BEE-KEEPING IN BAR-FRAME HIVES. 



239 



hive after the cover has been removed until they have been sub- 

 dued. 



THE SMOKE BELLOWS. -There are hot and cold-blast bel- 

 lows. In the first-named, the air is blown through the fire, and 

 thus becomes heated. Beginners unacquainted with this fact fre- 

 quently injure some of their bees by holding the bellows too near 

 them. A bellows on the hot-blast principle produces a greater 

 volume of smoke, and therefore more readily subdues the irrita- 

 bility of the bees, but too frequently sparks of fire are carried with 

 the smoke into the bees. The cold blast is the safer, especially in 

 the hands of a novice. No bee-keeper can do without a smoker. 

 The smokers in the market are the "Koot" and the "Bingham," 



Smoker. 



both of which are on the hot-blast method. As a cold blast, the 

 "Clark" has had a good innings, but is rapidly being superseded 

 by the "Pender."' This is also a cold blast, and can be used with 

 the greatest safety by the most inexperienced. The materials used 

 for charging the smoker are various — semi-decayed wood chips, 

 and saw-dust from the wood heap, discarded cotton-waste, old 

 bags, cow droppings, etc. Anything that will smoulder is suit- 

 able. The last-named must be perfectly dry, and has the advan- 

 tage that it is almost impossible to blow it into flame. 



SWARM CATCHER. — This is a very useful appliance. A 

 bag made of mosquito net, and sewn to a hoop of about 15 inches 

 in diameter, makes a very good one. It should be fixed to the end of 

 a long, light pole, and at right angles to it. With such an instru- 

 ment when a swarm settles on a tree out of ordinary reach, they 

 can be secured by such an appliance and brought to the ground. 



