakes will get most of them off. 



PENDULUM PLAN OP SHAKING. 



Often it is desirable to shake the bees back into the hive. 



