THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



USE OF THE KOl-NTAIN PUMP. 



la the Juue Review E. E. Hasty spoke rath- 

 er disparagingly of the use of a fountain 

 pump for controlling swarms. Because the 

 bees swarmed and cut up their capers in a 

 shower, he argued that the feeble spray of a 

 fountain pump would not amount to much as 

 a controller. He still further fortified his ar- 

 gument by giving his experience which was 

 against the pump. While swarming bees 

 might go on and carry out the programme if 

 a shower should begin operations just as they 

 bea^n theirs, it is also true, according to my 

 experience, that a swarm can be controlled 

 by the use of a fountain pump and a plenti- 

 ful supply of water. 



The first year that I kept bees, a swarm 

 came out and attempted to leave (as they 

 usually do after being once hived ) . I follow- 

 ed with a looking-glass. The sun was not 

 shinning very brightly, and the best that I 

 could do was to confuse them somewhat. 

 After following them about forty rods, we 

 came to a small brook. I dashed ahead of 

 the bees, and, scooping up the water with the 

 mirror, threw it among the bees. They never 

 crossed the " Rubicon " but hung themselves 

 upon a thorn bush. I cut oflf the branch and 

 bore home the cluster with feelings of tri- 

 umph which were probably equalled only 

 when, as a " trapper - boy " of eleven, I 

 caught my first muskrat. 



When my brother and myself were in part- 

 nership raising com!) honey we did not, for 

 the first two years, clip our queens' wings. 

 If ever the Whitman fountain pump was 

 given a trial, it was during those two seasons. 

 In one season in particular, it seemed as 

 though three-fourths of the swarms hived 

 came out in a day or two and started for the 

 woods. Some of them were re-hived three 

 or four times. No swarm that was seen in 

 time got away from us. In fact, I believe 

 that only one actually succeeded in getting 

 away, although some of them gave us much 

 trouble and got as much as forty rods from 

 the apiary before they clustered. I have even 

 compelled them to pile themselves up on the 

 ground. We had a barrel full of water in the 

 apiary, and two large tin pails. One of us 

 brought water while the other worked the 

 pump. With this arrangement it is almost 

 impossible for a swarm to leave if it is taken 

 in hand in time and not allowed to get be- 

 yond control. After a swarm is high up in 

 the air and going raidly, it is very difficult to 

 stop it. The operator has to run to catch up 



with the bees, and by the time he has given 

 them three or four " squirts " he has got to 

 pick up his pail and run again, and it's "no 

 use. " It was the experience of that season 

 that made a '' clipper " of me. In an apiary 

 where natural swarmiug is allowed, I would 

 use queen traps swarm catchers, or else clip 

 the queens. 



HOW TO COMBINE THE ADVANTAGES OF THE HOT 

 AND COLD BLAST 8MOKEKS. 



The smoker discussion is going ahead of 

 my expectations in regard to the amount of 

 useful information that it is bringing out. At 

 least another number of the Review will be 

 needed to give all of the good things that 

 have been said. 



It is evident that neither the hot nor the 

 cold blast smokers are destitute of points of 

 superiority. The cold blast requires better 

 fuel, but will give a stronger blast; the hot 

 blast will burn poorer fuel and the fire can be 

 started and kept going easier, but the blast 

 is not so strong. 



Mr. J. E. Crane has sent me one of his 

 smokers having his latest valvular arrange- 

 ment. I have had it only about two weeks, 

 but it was a case of "love at first sight." To 

 my mind it is the best arrangement for a 

 smoker that has yet been produced. The 

 cut makes it so 

 clear as to need 

 little explana- 

 tion. Valve No. 

 2 is a block of 

 wood hinged at 

 its upper eud. 

 There is a liole 

 through it as 

 shown by the 

 dotted lines, and 

 the moment the 

 bellows is com- 

 pressed the 

 valve is forced 

 outwards, and 

 the outer eud of 

 the hole in the 

 valve meets an dforms a close connection 

 with the air passage leading to the fire box. 

 The instant the pressure is removed, a spring 

 brings the valve back into the position 

 shown in the cut, thus leaving the air pass- 

 age open for draft. No soot, creosote, or 

 sparks can ever reach the bellows— the latter 



