THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



177 



induced me to cast about for something bet- 

 ter and cleaner. By wetting it and stuffing 

 the smoker full, almost to the door, and using 

 only enough dry Excelsior to start with, I 

 found it very handy and convenient as a 

 smoker fuel. It would last for hours if the 

 fuel was carefully prepared and the smoker 

 properly loaded. Next to this, for those who 

 have only a few bees, I would suggest cotton 

 rags, twisted up into a hard roll. Of course 

 those who have large number of bees would 

 need a large amount of cotton rags, and would 

 find them expensive, as they would be hard 

 to get. A customer of ours, who was here 

 the other day, says he uses crushed corn cobs 

 and wants nothing better 



As to smokers, I cannot say from experience 

 which is the best, I have used Clark's cold 

 blast smoker mostly, and for a cheap smoker 

 it is good, but not so good as the Abbott. 

 The Clark's cold blast needs overhauling too 

 often, as the air tube becomes stopped up 

 from the accumulation of creosote, especi- 

 ally so in damp weather. 



THE ABBOTT SMOKEB. 



The Abbott smoker overcomes this trouble. 

 As shown in the cut above, the blast tube en- 

 ters below the grate, runs the entire length of 

 the tire-box, and projects about one-eighth 

 of an inch through the tire cap. This, you 

 see, prevents the possibility of creosote in 

 the blast, tube. 



The first smokers made on this plan were 

 made by us for Rev. E. T, Abbott of St. 

 Joseph, Mo., who had us make a lot for him 

 last spring, with several other changes. 

 Hence we call it the Abbott Smoker. When 

 I first saw the model presented I supposed 

 the lower end of the brass tube would become 

 so hot as to burn the wood of the smoker bel- 

 lows. This induced me to experiment, but 

 upon heating the fire-box so hot as to melt 

 the tin coating, causing it to run down the 

 fire-pot, I found the brass tube below the 



tire-box to the bellows cool enough to hold 

 my hand to it without burning. The cold 

 air constantly blown through the tube pre- 

 vents if from becoming unnecessarily hot, 

 and when not in use there is no danger of Its 

 becoming hot enough to injure the bellows a 

 particle. 



There are several hundred of these smok- 

 ers in use. They are past the experimental 

 stage and are pronounced a success, bring- 

 ing words of praise from many and com- 

 plaints from none. For a cheap smoker, I 

 will say that there are none better, if any 

 are its equal. I have no further interest in 

 the above smoker than the desire to see a 

 meritorious and actually good article gener- 

 ally used. What I have said in praise of it 

 comes solely from this desire, and not from 

 solicitation by or interest in any individual 

 concerned in its success from a financial 

 point of view. A^'e do not keep this smoker 

 for sale, and those wishing to know more 

 about it will address their communications 

 to Rev. E. T. Abbott, St. Joseph, Mo., who 

 is the inventor and keeps them in stock for 

 his customers. 



HiGGiNSviLLE, Mo, Juue 28, 1892 



[Unless there is a valve in the blast-tube I 

 hould think smoke and sparks would be 

 sucked back into the bellows. — Ed, 1 



Comments on a Beginner's Day-Book, 

 No. 7. 



E. E. HASTY. 



l^^HE first part of the month of July was 

 (^^ a time of worriment with many 

 swarms. There was an unusual pro- 

 portion of abnormally acting swarms, 

 that went to wrong places, and did wrong ca- 

 pers; but perhaps it is as well not to worry 

 the reader with much of the history. The 

 general result of the experience was, I think, 

 to convince me that returning supernumer- 

 ary swarms in the usual way was not correct 

 practice, and that something else urgently 

 needed to be devised. 



•• July Ist, 1880. Fair, but eomewhat threat- 

 ening ; rain at eve. Thermomter 60° 80° 70° . 

 Run 3 11) 1 oz. Loss by night 9 oz. Found that 

 some of my foumlation sheets were too long, and 

 have bulged badly. Four swarms. 11— 4 gave a 

 prime repeat. I had just been going through 

 tliem and cuttins out drone comb. •' 



The scale hive had swarmed only four days 

 previous to this record, and for the remaining 

 fielders to get over three pounds in one day 

 was quite phenomenal for my location. No- 



