THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



305 



some distance from its stand, setting- 

 on the stand another hive containing 

 perhaps a frame of brood, so as to 

 catch and retain the returning- iield- 

 bees. In two or three days the fielders 

 will all have left the hive, and the 

 young-er ones will be more ready to 

 listen to reason. When through manip- 

 ulating- them, return the hive to its 

 old stand, allowing- the old bees to join 

 the colony." I would suggest that the 

 new queen be introduced before the 

 colony is returned to the old stand, as 

 it is much easier to introduce a queen 

 to young- than to old bees. 



•mJ'-Wn^fi'M'. 



THE PROGRESS OK APICULTURAL WORK 



■UNDER THP: auspices OF THE U. S. 



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The years of quiet, steady, persis- 

 tent, earnest work of Mr. Frank Ben- 

 ton in urging the Department of Agri- 

 culture to recognize apiculture, are at 

 last bearing- fruit. Heretofore the 

 only experimenting that has been done, 

 has been done with Mr. Benton's own 

 bees, which has often interferred seri- 

 ously with his crops of honey. Now 

 there is to be a central, experiment 

 apiary just across the Potomac on the 

 Virginia shore, and sub-stations in 

 different parts of the country — one at 

 Chico, California having already been 

 decided upon. Two special ag-ents in 

 apiculture, who will assist Mr. Ben- 

 ton, have been appointed, one being- 

 our old friend John M. Rankin, who 

 was once Inspector of Apiaries for 

 this State, and the other a Mr. Leslie 

 Martin of Tennessee. There is also 

 soon to be appointed an apicultural 

 clerk. Aside from the experiments by 

 which we may expect to profit, we may 

 often find it profitable to thus have 

 friends at court. 



«*<'^rf«ar«<H»^ 



• PLANS AND THEIR EXECUTION, 



Many men are excellent at planning. 

 They can plan from morning till night 

 and their plans may be all right, but 



there is a lack of executive ability for 

 carrying- out the plans. Other men 

 have splendid executive abilities— give 

 them a plan and they will carry it out. 

 But tiiey seem incapable of inventing, 

 or planning, or orig-inating- new ideas. 

 A plan or an idea is often of immense 

 value if placed in the right hands. 

 Some large firms employ men who do 

 nothing else than to think, and plan, 

 and scheme, furnish ideas for other 

 men to work out. Most of us do too 

 little thinking and planning. We are 

 so busy working that we have no time 

 for study. If a man would just take 

 ofie day "off" and spend it in studying 

 his business, going over all of its 

 phases carefully, he might find it the 

 most profitable day's time he ever 

 spent. 



*«jf^<»^»rf«*H 



THE USE OF SMOKE IN HANDLING BEES. 



In passing from apiary to apiary, 

 looking for foul brood, I am surprised 

 to see how differently men use, or mis- 

 use smoke, when handling bees. Some 

 men even ask me if I ever "smoke in 

 the entrances?". As a rule, such men 

 will jar the hives in taking off the 

 cover, then pry or pull off the super 

 with a snap. About this time the bees, 

 angry bees, begin pouring out at the 

 entrance, and from the top of the hive, 

 and then the bee-keeper begins to use 

 the smoker; but the bees are mad now, 

 and no amount of smoke will pacify 

 them. The most important place to 

 use smoke, is at the entrance, and it 

 should be used there as the first step 

 in opening a hive. Subdue the bees 

 first, then all of the jarring will only 

 make their subjection the more com- 

 plete. So many times has some man 

 cautioned me about attempting to ex- 

 amine some colonj% saying the bees 

 were perfect tigers, and that I w'ould 

 be stung terribly. I always say: 

 ' 'Give me the smoker. ' ' I give them a 

 good thorough smoking before attempt- 

 ing to open the hive. I then open the 



