THE BEEKEEPERS' UK VIEW. 



177 



that I ever smoke, and so I will take it all 

 back. 



MiDDLEBUBY, Vt. May 2t), 1893. 



[I am sorry that wheu speaking of the size 

 of the Bingham bellows, Mr. Crane should 

 refer to it as " two or three times the size of 

 his ordinary bellows." It is evident that 

 Mr. Crane has not seen a modern Bingham, 

 or even one of a moderately late date. I 

 have a Conqueror bellows ten years old, 

 and it is seven inches loug, five wide, and 

 three inches across the wide end when the 

 bellows is distended. I have a new Doctor 

 and the bellows is the same size, except that 

 it is half an inch longer. It is true that the 

 bellows to the smoker used in this trial was 

 a little larger than Mr. Bingham uses upon 

 the regular size. It is six inches wide, 8I4 

 long and 8)2 across the wide end when the 

 bellows is open. It was given these dimen- 

 tions that it might be of the same size as the 

 one on the Crane. 



That the blast from an enclosed current is 

 stronger when there is the obstruction of 

 fuel to overcome, is shown by the experi- 

 ments of Mr. Cornell. In both the Bing- 

 ham and the Cornell, a stronger blast is 

 secured with enclosed currents when the 

 smokers are loaded, while the reverse is true 

 when they are empty. This is as I should 

 expect to find it. In the tests that Mr. Cor- 

 nell made it is evident that the Crane was 

 not " in it," in any of the phases. It can be 

 attributed to only two things, either to the 

 imperfection of the implement itself, or to 

 the friction of the air in making two turns. 

 What is needed is a correct decision in re- 

 gard to principles. If we work upon the 

 right principle, the minor imperfections will 

 eventually be overcome. 



I have a new Bingham of the Doctor size. 

 I also have a new Crane as now sent out by 

 Mr. Root. The barrels are very nearly of 

 the same size. They are the same on the 

 outside, but the asbestos lining in the Crane 

 takes up a little room. The Bingham nozzle 

 is a trifle taller, but it is more tapering. 

 Each bellows is the same length, but the 

 Crane is half an inch wider. I made a little 

 paper " snuff box," as we children used to 

 call them, and laid it on the smooth surface 

 of my imposing stone. I filled both smokers 

 with planer shavings. I took the Bingham 

 and tried to see how far I could drive this 

 box over the marble surface. I tried it re- 

 peatedly, and the average distance to which 

 it was driven was two feet. I tried the Crane 



in the same way, and the average distance 

 was three feet. The old Crane smokei that 

 Mr. Cornell used in his test would drive the 

 box only 18 inches. 



Ot course, the blast of a smoker is not the 

 only thing to be considerd ; to remain free 

 from clogging by dust and creosote is an 

 important point. 



I have no interest in smokers aside from a 

 desire to find out which is best and let bee- 

 keepers know it. The fullest discussion 

 will be allowed so long as it is courteous. 

 And right here I wish to say that I think Mr. 

 Crane is mistaken in thinking that there has 

 been any attempt to "strangle" his smo- 

 ker.— Ed.] 



Non- Swarming Plans.— A Brief Outline of 

 a Year's Work in the House Apiary. 



B. TAYLOR. 



" Do what thou doest with thy might, 

 And toil and happiness unite." 



T HAVE at length 

 1 got the new house 

 apiary filled with 

 bees. To say that 

 I am greatly pleased 

 with it, is to speak 

 tamely. If you were 

 here to see me feed- 

 ing the twenty-four 

 colonies that are in 

 it in five minutes by 

 the watch, yon would 

 feel the ground of 

 my enthusiasm. I give each colony a little 

 feed every evening without lifting a cover, 

 or seeing a bee. 



This is the worst spring I ever knew for 

 bees. I never got my bees from the cellar 

 until May 8th to 12th. Thirty-three per cent, 

 were dead. Ninety-five per cent, with sealed 

 covers were dead. I am not discouraged, 

 but regard this as a first-rate chance to make 

 bees pay. I have many fine colonies and 

 shall give them better attention than I ever 

 gave bees before. I don't believe we do one- 

 half as well with bees as we could. We have 

 too much windy talk and too little earnest 

 practical work. 



The non-swarming idea embraced in the 

 double hive arrangement is receiving great 

 attention. I shall give it my best thoughts 



