AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



193 



two dogs, and when they would take the 

 trail of a coon, they would run it to the 

 tree, when one would stop and bark, and 

 the other would take a circle around a 

 little further than the coon could jump 

 from the tree, and if he had jumped off 

 the tree, the dog would take the scent, 

 and away they would go. This was in- 

 variably the rule. The last one I caught 

 with them jumped five times, but he 

 could not escape their vigilance. Now, 

 was it not reason that taught them how 

 far to go to make sure of their game ? 

 If the coon did not jump, or if the dog 

 failed to take the trail in his circle, he 

 would join the other dog at tlie tree, 

 and they would make the woods ring 

 with their music. This, to my mind, is 

 more reason than some men evince. 

 PortNorris, N. J., Dec. 11, 1891. 



Trapiiii Mih in tlie Apiary. 



JOHN BERKEY. 



I notice by the item written by Mr. J. 

 H. Andre, on page 24, that he has had 

 the same experience with skunks as I 

 had in my apiary. I think that I was 

 the first one to make inquiry about this 

 pest in the bee-yard. My bees were 

 being molested as indicated by the gen- 

 eral appearance of things around the 

 hives in the morning ; the entrance 

 blocks were out of place, some lying on 

 the grass along the side of the hives, 

 and others a few feet away from the 

 hives. By the variety of answers re- 

 ceived through the Bee Journal, I soon 

 found out what the robber was— that it 

 was the skunk. 



My apiary is ten miles from here, 

 consequently after the swarming season 

 is over I do not get to see mybeesoftener 

 than once a week, and sometimes during 

 the Winter but once a month after they 

 are prepared for the Winter, filled in 

 with dry leaves and mice guards at the 

 entrances. 



To trap these robbers, there is no need 

 of any bait on the trap. One can see 

 by the outward appearance of the hive 

 where they work the most, and to those 

 hives they will come regularly every 

 night as long as there are any bees 

 there. 



Now drive a stake in the ground a few 

 feet away from the entrance of the hive, 

 according to the room that there is from 

 the hive ; set 4 or 5 ordinary steel traps 

 immediately in front of this hive, and 

 fasten them to the stake driven in the 

 ground. Give just length enough to the 



chains of the traps so that when the 

 skunk is in the trap it can reach no hive. 

 The skunk is sure to get into one of 

 these traps with one or both hind legs, 

 and in the effort to get away it will be 

 likely to get into another trap. I caught 

 one last October, one trap having the 

 skunk by the hind leg, and the other 

 trap by the front leg. The object of 

 more than one trap is that when the 

 skunk works on the bees it stands on its 

 hind legs, with its front feet and mouth 

 at the entrance of the hive. In this 

 way it is as certain to get into the trap 

 as there are bees in the hive. 



When the skunk is caught it is not 

 likely to make itself known by the per- 

 fume which it possesses, as long as it is 

 not distui'bed. In the morning do not 

 let the skunk see you, but have a loaded 

 shot-gun ready ; crawl behind the bee- 

 hives unobserved by the bee eater, get 

 within 15 or 20 feet of the skunk, send 

 the whole load of shot through its head, 

 and let it lie until dead before you touch 

 it, when you will hardly know that there 

 was a skunk about the apiary. The one 

 I caught in the month of October left no 

 smell at all. There was one caught the 

 same night, about half a mile further 

 down the creek, in a chicken coop. Its 

 perfumes reached almost to Easton. 

 How they managed that one, I was un- 

 able to learn, but I suppose a dog 

 attacked the skunk while it was in the 

 trap. 



Easton, Pa., Jan. 13, 1892. 



Founiation ys. Empty Coml] for Sections. 



F. H. CYRENIUS. 



The above comparative value was one 

 of the questions discussed at the late 

 Albany convention, and the answer 

 given was that foundation was prefera- 

 ble except for a bait. 



Now I feel like protesting somewhat. 

 If empty comb is superior for a "bait," 

 why is it not superior to use in a larger 

 quantity ? Why are not a few full boxes, 

 or a whole super, preferable to founda- 

 tion, if it is preferable for bait ? My 

 experience is, that empty comb which is 

 clean and white is far superior to foun- 

 dation. 



If you v/ish to test the merits of comb 

 and foundation, place on a hive a case 

 of sections with foundation, and above 

 this a case of sections containing comb ; 

 now arrange on aiiother hive a case of 

 sections with comb, and above this a 



