148 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 



ancl will try to be careful. I know that bees 

 will revive'after having been left out during 

 a frosty night, but I have never been able 

 to revive one. after it had been out one day 

 during a zero freeze, nor have I been able to 

 revive a bee that has been out as many as 4 

 days even during very moderate weather. 

 It is my impression, that they starve to 

 death just as quickly, in this state as in an 

 animated one. To sum up. I would ■•sug- 

 gest''^ V) that bees will starve in about 48 

 hours ; that they will also freeze dead in a 

 zero temperatxire, .(perhaps less ; but we 

 know they will stand enough to "hold up a 

 horse and revive"") in a few hours. Friend 

 Davis suggested that they would revive 

 after a zero temperatm'e for over a week, 

 outside the hive, but, as no experiment has 

 yet corroborated this. I still think he put it 

 ii little to strongly. ^A'hat facts have others 

 to bring forward? I once thought I could 

 Avinter bees very cheaply, by spreading them 

 out on a shelf, and keeping them just "cold 

 enough." That speculation was a faihu-e, 

 although it will work with ants, frogs, and 

 animated nattu'e of that class. 



The bellows is 20 in. long, and i in. vride across 

 the top. It rests on a board 12 in. wide bv 20 in. 

 long. The board lies on the ground, so that vou 

 can put your foot on it, when you wish to operate 

 the bellows. The fire pot is "a half joint of 6 in, 

 stove pipe, open at both ends. The spout is made 

 of leather, so as to be handled over the hives. The 

 end of the spout is movable, so as to turn the 

 smoke anywhere. Xow you will be ready to say 

 that the leather spout will burn. So it will, if vou 

 let the fire blaze out at the end of the leather: but, 

 as I use corn cobs for fuel. I can fill the fire pot 

 full, and it will last half a day, and do all the smo- 

 king that I want, without the trouble of making 

 fire at every other hive. At the very time, when I 

 most want smoke, the little things are apt to be out, 

 or clogged with ashes and dirt. This smoker can 

 be carried by the handle, and set down anj-where 

 in the yard, and the fire will burn very slowly, as 

 the handle stays just where you leave it". 



H. F. Cakpester, Polo, 111. 



SOTOKEBS. 



^ FEW days ago I thought all the invent- 

 ^A, ive genius of our bee folks was concen- 



trated on the chafi hive question, but 



of late it seems about equally directed to the 

 subject of smokers, and the number of 

 sketches, and models, that liave been sent 

 for mv inspection and api)roval. Avould be 

 sufficient to start a shop almost. The one 

 our artist has pictured below. I give just as 

 a curiosity, and I have no doubt our friend 

 can not only drive the bees clear down to 

 the bottom board, but I should think they 

 would get clear out of the hive as shown in 

 the cut. if that vicious looking handle 

 were worked many times. I should not 

 want my bees abused that way I fear, fi-iend 

 C. A short time ago I attempted to open 

 a hive at a neighbor's, but found them cross 

 hvbrids. and so looked about for something 

 to smoke them : the handiest thing seemed 

 to be a bit of cord, but little larger than 

 candle wicking. and with this lighted. I 

 drove them back so that I had all the oppor- 

 tunitv I wished, for making a full examina- 

 tion to see if they lacked stores for winter. 



About smokers; can't one be made to be blown 

 by compressed air in a small tin receiver? The air 

 to be released by pressing a spring valve with the 

 finger? A small pump can be attached to one side 

 of the chamber to work up the pressure when it gets 

 low. 1 think if you will walk around the stairs a 

 few times on this, j"ou will get it. 



James E. Dean. 



Fishkill, N. T., April 3d, 18T8. 



I long ago thought of compressed air for 

 smokers, but feared it would require "too 

 much machinery."" There is one item that. 

 I think, would' be valuable about it : Ave 

 could turn on a A'ery small amount of air, 

 by a suitable cock, when Ave wished a tire 

 started, or Avhen we wished only a very lit- 

 tle smoke. I fear the size of the reseVA'oir 

 Avould be the greatest objection ; it would 

 also re(|uire a A-ery strong pump, to con- 

 dense tlie air. and this would be expensiAe. 

 Notwithstanding all this. I think the plan 

 simpler than tliat of using a clock movement 

 with a spring, to bloAv a fan. r.s has been so 

 many tinges suggested. 



A ITII]VISTFR'S KXPERIEXCE. 



-«i^=^^ 



H. F. CARPENTER'S SMOKER. 



I send you a sketch of my little engine smoker. 

 It is not "quite as "little" as most of the smokers in 

 use. but is large enough to send a stream of smoke 

 that will blow the bees down into the bottom of the 

 hive if need be. I can send a stream of smoke into 

 the air the distance of 10 feet without any very 

 hard pressure on the handle. Try one and you will 

 be surprised at its force. I should make it still 

 larger in place of smaller. If you think you can 

 make any use of them do so: make and sell as 

 many as you please. No patent on them. 



,^ BOUT six months ago, I saw your advertise- 

 jUvi. ment in a magazine, and immediately sent 

 4*^^" for a specimen of Gleanings. It came to 

 hand at once, and was eagerly read. It was just 

 what I needed. I am a minister, but find I need 

 seme out door exercise, especially during the sum- 

 mer season. During the winter I have my hands 

 full: hence this business promises to answer the 

 purpose exactly. About the first of August. I pur- 

 chased two colonies of black bees in common box 

 hives; these swarms are now in good condition and 

 quite strong. I also purchased a late swarm which 

 would have'died of starvation, if they hart not been 

 fed. I gave them about one dollar's worth of sug- 

 ar in svrup. and thev also are in good condition; so 

 I have" already made a start. I intend to transfer 

 and Italianize as s ion as I can. 



I have gained some little exiwrimrnfaJ knowledge 

 already. I went, soon after purchasing, to bring 

 home my bees; but. ha\ing to bring them in my 

 buggy, could only bring one hive at a time. I took 

 with me some wire cloth to tack over the bottom, 

 &c. I found mv man at home. who. by the way, 

 cl-.nms to have "quite a fund of knowledge in bee 

 culture, ha^■ing te^tted the question of Italian su- 

 premacy, and vrritten "TekeV' isee Daniel 5; 27) on 

 everv Italian hive. In order to prepare them for 

 removal, he turned the hive upside down, expect- 

 insr to place the wire cloth over the bottom and 

 tack it down, before the bees found out what was 

 gt'iiiff on: but the bees, having about as much wit 

 as The Aeteran bee man, sallied forth by hundreds, 

 and, finding the cause of the sudden upsetting 

 standing over them, proceeded to execute summa- 

 rv vengeance on his head. &c.. &c. Xotwithstand- 

 ing the darkness, the bees found a rent in his shirt 

 nleeve, and, entering in bv dozens, soon made him 

 tlv, while we stood at a little distance, "laughing in 

 (•'ur sleeve." At last, we had to take the matter in 

 hand, and soon had the cloth fastened over them; 



