1893 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



319 



lows opens the valve F, and throws it tightly 

 against the hole Cleaving no exit for the air 

 to escape through except the smoker-cup. The 

 moment the pressure is released from the bel- 

 lows. F drops down into position, closing the 

 hole and leaving ventilation through C. Thus 

 it is that smoke can not get into the bellows, 



legs. The cup can at any time be released by 

 means of four screws; so also, in a similar man- 

 ner, can the canal covering the special check- 

 valve. 



The new smoker presents also still another 

 feature. The bellows is reversed, the large end 

 being upwaid. But there would be no advan- 

 tage in reversing the bellows were it not for the 

 fact that the nozzle is curved, as shown in Figs. 

 1 and 4. This makes it unnecessary to twist 

 the hand out of the natural and easy position. 

 By always holding the smoker in an upright 

 position, a stream of smoke may be sent at 

 right angles to the plane of the bellows, with- 

 out distur.bing the contents of the fire-cup, and 

 this will avoid throwing sparks. A little prac- 

 tice in manipulating tliis smoker will show 

 that this combination of bellows and curved 

 snout is the thing. We will suppose that the 

 smoker is standing on the ground. The hand 

 grasps it in the natural way. brings the nozzle 

 above the edge of the hive, and a couple of 

 whiffs, without twisting the hand in the least, 

 sends a stream of smoke over the frames. 



This smoker has been submitted, in its less 

 perfect form, to Dr. Miller and others. The 

 doctor was greatly pleased with it, as were also 

 the others. 



TAYLOR'S COMB-LEVELEK DEVICE. 



Some weeks ago we received a letter from B. 

 Taylor, mentioning the fact that he had just 

 invented a device for reducing the depth of 

 cells in partially drawn-out sections. All comb- 

 honey producers have what are called, at the 

 end of the S(^ason. unfinished sections. Some 

 of these contain honey, and others only just 

 the piecos of drawn-out foundation. It has 

 been generally admitted, that a certain number 

 of the'so unfinished sections can be used advan- 

 tageously, in the way of bait, to start the bees 



.-.-. GtNER ALVJEW 



and thus it is that the full power of the bellows 

 is fully conserved; and so strong is the blast, 

 that, no matter how much fuel may be crammed 

 into the cup A. the air has got to go through. 

 In other smokers of this class, there is either 

 no tube between the bellows and fire-cup, or 

 else, if there is one. it has a sort of ventilating 

 hole that soon becomes clogged up in conse- 

 quence of the air passing back through the 

 bellows. In the absence of a connecting tube, 

 the blast is necessarily very much weakened 

 when the smoker-cup is much crammed with 

 fuel, because not all of the air is co?/ipelie(?- to 

 go through the cup. 



Another feature is, that the smoker-cup and 

 nozzle, up to the ring B, in Fig. 1. is lined with 

 asbestos. L, and sheet steel, K. Figs. L* and 3. 

 The object of this is to prevent the bright tin 

 surfaces from becoming too hot, and radiating 

 heat. This does away with the use of project- 

 ing shields, that are In the way. and morn or 

 less unsightly. This asbestos and steel lining 

 also prevent the inside of the cup from becom- 

 ing too thickly coated with creosote; and it is 

 nei'dle.ss to say, that the smoker will last longer 

 thus lined, and that it will be much easier to re- 

 move and to adjust the cone B. The grate, I, Fig. 

 1. is secured in a bead near the bottom of the cup, 

 and instead of having large perforations that 

 let hot coals drop through more or less, the 

 holes are very small — a trifle larger than that 

 which would be made by a darning-needle 

 through a piece of paper. In the old style 

 smokers, the grate-holes must be large to let 

 the weak blast through. 



The Hre-ciip itself is fastened to the bellows 

 by means of very neat and strong folded-tin 



(lamp flue ', 



^OTTOI^^^ 



TAYLOK S COMB-I-EVET.EB. 



into the sections; but it has been found advis- 

 able not to use many such. Although the bees 

 will fill and cap them over, the finished product 

 is greatly inferioi' to those combs made direct 

 from sheets of comb foundation. The problem 



