74 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



smokers in use, there is no trouble in 

 handling the most vicious colony of bees 

 in the apiary. Those who attempt to 

 open a hive of bees and remove the 

 combs without a proper smoker will, in 

 most cases, have reason to regret it as 

 more or less stings will be the result. 



Fuel for smokers. 



Various kinds of fuel are recom- 

 mended to burn in the smoker. Most 

 any dry, rotten wood will burn and 

 make a good smoke ; but rotten elm 

 wood is the best material I have used 

 in the bellows smoker. It is prepared 

 in this way : when in a hurry and you 

 cannot wait for it to dry in the sun, put a 

 quantity of the "spunk" in a baking-pan 

 and dry it in the stove oven when there 

 is not too much fire in the stove. The 

 wood easily ignites when dry and none 

 should come in contact with the stove 

 oven, as it is not an easy matter to pre- 

 serve the wood if it gets on fire. 



One word of caution. Never take 

 the smoker into a building unless 

 obliged to do so. Should a coal get 

 out the pipe and not noticed, the build- 

 ing would be likely to go up in smoke. 

 The smoker is a very dangerous thing 

 to have about anything of a combustible 

 nature. 



The honey-extraetor. 



Those in a good location for honey, 

 that is, tiiose who keep bees where 

 there is plenty of forage throughout the 

 summer, or in localities where basswood 

 and clover abound in an unlimited 

 quantity should use a honey extractor. 

 Sometimes it will be found necessary to 

 remove the bees to the bee-room in or- 

 der to use the extractor. When bees 

 are gathering honey it is perfectly safe 

 to use the machine in the open field. 

 Bees are pretty apt to commence rob- 

 bing just about the time the flow of 

 nectar begins to grow scarce. Therefore 

 if you are a little cautious at this time it 

 will save much trouble. When bees once 

 get well under way in robbing, it is a 

 difhcult thing to stop it. 



Brusli for removing bees from the combs. 



It is often necessary to remove bees 

 from combs and to do this some sort of 

 a brush or broom must be used. Of the 

 many things recommended for brushing 

 bees from the combs there is nothing 

 I have used so effectual as a small corn- 

 broom, similar in shape to such a broom 

 as is used for brushing clothes ; but one 

 that is used for that purpose is rather 

 too heavy for brushing bees from combs. 

 When a proper broom cannot be had, 

 I cut off near the binding abont half of 

 the straws. This will slip over the bees 

 without killing any, but will be found 

 effectual in removing all the bees after 

 awhile. 



During the summer when the grass is 

 five or more inches long, it will be found 

 first-rate for brushing bees from combs; 

 but for work in the bee-room the broom 

 is the best and more convenient. 



\_To he continued.] 



The Svrarm-Hiver. 



We knew that a Swnrmer was a tliinj? that a 

 la>ge iiiajonty of beekee|it'is waiiteii ; but we liad 

 no idea that t^o many woiiM ordLT so soun after 

 we adverii-ed them. 



Tlie t'aci that the Sionrmer catches drones, as 

 does also the drone trn|i. and hives the swarms, 

 is the leulure that will make the Sioarmer i)0|)ii- 

 lar with iiSarly all beckeeiiers. Wny, where tlie 

 Swaimer is used, the bees can be hived in a 

 standard hive, in a box. or in anything to wliich 

 the Swarmer is connei'ted. 



We have liuiidieds of customers who keep bees 

 and are awav fioui home nearly all day. certainly 

 that |iart of the dav when bees are likely to 

 sw.irm. Well, the Swarmer is just the thing snch 

 beekeepers iieeil. Mow pleasant it will be lo the 

 beekeepi'r on arriving home at night to find 

 that the bees have swarmed and liived them- 

 selves. 



ilow nice it will be for our readers who preach 

 on Sunclay.s t'> go to church and give their whole 

 atteiuiiiu to the congregation and not tliink even 

 once about the bees .•« warming. 



The Swiirinur saves anxiety, liees, time, honey 

 and money. Bear in minil that we mail the 

 Sioarmer to any part of tlie United States or Can- 

 ada for the small sum of $1. After yon see the 

 sample anil limi you neeil more, they can be had 

 by ex[>ress at tlie low price of $3.;,0 per doz. 



Missing copies of the A pi. 



If our subscribers who do not get the Apicul- 

 TUIUST before the tenth day of each month will 

 notify us promptly, they will do us a favor, and 

 save us considerable trouble. 



We usually mail the API the first day of each 

 month or a few days before. 



