THE BEE. * 289 



Eec Dress. — In hiving a swarm it is as well to be protected with a 

 proper bee dress. Prevention is better than cure, and it is better to be 

 sure than sorry ; yet bees are certainly less apt to sting at this time 

 tlian any other. 



Some persons are particnlarly unhappy in possessing those qualities 

 which render them disagreeable to bees. The main objections are, ex- 

 cessive timidity, and likewise, with some, an unpleasant odor, in some 

 instances the result of personal negligence, but frequently of peculiarity 

 of constitution. The i-emedies are a bee-dress for the former, and the 

 use of some strong perfume which the bees like, and which will effectu- 

 ally conceal whatever is offensive to them. 



" I have gone among them," says Mr. AYorlidge, " in their greatest 

 anger and madness, only with a handful of sweet herbs in my hand, 

 fanning about my face, as it were to obscure and defend it. Also, if a 

 bee do by accident buzz about you, being unprovided, thrust your face 

 amongst a parcel of boughs or herbs, and he will desert you. Bnt the 

 most secure way of all, and beyond the completest harness yet published, 

 is to have a net knit with so small meshes that a bee cannot pass 

 through, and of fine thread or silk, large enough to go over your hat, 

 and to lie down to the collar of your dress, through which you may 

 perfectly see what you do without danger, having also on a pair of 

 woolen gloves." 



Mr. E. W. Phelps describes the following form of a bee-dress, which 

 may be procured at an expense not exceeding twenty five cents : "Take 

 one and a half yards of thin, light, three-quarter muslin, and a piece of 

 wire-cloth (such-as is used for meal sieves) about six inches square; it 

 may be obtained of wire-weavers in most of our large towns and cities, 

 or of hardware dealers. Lay the muslin over the head, with the ends 

 down over the shoulders, with one end of the selvedge in front and the 

 other back. The back part may be cut and fitted to the head, and a 

 cord run in to gather it around the neck, and the wire-cloth sewed in 

 over the f\ice, first rounding the corners in shape of the face. It should 

 extend down below the mouth, to afford free respiration, and the mus- 

 lin sewed together below the wire-cloth, sufficient to extend below the 

 vest. It may be worn under a coat, but it is not the best way, as it is 

 usually warm weather when it is worn, and with the head-dress and a 

 coat over it, a person will be very uncomfortable on account of the heat; 

 besides, the bees will crawl up under one's coat and vest, and wlien in 

 close quarters will often prick through the shirt, and tickle a person 

 under the ribs. To prevent this and the other difficulty, I have pre- 

 pared myself with a garment made of the same kind of material as the 

 head-dress, and in the form of a hunting-shirt, open before, with but- 

 tons close together, to button up tight. I first put on my liead-dress, 

 and then over this my hunting-shirt, buttoned under my pants ; and 

 with a pair of thick woolen gloves, with stocking legs sewed to the 

 wrists, to draw up over my sleeves, and my pants tied over my boots, I 

 can defy all the forces they choose to bring against me. 



Clustering Shrubs and Bushes, placed in the vicinity of the apiary, are 

 recommended by experienced bee-keepers, as tending to diminish the 

 difficulties of hiving bees. Mr. Phelps directs to "take the seed-ends of 

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