106 ONE YEAR AMONG THE BEES. 



done with safety thus in the evening, as the syrup is all stored away at 

 night, and all is quiet in the morning. 



The hives which are in general use, and which are herv j illustrated, 

 have a capacity of about 2000 cubic inches. It is not presumable 

 that the brood chamber alone of this dimension is large enough to 

 contain extremely strong colonies at the beginning of the honey flow, 

 or up to the time we would add surplus boxes. It would be a fatal 

 mistake to try thus to confine such stocks of bees in a single story 

 alone, and the result would be a severe case of swarming. The 

 proper method to pursue would be to add another story the same in 

 all respects as that of the brood chamber, with a set of frames of 

 comb, or foundation comb, and use both stories for brood and honey 

 combined, and at the beginning of the honey harvest put all brood 

 frames below and add two tiers of section boxes to take the place of 

 the upper story removed, if comb honey is the object ; if to be run for 

 extracted honey, retain the upper story, but put all brood frames be- 

 low and bring up from below all frames of honey. No harm what- 

 ever comes of having some brood in the combs above, for the extractor 

 will remove the honey without injuring the brood, if the extractor is 

 properly handled. 



It should be borne in mind at all times that strong colonies are the 

 means which bring about large honey crops, and the ordinary method 

 with the small bee-keeper, of letting his bees do as they please, and as 

 they can, without his help, will not bring the immense profits ob- 

 tained in many instances by those who get a proper understanding of 

 their management and apply the same. I do not pretend to say that 

 bees will not be of some value and give good returns frequently on 

 the let-alone plan ; but if a thing is worth doing at all, it is worth 

 doing right, and this rule is not a failure in the management of bees 

 by any means. 



THE BEE VEIL AND SMOKER. 



The apiarist equipped with bee veil and smoker considers him- 

 self master of the situation. The bee veil is but little used at present 

 by the practical worker in the apiary ; it has to a great extent been 

 laid aside with the rubber gloves, which have also been used largely. 

 But every one who keeps bees should have a bee veil in case of neces- 

 sity, and not this alone, but he should always have a veil to accommo- 

 date visitors, and in every case of this kind bring it into use. A veil 

 made of any veiling stuff will do. and one for rough and ready use 

 may be made from common mosquito netting. A rubber band should 

 be in the top to hold it firmly around the hat crown. 



The principal defense lies in the smoker, being the apiarist's clos- 

 est and best friend. No colony of bees will put up a fight against 



