SELECTING COLONIES FOR WINTER. 271 



periment thoroughly, and when they commenced work the 

 next spring, such double families promised much; but 

 when the swarming season arrived, good single swarms 

 were in the best condition. I am unable to give any satis- 

 factory reason for this. Stocks, which have cast no 

 swarms, are no better the following spring than others. 

 The same cause may operate in both cases. It therefore 

 appears unnecessary to unite two or more good swarms, 

 unless we are particularly sensitive about killing the bees. 



SEASON TO OPERATE. 



The usual season for operating is, when all brood has 

 matured and left the cells. The exceptions are where 

 there are not bees enough to protect the stores, in which 

 cases it may be necessary, immediately after the failure of 

 honey in the flowers. 



PABALTZING THE BEE. 



Col. H. K. Oliver, of Mass., has the credit of inventing 

 the fumigator, an instrument to burn Puff-ball. By the aid 

 of this, the smoke is blown into the hive, paralyzing the 

 bees in a few minutes. They fall to the bottom apparently 

 dead, but will recover in a few minutes, on receiving fresh 

 air. 



DESCRIPTION OP PUMIGATOB. 



The fumigator is made of a tin tube, four inches long 

 and two in diameter, with a stopper of soft wood, three 

 inches long, exactly fitting one end when driven in half an 

 inch, and secured by little nails driven through the tin. 

 Through the centre of this stopper there is a hole one- 

 fourth inch in diameter. To prevent this hole from filling 

 up, the end in the tube is covered with wire-cloth, bent a 

 little convex. The end of this stopper is cut down to about 

 half an inch, tapering from the tin. For the other end a 



