(U FTPTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 



Clark is really more expensive than any other. It works beau- 

 tifully while new, but the "new" wears off entirely too soon. 

 The bellows becomes incapacitated by reason of the smoke 

 sucked into it, and then there is no good way to clean it out. 



CONTINUOUS AND (.'UT-OFr BLAST, 



The Bingham, ("orneil, Crane, and others, are all good. 

 The cut-off blast lengthens the life of a smoker, but shortens its 

 blast. The continuous blast, as in the Clark, allows one to send 

 the smoke with more force, but, as already mentioned, shortens 

 the life of the smoker, because the bellows become foul with 

 smoke. The Crane has the advantage of the full strength of 

 blast without the weakening of the cut-off^, and works in perfec- 

 tion for a long time. Still, in the course of time, the metal valve 

 becomes dirty, and it must be cleaned. Fortunately the part 

 containing the valve can be taken off, allowing all to be made 

 just as clean as when new. It takes C|uite a bit of time to do 

 this, but it is time well spent, and one cleaning a year, even 

 with heavy use, is sufficient. Those who do not care for so 

 strong a blast will prefer ^i Bingham, Cornell, or other smoker 

 with a cut-off, never needing to be cleaned, while those who like 

 the strong blast will be willing to spend the time occasionally 

 cleaning the Crane. The latest Root smokers are the favorite 

 of all. 



CLEATS ON SMOKKRS. 



Using a smoker all day long is a hard thing on the muscles 

 tliat work the bellows, and the stiffer the spring of the bellows 

 the more tiresome the work. But unless the spring be quite 

 stiff, the smoker will droji out of the hand when the grasp is 

 relaxed so as to allow the bellows to open. I think it was W. 

 L. < 'oggshall who suggested little cleats on the smoker, and 

 these cleats have given great satisfaction. They are merely 

 stri])s of wood one-fourth inch by one-eighth, extending across 

 the upper eui\ of each bellows-board and half way down tlie 

 sides (Fig. 80). The sharp edges of the cleats cling to the 

 hiiuers, allowing the spring to be — I don't know just how much 

 weaker, but 1 should yuess onlv half as strong as witf o.it cleats. 



