100 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



even more dignified subjects, there 

 is science and reason in handling 

 the smoker. Different bees have 

 different tempers ; the same bees 

 have different tempers at different 

 times. Moreover, there are differ- 

 ent objects in view at different 

 times while using a smoker. I 

 have seen hybrid Syrians and hy- 

 brid Cyprians at times when smok- 

 ing only goaded them to greater 

 desperation, like the use of little 

 arrows on a mad bull. No matter 

 how much one smoked them they 

 would spring fiercely in air at 

 every puff and settle in little clouds 

 over both smoker and operator. 

 I have handled such colonies again 

 under the same conditions and of- 

 ten at nearly the same time with- 

 out the smoker, patiently receiving- 

 such stings as must come, and re- 

 ceived far less annoyance than had 

 the smoker been used. Blacks 

 under the same smoking would 

 have stampeded like sheep, after a 

 puff or two, and each additional 

 smoking would have driven them 

 more and more on the outside of 

 the hive. If you are intending to 

 examine the condition of a hive, find 

 the queen, etc., you cannot go too 

 quietly about it. It is well to open 

 the hive without smoke, receiving a 

 few stings even, and see if the bees 

 are then likely to subside. Should 

 they crowd up in force, a few very 

 faint puffs causing the smoke to 

 just breathe by them will usually 

 cause them to back off in an un- 

 concerned way and retreat between 

 the frames without exhibiting 

 alarm. A degree worse of irrita- 

 bility, if shown, may generally be 

 quelled with vigorous puffs that 

 send the stream of smoke horizon- 

 tally clear across the frames with- 

 out any of it going between theui 

 into the hive. 



Then handle your bees carefully 

 and use smoke gently wherever 

 they again come to the attack. If 

 you are extracting hone}^ where 



you want to do hurried work and 

 dislodge the bees rapidly from the 

 combs, or making artificial swarms, 

 or doing aught else where you 

 want them to fill themselves with 

 honey, then it is well to use smoke 

 abundantly, and as soon as the 

 cover is removed from the hive. 

 A copious application of smoke ren- 

 ders the bees less tenacious to the 

 combs ; and a smart jar then dis- 

 lodges them sothoroughl}^ that but 

 few are left to be brushed away. 



In extracting, it is better to jar 

 the bees into the super with comb 

 scarcely elevated from it. To sum 

 up, then, use smoke as much as is 

 needed, and no moi*e. 



Study your bees, and learn to 

 know just as quickly as the hive is 

 opened how they are likely to act. 

 And then you will be able to use 

 none, little or much, in that most 

 essential way, appropriately. 



Gonzales^ CaL, Mar. 24. 



For the American ApicTiUurist. 



SUCCESS IN BEE CULTURE. 



By G. W. Demaeee. 



Every few 3'ears the whole bee 

 camp is stirred b}^ the cry of the 

 '' coming hive" and the " coming 

 bee," and beginners are led to be- 

 lieve that " success in bee culture" 

 depends on some peculiarity about 

 the bee-hive, or some peculiar 

 " dash" about the bees. I could 

 not tell how often I have seen this 

 delusion practically illustrated in 

 my own apiary. Persons visiting 

 my own apiaiy to "■ learn some- 

 thing " about the modern methods 

 of bee culture, are unable to see any- 

 thing but my "new section cases," 

 my '^^ slotted top-bar" frames, etc. 

 The fact is the new convenieyices 

 used in the apiary captivate them 

 to such extent that the essential 

 cause of success, viz., proper man- 

 agement^ is entirely lost sight of. 



