ONE YEAR AMONG THE BEES. 



REVERSING THE COMB. 



131 



This illustration simply shows how you may turn the comb over 

 without releasing your hold, for the purpose of examining the reverse 

 side. Please notice the smoker in this figure ; it is in proper position 

 to hold fire. Fuel for smokers may consist of cotton rags. Old, thin, 

 worn calico or muslin is good, but dry, rotten, spongy wood is still 

 better. The fire-box of the smoker should be full of fuel before light- 

 ing it, and if the fire is well started, and the smoker set down in posi- 

 tion as seen in the cut, it will hold fire several hours and be ready at 

 any minute to furnish smoke. The smoker here illustrated is known 

 as the " Clark's Cold Blast." It is one of the cheapest, costing only 

 about half as much as many others, and I consider it one of the best. 



FIG. 24. Reversing the comb. 



CLOSE OF THE HONEY SEASON. 



There will be found some important work to do immediately after 

 the close of the principal honey season. The first thing on the pro- 

 gram with bees, after the honey harvest, is to pry around to see if they 

 can find a colony to rob. Just at this time they are not likely to. 

 be disappointed, for frequently there is such. Colonies that are in 

 danger are those that have no queens, or very weak colonies ; perhaps 

 some of these nuclei in which we have been raising queens. Every- 

 thing along this line must now be looked up, for we do not want them 



