THE BRIMSTONE-PIT. 177 



CHAPTER XXXV. 



THE BRIM STONE-PIT. 



This was invented, and has been used from a very ancient 

 date to the present time, for the purpose of wholesale 

 destruction. Without such, an " institution," how could 

 the poor cottagers of England get their honey? They 

 have used the hrimstone-pit, and will continue to use it 

 tUl they find out a better way of removing the bees from 

 their hives marked for honey. "We may be excused for 

 giving here a brief description of this way of destroying 

 bees. 



Some brimstone is melted in a plumber's lead-pan 

 over a slow fire, and while in its liquid state some rags 

 are dipped ia it. These rags, now covered and stiff with 

 brimstone, are cut into pieces about three inches square. 

 One piece is enough for a hive. The pit is about twelve 

 inches square — rather wider for large hives. The brim- 

 stone-rag is placed in the cleft of a short bit of wood 

 which is stuck into one of the sides of the pit. A cab- 

 bage-leaf, or anything else, is placed above the rag to 

 prevent the bees from falling on it, and thus putting it 

 out when burning. Now the match is applied, and the 

 brimstone begins to burn with a blue flame, when the 

 hive is instantly lifted off its board and placed over the 

 pit. Some soil is thrown around the bottom of the hive 

 to keep in the gas, which does its awful work in two 



