1877. 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



267 



S)een at work, even though it is several days 

 -afterward. 



Bees are sometimes stcu-tetl by burning 

 Avhatis called a "smudge." Get some old 

 bits of comb containing bee bi-ead as well 

 as honey, and burn tiieui on a small tin plate, 

 by setting it over a little lire. The bees will 

 be attracted by th.e odor of the burning honey 

 -and comb, and if near, will sometimes come 

 ;in great numbers. Oil of anise is sometimes 

 used, to attract them by its strong odor. We 

 have had the best success in getting Uiem 

 from the flowers as we have directed. 



A spy gliuss is very convenient in finding 

 where the bees go in, especially if the tree is 

 very tciU ; even the toy spy-glasses sold for 

 •oOc. or a dollar, ai'e sometimes quite a lielj). 

 The most serviceable, however, are the ach- 

 romatic glasses tliat cost about So.CO, and the 

 very best tiling for tlie purpose, is an Opera 

 glass such as can be purchased for about 

 So.OO. AVitli these we can use both eyes, and 

 the field is so broad that no time is lost in 

 getting the gltuss instantly on the spot. We 

 can, in fact, see bees with them in the tops 

 of the tallest ti'ees, aknost as cleai'ly as we 

 can see tliem going into hives placed on the 

 ground. They am also be used to follow a 

 bee on the wing, as he leaves the hunting 

 box. If one's time is valuable, an opera 

 glass will be a very good investment. 



After you have found the tree, I presume 

 you will be in a hm-ry to get the bees that 

 you know ai"e there, and the honey that may 

 be there. Do not fix youi- expectations too 

 high, for you may not get a single pomid of 

 the latter. Of two trees that we have recent- 

 ly taken, one contained just about jis much 

 honey as we had fed tliem, and the other 

 contained not one visible cell full ! The 

 former were fmr liybrids, and tlie latter well 

 marked Italians. If the tree is not a valu- 

 able one, and stands where timber is cheap 

 and plenty, perhaps the easiest way may be 

 to cut it down. This may result in a mashed 

 up heap of ruins, with combs, honey and bees 

 all mixed up with dirt and rubbish, or it may 

 fall so as to strike on the limbs or small 

 trees so as to ease its fall in such a way as 

 to do very little injiuy to the liive of the 

 forest. The chances are ratlier in favor of 

 the fonner, and on many accounts it is stifer 

 to climb the tree and let the bee hive down 

 with a rope. If the hollow is in the body of 

 the tree or so situated that it cannot be cut 

 off above and beloAV, the combs may be taken 

 out aiul let down in a pail or basket ; for the 

 brood combs, and such as contain but little 

 honey, the basket will be rather preferable. 



Tlie first thing however, will be to climb the 

 ti^ee, and as I should be very sorry to give 

 any advice in my A B C book that might in 

 any way lead to loss of life, I will at the out- 

 set, ask you not to attempt climbing, unless 

 you are, or can be :i very careful person. An 

 old gentlentan who has just been out with 

 i:s, remarked that he once knew a very ex- 

 pert climbi'r wlio took all the bees out of the 

 tr(>es for miles around, but wa.-i linally killed 

 instantly, by letting his hands slip, as he was 

 getting aliove a large knot in the tree. We 

 do not wish to nm any risks, where human 

 life is at stake. 



For climbing large trees, a pair of climbers 

 are used, such as is shown in the following 

 cut. 



CLIMBERS rOR BEE HUNTERS. 



The iron part, is made of a bar 18 inches 

 long, f wide by i thick. At the lower end, it 

 is bent to accommodate the foot as shown, 

 and the spurs are made of the best steel, 

 carefully and safely welded on. These 

 points should be sharp, and somewhat chisel 

 shaped, that they may be struck safely into 

 the wood of the ti-ee ; the sti^aps, will be 

 readily understood by inspection. When in 

 use, the ring A, is slipped over the spur B, 

 and the straps are both buckeled up safely. 

 If the tree is very large, the climber provides 

 himself with a tough withe or whip, of some 

 tough green boxtgh, and bends this so it will 

 go around the tnuik, while an eiul is held in 

 eithar hand. As he climbs upward, this is 

 hitched up the trunk. If he keeps a siu-e 

 and firm liold on this whip, and strikes his 

 feet into the trunk firmly, he can go up the 

 most forbidding trees, rapidly and safely. 

 A light line, a clothes line for instance, 

 should be tied around his waist, that he may 

 draw up such tools as he may need. The 

 tools needed, are a sharp axe, hatchet, 'saw, 

 and an auger to bore in to see how far the 



