THE APIARY, 
371 
been given (pages 136 and 261). In travelling from 
spot to spot in taking bees, all paraphernalia should 
be reduced to the smallest possible compass, for nearly 
everything must be carried, the cottagers rarely being 
able to supply a want. Where practicable, I would, 
however, have a spare skep and a large, light board, 
which should occupy the old stand, the latter catching 
the brushed bees. The first skep finished, the board 
is removed, and carried to the next stand, after the 
adherent bees have been shaken off of it. 
Few bees are killed by this process, and the queens 
only rarely suffer. Should the latter be required for 
any purpose, they can easily be preserved by putting 
them, as found (and they are commonly seen during the 
brushing process), into wire-cloth* cages, and fixing 
each with a French nail into the roof of the skep — it 
does not matter which, so long as each lot has one. 
“Bumping” is, no doubt, very useful for the purpose 
now under consideration, but is unsuitable to warm 
weather or combs containing brood, and is, moreover, 
subject to a miscarriage, in that the combs, if stored 
with honey in the attachment-cells (as they will be if 
the bees have been pushed for room), break through 
the store an inch or so from the top, bleeding badly, 
and hopelessly gumming many bees. Cutting the side 
attachments, bending down slightly, freeing the end 
comb, and then moving the rest singly, will prevent this 
misadventure, but will occupy slightly more time than 
the “bump.” Carbolic acid, in addition to smoke, is 
* I have used dome ca<^es, fixed on to a piece of a section box by 
an indiarubber band. The wood has a neat, round hole previously 
made in it, passing the nail freely, but not the head. 
2 B 2 
