172 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



and pulp I had offered them, and four days la- 

 ter, when I removed the bunches, not a sm- 

 o-le' berry had they opened, but were busily 

 fnspecting those that remained, doubtless 

 waiting for some stronger power to lead in 

 the business. 



The bald hornet, both black and yellow, 

 are experts in cutting into peaches, pears, 

 grapes, &c. In handling fruits, I have seen 

 them cut through the rind of ripe and ten- 

 •der peaches with great facility, thus leadmg 

 the way for the more feeble insects to fol- 

 low and take up their contents, and therein 

 lies the great mistake with the hundreds of 

 complainents. Birds and hornets are few 

 indeed when compared with bees, and 

 whilst they glide along opening up and in- 

 viting to the feast, are rarely noticed. The 

 honest bees, tarries to appropriate for the 

 supply of his home, and is seen by the 

 million and condemned as thieves and bur- 

 glars. 



The most persistent and clamorous ot 

 our citizens, who had threatened bee-men 

 with the law and our bees with strychnine 

 were the first to come forward and thank 

 me for what I had placed before their eyes, 

 as the true solution to the whole question ; 

 for all who took the trouble, accomplished 

 exactly the same results by the same means 

 that I had used, and no further complaints 

 have reached my ears to this day. 



Would it not be much more commend- 

 able for horticulturists as well as scientists 

 to keep their eyes open to facts as they ex- 

 ist, tlian to make and publish to the world 

 ' their sweeping declarations, founded in er- 

 • ror and so prolific in mischief, wherever 

 ■' they take root. 



■■■ To Prof's. Dadaut, Cook and Krusehke: 

 ••■ let us cordially thauk you for the light you 

 li have shed upon this important controversy 

 ' and in the mean time keep your powder 

 '•• dry. 

 : . Athens, Ohio. J. W. Bayakd. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Handling a Delicate Subject. 



In writing to our friend. Prof. Cook, we 

 did not intend lo convey the idea that Dr. 

 Hamlin never used smoke in handling his 

 bees, as the Professor has it stated in. his 

 July article to beginners ; but we meant to 

 say that he objected very strongly to its 

 general use and only resorted to it when 

 absolutely obliged lo do so. He was of 

 the opinion that smoke of any sort, though 

 it (luieted the bees for a time, left them in a 

 . very irritable condition from which they 

 would not recover for some time. lie im- 

 agined that from handling his bees for a 

 long tune with the use of but little smoke, 

 he had developed in tliem an extraordinary 

 peaceful disposition. Then, too, he thought 

 •the smoke stopped the labor of every bee in 



the hive and left them filled with honey, 

 idle, and sluggish for some time after its 

 use. On opening hives in the spring with- 

 out using smoke, with the greatest possible 

 care and when the bees were gathering 

 honey, we frequently found that the result 

 would be a hasty retreat and an arming 

 with a good smudge. Simply the odor of 

 the person while standing on the leeward 

 side of the hive often aroused them. Surely 

 the labor of the whole hive was interrup- 

 ted. By using, as has always'been our cus- 

 tom, just a trifle of smoke on first opening 

 the hive and then placing it near at hand so 

 the fumes would scent the air about the 

 hive, those same cross bees are quite easily 

 handled, while the danger of arousing the 

 peaceable ones is wholly avoided. The 

 smoke seems to neutralize the scent of the 

 poison floating in the air as the hive is 

 opened. When properly used we have 

 never seen any ill-eflect arising from the 

 application of a small amount of smoke. 

 Some stocks will require more than others 

 on the start to subdue them, and occasion- 

 ally one will scarcely ever need it, yet it is in- 

 dispensible at times. The greater rapidity 

 in the handling of stocks with smoke, is a 

 strong point in favor of its use, even if it 

 does not leave the bees with as peaceable a 

 disposition. We think bees once irritated 

 will remember the occurrence longer than 

 they would a thorough smoking, and tlnrt, 

 by the timely use of a little smoke, it is much 

 better to prevent their getting once 

 aroused than to attempt the handling of 

 them ^yithout the smoke when there is 

 danger of their becoming angered. In 

 proof that the smoke does not induce an 

 uo'ly disposition I would state that those 

 same colonies that were cross in the spring 

 on the first opening of the hives at a time 

 when they were gathering honey rapidly, 

 can now be handled on w^arm days with 

 little or no smoke and but little danger ; 

 yet they are not gathering a drop of honey, 

 but are persistently endeavoring to take the 

 little sweetness accumulated by some of 

 their less fortunate neighbors. When the 

 smoke is used in the manner describedthey 

 always observe a proper decorum realizing 

 that their master is at hand. 



We class ourselves as "a beginner," 

 (Northern winters have necessitated our 

 beginning several times,) so Prof. Cook's 

 articles apply to us ; and, though we spent 

 some time studying bee-culture under the 

 Professor's direction and are willing m 

 most matters pertaining to the subjectto 

 follow his excellent advice, yet in the third 

 paragraph of his .hily article he has some 

 advice which for the present at least, we 

 shall have to put along with the advice on 

 queen clipping,— as a total loss upon us. 

 He says to "all who are in the bonds ot 

 single .bitterness, immediately procure a 



