14 



The Smoker. 



Bees have an instinctive dread of smoke, probably due to the fact that their 

 natural home is in the hollow trunk of some forest tree, where the greatest danger that 

 can threaten is fire. Safety lies in flight, and so when fire threatens thp bees gorge 

 themselves with honey and endeavour to reach some legion outside of the danger zone. 

 This we know, that if we drive smoke into a hive the inaiates proceed to lap up the 

 honey in the cells and ignore the bee-keeper when he proceeds to break up their home 

 by removing the frames. 



The smoker of to-day consists essentially of two parts, the bellows and the stove. 

 Figs. 2 and 2a illustrate types on the market. In the first the grate is below the fuel, 

 in the second it is above. The latter works nicely for a while, but soon the grate 

 becomes clogged and the smoker is out of business. The writer, therefore, recommends 

 the one with the grate below the fuel, which is shown in Fig. 2. 



Fig. 2. Smokers. Fig. 2a. 



The stove is fed with any substance that will burn slowly and give off pungent 

 smoke. Cotton or linen rags— never woollen — are very good, so are pieces of old 

 sacking, especially if weather-worn. The writer has found an old tent, so rotten that 

 it tore easily, a very suitable form of fuel. Greasy cotton-waste is excellent, and can 

 usually be had for the asking at any factory or printing plant. Many bee-keepers use 

 the prunings from fruit-trees once they are thoroughly dry, but as they give off a great 

 deal of a tarry substance the writer does not recommend their use. 



The smoker is started by placing a small piece of burning rag on the grate at the 

 Iwttoin, then this is fanned into flame by working the bellows gently. At intervals 

 more is a(lde<l, until the stove is too hot to touch, and then the full loading is done. 

 A g(MKl smoker should keep alive for several hours without attention, when not in 

 actual use, and be ready for business after a few puffs with the bellows. When in 

 steady demand it should always be stood on end, so that a slow draft is passing through 

 the stove all the time ; if not wanted for some time, it should be laid on its side so as 

 to secure very slow combustion. 



Dress. 



The sweet stores of the honey-bee are exceedingly tempting to many forms of 

 animal life ; therefore Nature provides her with a very efficient M'eapon of defence, not 

 offence, in the shajie of a sting, so whoever desires to rob the hive of its toothsome 

 treasures must U' protected against the little javelins. Ordinary clothing is a sufficient 



