94 ESSEX SOCIETY. 



in other localities all about the farms, a sort of mushroora, 

 varying in size from a human head to a Shanghae's egg, which 

 is variously called Puck, Puffball, Frogcheese, and Fungus, 

 and by naturalists, Fungus maximus, or Pulverulentus, and 

 Bovista lycoperdon. The fumes of this, after it has been 

 dried, are narcotic, aud will so stupefy the bees, that they will 

 tumble down from out of the hive, and remain dormant from 

 one or two hours, during which time they may be handled 

 with entire impunity. 



An old English bee-master, John Thorley, who wrote in 

 1774, after, as he says, '- forty years' experience," thus describes 

 the preparation of the fungus for use : — '• When you have 

 procured one of these pucks, put it into a large paper, pressing 

 it down therein to two thirds or one half its bulk, tying it up 

 very close. Put it into an oven, some time after the household 

 bread is drawn, letting it continue all night. When it will 

 hold fire, it is fit for use." For the purpose of fumigating the 

 bees, and stupefying them, a small sheet-iron box must be 

 procured; in size between a pepper-box and a flour-dredging 

 box, and having a cover to fit on rather tight.* From one end 

 of this there should extend a tube, about eight inches long, 

 and one-half inch bore, bent upwards at its upper end, so as 

 to be inserted into the door of the hive ; and from the other 

 end, another tube about six inches long, and of such size as to 

 fit snugly upon the nose of a common bellows. Having the 

 box and the bellows all ready, cut off a piece of the fungus 

 about as large as a hen's egg, put it into the little box, set it 

 on fire, shut the box, and put the six-inch end upon the nose of 

 your bellows, insert the cur/ed end of the other tube into the 

 door of the hive, shut all other openings, if there be any in 

 the hive, and blow away ! 



Blow, bellows, blow, 



For you must know, 



That all this smoke, 



The bees will choke. — Old Song. 



— almost choke, not quite, for it is only a brief intoxication, 

 which will do no harm. In a few minutes, after a buzz or two, 



• Brown'i Patent Famigaior is excellent for this purpose. 



