.liiiy, 1913. 



23:1 



American Hee Journal 



comparable superiority over all other 

 smokers to my knowledge. 



Connecting the cover of a smoker 

 to the tire-barrel by a hinge is a mis- 

 take. The hinge produces a circling 

 motion, with its pin as the center, and 

 this necessitates a loose fitting cover- 

 rim or it cannot be opened, or when 

 open it cannot be closed. This loose- 

 ness of the rim causes a leaking of 

 smoke, for the smoke finds its e.xit at 

 this open joint of the cover as well as 

 the opening of the nozzle, where it is 

 desired. In a short time the passing 

 of smoke through this opening causes 

 creosote and soot to accumulate and 

 stick to both sides, cover-rim and fire- 

 barrel, until a tight fit is formed. Then 

 the trouble begins. 



The operator is constantly compelled 

 to clean this joint. If the smoker is 

 used right along and kept hot, no great 

 trouble may be encountered, but if left 

 to cool in this condition notliins; 



The Old-Fashioned Bellows. 



short of a sledge-hammer will open it. 

 This is not exaggeration. I have had 

 to use a hammer to break the hardened 

 accumulations before I could move the 

 cover. 



But this is not the worst feature of 

 the hinged top. What causes more 

 annoyance than the inconvenience just 

 described is the diagreeable soiling of 

 all our appliances, bees and sections 

 included, with the frequent droppings 

 of condensed smoke. This black, bad 

 smelling, sickening liquid is an abomi- 

 nation to the bee-keeper. When cot- 

 ton waste or burlap is used as fuel this 

 may not be so bad. I never have used 

 either, but when rotten wood is used it 

 is a most deplorable feature. I do not 

 stand alone on these points; it is the 

 general experience of all the bee-keep- 

 ers of my accjuaintance. 



The smoker without hinge has these 

 objections in a less degree. The cover 

 can fit reasonably tight and still be 

 readily adjustable, but the handle which 

 might be a little more convenient than 

 the little wire-eye, must be over the 

 center of the cover to insure a more 

 parallel action of the latter to the fire- 

 barrel. This parallel motion is also 

 more effective as an automatic self- 

 cleaning medium than the circling mo- 

 tion of the hinged top. 



A smoker that has none of these ob- 

 jectionable features is the Telescope 



smoker. It is a pleasure to use it, even 

 the most fastidious person could not 

 ask for anything better. Its history is 

 as follows: Some six or seven years 

 ago one of our leading supply estab- 

 lishments sent me a sample specimen 

 of this smoker with the request to pass 

 my opinion as to its practical useful- 

 ness. After looking it over thoroughly 

 I pronounced it a failure, on the ground, 

 as I imagined, that the space between 

 the outer and inner barrel would clog 

 with creosote and soot, the same as 

 does the joint of the hinged-top smoker. 

 This, of course, would spoil its useful- 

 ness, the free action of the telescoping 

 feature is necessary to make this tool 

 of practical use. Being a little short- 

 sighted, like many others, I did not ex- 

 pect that it would ever be called into 

 service, and placed it in a remote cor- 

 ner on the shelf over my bench. 

 . About two years later, while in the 

 midst of my extracting campaign, it 

 happened that my hinged-top smoker 

 played out. There was no time to send 

 for another, I had to have one that 

 very minute, and the stow-away on the 

 shelf had to fill the bill. At first it did 

 not seem as handy as the old one, but I 

 used it the rest of thatday and the next 

 day, and the longer I used it the better 

 I liked it, and today I would have no 

 other. 



After three seasons, a bee-keeping 

 friend who, I am proud to say, is one 

 of the best authorities on bee-keeping 

 and its appliances, called on me. While 

 strolling through the bee-yard he no- 

 ticed in surprise the perfect condition 

 of my smoker, and at once asked : 

 " How long have you used that smoker?" 

 He was still more surprised when I 

 stated the number of years it had done 

 service. There was no sign of clog- 

 ging or sticking up. and the telescop- 

 ing worked as freely as it did the day 

 the smoker left the shop. 



The reason why this smoker does 

 not clog like the hinged top is easily 

 explained. The only open joint where 

 smoke could escape, besides its regular 

 exit at the nozzle, is at the bottom 

 next to the grate, and the draft of the 

 bellows drives the smoke away from 

 there into the upper part, where no 

 outlet, except the regular nozzle, is 

 available. It is very different with the 

 other. When the smoke is forced 

 into the upper part it finds an easy exit, 

 not only at the nozzle, but all around 

 the loose joint of the cover, and wher- 

 ever smoke passes, its associates, such 

 as creosote, soot, ashes, etc , will be 

 deposited, consequently sticking up the 

 parts. 



Filling and lighting this smoker is 

 another point in its favor ; its manage- 

 ment is handier and more according to 

 Nature. It is filled first and lit at the 

 top, which, when adjusted, places the 

 fire at the proper nlace, the draft-end 

 of the fire-barrel. But the other has to 

 be lit at the bottom first and then filled, 

 which causes frequently trouble by the 

 fire not properly catching, or, if it is 

 filled first and then lit, it places the fire 

 at the wrong end of the fuel to make 

 the draft effective. 



Naturally the question will be asked 

 why this smoker, in spite of its supe- 

 riority, is not more generally used. 

 This, too, is easily explained. First, its 

 superior points have never been made 



public; its existence is known to a 

 very few directly interested persons 

 only. Second, a new tool, that requires 

 different handling from the old ac- 

 customed one, no matter what its ad- 

 vantages may be, is always slowly ac- 

 cepted. Third, all our great inventions 

 have been laughed and sneered at be- 

 fore their benefits to mankind have 

 been understood ; it required repeated 

 demonstrations of tlieir importance 

 before the public recognized their value. 



It was my intention to say a few 

 words in regard to the size of the 

 smoker; but as this article is already 

 quite lengthy, I will leave that for some 

 future time. 



I am in no way interested in the 

 manufacture and sale of this smoker. 

 With the exception of a few minor im- 

 provements I am not the inventor, but 

 I am the first one who disdovered and 

 published its practical usefulness. 



The accompanying drawing shows 

 the Telescope smoker; it is always 

 opened, filled and lit bottom-side up. 



Mr. Greiner's Idea of the Best Smoker. 



The hinged lid at the nozzle is to close 

 it. This stops draft and prevents un- 

 necessary consumption of fuel ; a very 

 desirable feature when used periodi- 

 cally only, and left burning between, as 

 is the case when extracting during a 

 honey-flow. 



The foot under the fire-barrel is also 

 very useful ; it prevents burning the 

 paint of the hive-cover when left where 

 it is to be used next, and the enlarged 

 handle, as shown, is strictly necessary 

 for the practical manipulation of the 

 tool. 



La Salle, N. Y. 



Rendering Beeswax 



BY FRANK F. FRANCE. 



THE PROPER rendering of bees- 

 wax from old combs, cappings, 

 and the like, is of great impor- 

 tance to the up-to-date bee-keeper 

 if he desires to get quality wax 

 and the quality price. By all means 

 render your own wax. It is very dan- 

 gerous to ship old combs to be melted 

 up, in case of infection, unless care is 

 taken to ship in properly sealed boxes. 



