ONE YEAR AMONG THE BEES. 



107 



FIG. 8. Bee veil and smoker. 



smoke properly applied. Bees, when smoked, will become excited, 

 and they seem to conclude that they are going to be robbed, and they 

 readily give up and make a rush to the combs for as much honey as 

 they can contain, and thus fill themselves full, and when in this con- 

 dition they cannot, or at least do not, attempt to sting. Any one can 

 master bees by simply learning how to use the smoker on them. The 

 smoker should not be brought into use every lime you are handling 

 bees, for almost throughout the entire honey season they may be han- 

 dled as well, or even better, without it. As for myself, I scarcely use 

 it at all during this period. 



THE HONEY SEASON. 



All bee-keepers, as a rule, know just about the time the principal 

 honey flow of the season begins in their locality. While the time may 

 vary a little in different localities, yet it is a noticeable fact that the 

 bulk of the surplus honey crop of the United States is obtained dur- 



