QUIETING BEES. 151 



and answer the purpose well. From ' Gleanings in Bee 

 Culture,' I extract a description of how to make one 

 of the last-mentioned, which, without saying it is the best, 

 will, I am sure, be found a very useful instrument. 



A soft smooth piece of sheep-skin, 7.\ inches wide 

 and 22 inches long. Also two narrow strips, \ inch 

 wide, and the same length as the above. Two boards 

 5X6 inches, and about 5-i6ths thick, are all that is 

 necessary to make the bellows. 



A strip of wood \ inch wide, and the same thickness 

 as the boards, is securely bradded to one end of each 

 board, as shown in Fig. i. These strips are somewhat 

 thinner at one edge, as shown. 



Fig. 65, 



Figure 2 shows the upper board, with a single \ inch 

 hole bored near one end. Fig. 3 shows the two in place, 

 just ready to tack the leather on. The springs shown 

 at Fig. I are made of bits of clock spring, to be had 

 of any jeweller for a trifle. Bend the springs to the 

 shape shown in the cut, and rivet the end to the wood 

 by two secure rivets. Steel springs sometimes break, it 

 is true, and you can use similar ones made of brass, if 

 you choose ; these never break, but they almost always 

 lose their elasticity sooner or later. Those called alarm 

 springs are soft, which makes it easier to work the bel- 

 lows. Some prefer a stiff spring. Bend the springs so that 

 the boards will come up promptly, as far as the leather 

 will allow. To make a neat job, the leather should be 



