1902 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



813 



Mr. F. lives in a very respectable- looking- 

 house, and it wiis partly filled with bee- 

 hives, a two-frame extractor, and many 

 other indications that the owner had his 

 periods of bee management; and, from ap- 

 pearances, that must have been when the 

 bees absolutely needed it. 



When away from Columbia, and with 

 the real-estate men, we felt a little differ- 

 ent influence. The latter had land to sell, 

 and were selling- it for the money there was 

 in the business. 



Our Columbia people also had land to 

 sell; but the promoters were bona-fide set- 

 tlers themselves, and desired more of the 

 American element as settlers, or, in other 

 words, desire to Americanize the Isle of 

 Pines. 



THAT NECESSARY EVIL, THE SMOKER. 



Some Suggestions and Criticisms. 



BY DR. H. N. CROSS. 



Mr. Root: — Since you so kindly consent- 

 ed to publish my article on sting-less bees I 

 am constrained to write you ag-ain, this 

 time in the interest of the bee-keeping- pub- 

 lic, about the most necessary of all bee- 

 keeping- evils, the smoker — necessary be- 

 cause we never know what moment it may 

 be needed to save our complexions from an 

 onslaught, or to prevent danger from hap- 



pening- to the bees themselves: an evil, be- 

 cause, no matter how judiciously used, it 

 always causes annoyance, if not actual dis- 

 tress, to our little pets. 



Now, after j'ears of using- smokers (and 

 all the makes except the lately mentioned 

 clockwork smoker are included) I decided 

 to see if the result of my " repairs " on old 

 makes could not be put together in a new 

 one of my own manufacture. This I suc- 

 ceeded in doing; but before describing it I 

 intend to show the defects of standard 

 makes. 



In the first place, every practical apiarist 

 knows that, without prepared fuel, or spe- 

 cial fuel, any make of smoker will not hold 

 its fire if left standing for any length of 

 time, with the possible exception of Mr. 

 Bingham's "Smoke Engine." All know, 

 also, that the little Clark cold-blast is suit- 

 able for only a few colonies, or for a per- 

 son who has an abundance of time to keep 

 it going. Its blast, too, is weak; and, in 

 the case of a badly worked-up colon}', it 

 would do little good in controlling them or 

 protecting the operator. 



One main fault with the Crane and Cor- 

 nell smokers is that the spring inside the 

 bellows is too strong for nice working; and 

 the spout, being held on with a hinge, oft- 

 entimes does not fall properly on the bar- 

 rel; and if hastily jammed down it will 

 crimp open the barrel, so that it will al- 

 ways leak smoke at that point and never be 



PKCSS'S S.MOK.ERS AND WHEELBARROW, 



