172 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mar. 1. 



all up with creosote ? and why do you prefer 

 them to other fuel, or why do you use them 

 at all ? 



C. — My helper prefers them to any thing 

 •else, because, when once well filled with them, 

 the smoker will go longer than with any other 

 kind of fuel. We prefer them because the 

 fumes of the burning propolis seem to subdue 

 bees better than any other substance with 

 which I am acquainted. I take it to be the 

 volatile oil produced by the heating and burn- 

 ing of the propolis, as may readily be perceiv- 

 ed by placing a quantity of propolis in water 

 and setting it on the stove. Perhaps the deli- 

 cate aroma of the burning propolis has some- 

 thing to do with the subduing of bees. 



THE MORTON SWARMING-POLE. 



How to Take Swarms out of Trees, Without Climb- 

 ing; Full Directions for Making the Machine. 



BY E. R. ROOT. 



It was a dismal dreary day, when I last stop- 

 ped at the home of the late Miles Morton ; 

 and the rain was pattering down in that quiet 

 way that meant it had come for all day. We 

 could not drive around to see bee-keepers as 

 we had planned, so we busied ourselves in the 

 shop, looking at the various ingenious con- 

 trivances of Mr. Morton's. 



"See here," said Niver; " here is something 

 you ought to list in your catalog — one of the 

 handiest things we ever had. The neighbors 



FIG. 1. — THE MORTON EXTENSION SWARMING- 

 POLE. 



borrowed it ; in fact, it was in demand nearly 

 all the time. The one for the home apiary 

 was so handy that we had to have extra ones 

 for the out-vard." 



So saying he hauled out along double-joint- 

 ed affair with a wire-cloth basket on the end. 

 It was so long that he had to take it clear out- 

 doors in the rain. 



" Now," said he, " you stay inside and keep 

 dry, and I will illustrate the modus operandi." 



FIG. 2. — SWARMING-BASKET TO THE MORTON 

 SWARMING-POLE. 



"Hold on! wait a minute," I said; "let 

 me fix up my kodak." 



"Oh! but you can not photograph me in 

 the rain." 



"Yes, I can. There, you hold still while I 

 take a ' time exposure.' One, two, three, four, 

 five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten — there, I ha\e 

 you. Now, then, go ahead and operate." 



He stood the pole up in front of him on the 

 ground. This brought the basket some 12 

 feet above terra firma. He then pulled on a 

 little rope until the thing extended up into 

 the air some 12 feet more. 



"There," said he, "how is that for high? " 



" Wait a minute till I catch you again;" 

 and as the rain pattered down in what seemed 

 like a never ending patter I counted off anoth- 

 er " time exposure." 



" How high is that basket now? " I yelled 

 out. 



" About 23 or 24 feet. But see here," said 

 he; "I can run it up to 30;" and with this he 

 lifted the pole up so that the bottom was above 

 his head. " It is not often that a swarm clus- 

 ters higher than 30 feet, " said he. " They 

 seem more inclined to select the lower limbs." 



" But suppose the swarm does cluster high- 

 er." 



"Oh! then I suppose we should have to 

 shin up the tree. But I should not have to 

 climb nearly as far with it. I would lean the 

 pole up against the tree, so when I had climb- 

 ed high enough I could pull the pole up after 

 me; then when I had got hold of the bottom 

 I would pull out the extension, run the basket 

 under the bees, bump them in, pull in the ex- 

 tension, then hand pole, bees and all, to an 

 attendant." 



" But suppose you do not have an attend- 

 ant," I said. 



