346 THE bee-kbepsr's guide; 



Mrs. Baker also places great stress on the wet " head-cap," 

 which she believes the men even would find a great comfort. 

 This is a simple, close-fitting cap, made of two thicknesses of 

 coarse toweling. The head is wet with cold water, and the 

 cap wet in the same, wrung out, and placed on the head. 



Mrs. Baker would have the dress neat and clean, and so 

 trimmed that the lady apiarist would ever be ready to greet 

 her brother or sister apiarists. In such a dress there is no 

 danger of stings, and with it there is that show of neatness 

 and taste, without which no pursuit could attract the attention, 

 or at least the patronage, of our refined women. 



TO QUIET BEES. 



In harvest seasons the bees, especially if Italians, can 

 almost always be handled without their showing resentment. 

 Our college beefe — hybrids, between Syrians and Carniolans — 

 are so gentle that I go freely among them without protection 

 each May and June, with my large classes. At first each 

 student puts on the veil, but soon these are thrown aside, and 

 it is rare indeed that any one gets a sting. Even Mr. Doolittle 

 always uses a veil when steadily at work in the apiary. But 

 at other times, and whenever they object to necessary famil- 

 iarity, we have only to cause 'them to fill with honey — very 

 likely it is the scare that quiets the bees — to render them 

 harmless, unless we pinch them. This can be done by closing 

 the hive so that the bees can not get out, and then rapping on 

 the hive for a short time. Those within will fill with honey, 

 those without will be tamed by surprise, and all will be quiet. 

 Sprinkling the bees with sweetened water will also tend to 

 render them amiable, and will make them more ready to unite 

 to receive a queen, and less apt to sting. Still another method, 

 more convenient, is to smoke the bees. A little smoke blown 

 among the bees will scarcely ever fail to quiet them, though I 

 have known black bees, in autumn, to be very slow to yield. 

 It is always wise upon opening a hive to blow a little smoke in 

 at the entrance. 



The Syrian bees, when first imported, are maddened rather 

 than quieted by use of smoke. I find, however, that with 

 handling they soon become more like Italians. Deliberation is 



