176 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



we can drive this box on the board from the 

 line. Many trials were made. With a Bing- 

 ham fire barrel and cut off wed to a Crane 

 bellows, I could drive the box just seven 

 inches from the line, while my servant Dan- 

 iel could, with the same instrument, drive 

 the box 7'2 inches. Then taking a Crane 

 smoker, I could drive the box 14 inches, 

 while Daniel could drive it W., inches. 

 Many experiments or tests were made with 

 substantially the same results. In these 

 last trials theiire barrels were empty. I was 

 surprised that it did not turn out exactly the 

 opposite after reading Mr. Corueil's report. 

 Queer, isn't it ? And science is sometimes 

 queer, too. Chemists tell us that a diamond 

 is nothing but carbon, and yet who would 

 not rather have one hand full of diamonds 

 than both hands full of lampblack ? 



Now the blast of either of the above 

 smokers with which I experimented is ample 

 for all the needs of the apiarist. If one or 

 the other was not sufficient, how easy to in- 

 crease it by increasing the size of the bellows 

 a little. There is no patent on the size of a 

 bellows one may use. 



Just a few words in regard to that "golden 

 mean " blast tube. For years, if I mistake 

 not, Mr. Bingham has advised the use of 

 hard wood, split fine, for smoker fuel, that 

 the blast of his smokers would be strong. 

 Now we are told that a medium size blast 

 tube is used that the blast will not be too 

 strong and blow fire and sparks out of the 

 nozzle, as though the average bee-keeper did 

 not know enough to add more fuel or work 

 the bellows slower. My experience is that a 

 large blast tube or bellows if worked freely 

 will draw fire and sparks out of the other 

 end of the smoker from the nozzle in a very 

 uncomfortable way. 



After experimenting the other day with a 

 Bingham and Crane smoker with my assist- 

 ant, we looked over a yard of bees. I left 

 him to select a smoker for use. I noticed he 

 used a Crane smoker. I said to him later, 

 " Why did you not take the Bingham smo- 

 ker ?" "I have had all the clothes burned 

 with a Bingham smoker years ago that I 

 care for," was his prompt reply. Queer ! 

 that Mr. B.'s trouble comes from one end of 

 the cut off blast smoker and mine from the 

 other, isn't it, when the blast is very strong. 



These experiments correspond exactly 

 with my experience extending over many 

 years with the Bingham cut off blast and 

 many cut off blast smokers made by myself 



of different patterns. If I had had a new 

 Bingham smoker throughout, it might have 

 made some difference, although I do not see 

 how. I hope Mr. Root or some one who has 

 the conveniences, will try the experiment of 

 how far you can blow a small box upon a 

 smooth table with dfferent smokers and 

 note the results. It is real fun. If I were a 

 sporting man I would bet all the tobacco 

 pipes I ever owned against Mr. Bingham's 

 Thomas cat, that the enclosed blast is the 

 stronger. But I won't bet. " It is against 

 my principles." 



After all is said, what is all this ado for ? 

 The Bingham smoker with a bellows one- 

 half the size of the one I have been using, 

 will do good work when new and clean. 

 Who says it will not ? Not I. The diflticulty 

 is not here. But after it has been used awhile 

 the blast tube becomes clogged with creosote 

 and the blast greatly weakened. Note what 

 I said in an article written at your request 

 last summer for the Review. Now if a 

 " scientific test " of the blast of a Bingham 

 and Crane smoker as they come from the 

 manufacturers could be made, and other 

 tests after each had been in use for three or 

 six months, it might be of some real service 

 to the bee-keeping public. The true test of 

 a soldier is on the battle field rather than on 

 dress parade. But when one takes a Crane 

 smoker poorly constructed and the inven- 

 tion not even perfected, and pits it against 

 one fully perfected with a bellows two or 

 three times its normal size, to test, without 

 so much as saying to the inventor of the new 

 smoker, " by your leave, sir," it looks at 

 this distance as though it was a deliberate 

 attempt on the part of some one to strangle 

 the Crane smoker as soon as born. It still 

 lives, however, and since Mr. Root has 

 adopted " the infant " its breath is stronger 

 than ever, and if Mr. Bingham or any one 

 else is anxious to test the actual merits of 

 the two smokers as above so that bee-keep- 

 ers may know just which is best, I have no 

 doubt they can arrange with Mr. A, I. Root 

 for such a trial. 



And now in closing, Mr. Editor, I will say 

 if these scientific tests and smoker discus- 

 sions shall serve to improve the various 

 brands of smokers manufactured in this 

 country, they will not, after all, be useless. 



P. S. Mrs. C. says she does not like what 

 I have written about betting on tobacco 

 pipes ; that I havn't got any pipes and never 

 had, and she doesn't want anybody to think 



