FIFTY YEARS AAIONG THE BEES 229 



BEE-VEIL. 



So I seldom go among the bees without a veil. I 

 may not have it over my face, but it is on the hat, ready 

 to be pulled down at any time. The veil is made of in- 

 expensive material, called by milliners cape-lace or cape- 

 net. It is 21 inches wide. A piece is cut off as long as 

 the circumference of the brim of a straw hat, and both 

 ends sewed together. Shirr a rubber cord in one end of 

 this open bag, thoroughly soak or wash out the starch, 

 and sew the other end on the edge of the hat-brim. It 

 is important for the eye-sight that the stuff of the veil be 

 black, but the black coloring crocks one's clothing. So 

 of late years a border of white cloth is sewed on the veil 

 to receive the rubber cord. 



The rubber cord holds the veil close about one's 

 neck, yet not close enough but what a bee sometimes gets 

 under it. Although a bee is not at all likely to sting 

 when it gets inside a veil, it is just as well to have it re- 

 main outside. So my assistant devised the plan of draw- 

 ing the veil down very tightly in front, and pinning it to 

 her waist with a safety-pin. Seeing it work so well with 

 her, I have also adopted the plan, pinning to my suspen- 

 ders on one side, or to my vest if I have one on. 



Sometimes a face-piece of silk net is sewed in the 

 veil. Instead of having the veil sewed to my hat, so that 

 the bee-hat must be taken along when we go to an out- 

 apiary, I sometimes have in my pocket a veil made with 

 a rubber cord shirred into each end, and when I reach 

 the apiary the veil is slipped on over the hat I am wear- 

 ing- 



The openings at the wrist and neck of my shirt are 

 small, ih? cloth lapping over so as to give a bee little 

 chance f vr entrance. If bees are likely to be on the 

 ground I put my pants inside my stockings, or still better, 

 put on a pair of trouser guards such as bicyclists wear. I 

 get a great many stings on my hands, but the inconveni- 

 ence and discomfort of gloves are so great that for many 



