224 



AXOEB OF BEES. 



Those who are accustomed to smokhig will find a pipe 

 or cigar very convenient here. But I would not advise 

 any one to make this an excuse for forming a had habit.* 



SMOKEK DESCRIBBD. 



Get a tin tube five-eighths of an inch diameter, five or 

 six inches in length ; make stoppers of wood to fit each 

 end, two and a half or three inches long, tapered at the 

 ends. With a nail-gimlet make a hole through them 

 lengthwise ; when put together, it should be about ten 

 inches in length. On one end make a notch, that it may 

 be held with the teeth, which is the most convenient way, 

 as you will often want to use both hands. When ready to 

 operate, fiU the tube with tobacco, ignite it, and put in the 

 stoppers ; by blowing through it, you keep the tobacco 

 burning, while the smoke issues at the other end. This 

 requires blowing almost constantly to keep it burningl I 

 have another mode of using tobacco which is very conve- 

 nient. Take a piece of old cotton or linen cloth eighteen 

 inches long by six wide. Spread over it a layer of tobacco 

 one-fourth of an inch thick. Roll up and fasten with a 

 needle and thread. Light one end and it will continue 

 burning as long as required. The smoke of decayed wood, 

 commonly known as spunk or- touch-wood, is also useful — 

 but there are cases of extreme irritability, where it does 

 not seem to be as efiicient as tobacco. We can now sub- 

 due these combative propensities, or render them harmless; 

 turn their anger to submission, and force them to yield 

 their treasures to the hands of the spoiler without an effort 

 of resistance. When once overpowered, they seem to lose 

 all knowledge of their power, and no slave can be more 

 submissive. 



* I continued Ihe practice for years for the mere convenience of the smoke 

 when operating among my bees. But by using some simple subslilutes wliich I 

 will describe, I have managed bees for seven years without pipe or cigiir. anil 

 much more to my siilisfaction. 



