BEE-KEEPERS’ REQUISITES 41 
cloths are usually about 18 inches square, made 
of calico, and sprinkled with one part of carbolic 
acid to two parts of water. They are laid over 
the tops of the frame, but care has to be taken 
that the carbolic solution is not too strong, or 
the bees will be driven from the hive. 
When not in use, the cloths should be kept 
rolled up in a tin to ensure their cleanliness 
and to retain their strength. 
Brushes.—Bees are very particular con- 
cerning the kind of brushes used by the bee- 
keeper to brush them from the combs, or to 
gather a swarm together when it is scattered 
under a bush or in a position where it is not 
possible to shake them into a hive. They 
have a firm objection to anything of a hairy 
nature, and the very best method to rouse 
them to wrath is to use a housemaid’s broom 
under the circumstances mentioned. It is a 
certain incitement to trouble. 
Most brushes sold by appliance makers are 
of fibre, but one of the very best forms can 
be made from montbretia leaves. The leaves, 
or blades, should be cut from the plant near 
the ground and the tops doubled over and 
tied near the end of the stalk. The stalk end 
is used as a handle, the ‘‘brush’’ consisting 
of the intervening part. Montbretia is a 
