350 



ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



Off. Doc. 



hive as they return from the fields, and they must rest there for 

 some time before they can rise and fly to the entrance of the hive. 

 If the hive is low down, they may crawl directly into the hive 

 without waiting. If it were not for rotting the wood, a hive might 

 be set directly on the ground. A good stand for two hives (it is well 

 for hives to stand in pairs) is very simply made of common fence 

 boards. Cut two boards four inches longer than twice the width 

 of a hive, and two as long as the length of a hive. Nail the two 

 short boards on the ends of the two long boards, and your stand 

 is complete. Place the stand with the long boards uppermost, and 

 you can put on it two hives side by side with four inches space 

 between them. LeA'cl the stand from end to end. and let the front 

 side be a little lower than the back side. 



BEE-SMOKERS. 



Before beginning actual manipulation of bees, it is well to be 

 supplied with a bee-smoker. If you are addicted to the unfortunate 

 habit of smoking tobacco, ^-ou may blow tobacco smoke upon the 



CLARK COLD-BLAST SMOKER. THE CRANE SMOKER. 



(By permission from Root's A B C of Bee Culture.) 



bees, but such smoke is rather severe. You may also have a pan 

 of coals w'ith wood burning upon them and blow the smoke from 

 this with your breath, but it is inconvenient and not very satisfac- 

 tory. A Clark bellows smoker can be had for fifty cents,, and it 

 is an excellent smoker, while it lasts, but if vou have much use for a 

 smoker it will be cheaper in the long run to get one of the best, as the 

 Crane or the Bingham of large size, costing |1.2o. A Cornell, how- 

 ever, costing seventy-five cents, is very nearly as good. 



FUEL FOR SMOKERS. 



It does not matter a great deal what fuel is used in a smoker, only 

 so it makes a good smoke. As a starter, nothing is better than some 



