70 x SUCCESSFUL BEE-KEEPING. 
thermometer about 48° in the shade; go to the woods 
near the supposed locality of the wild swarm, and with a 
lighted match or candle, burn a little dry honey-comb, 
beeswax, or piece of wood, on which a few drops of oil of 
anise have been poured. Keep a gentle “smudge” (to use 
a bee-hunter’s phrase) going for 15 to 30 minutes, or 
until the bees come searching along close to the ground, 
following the line of the smoke. A foot or two from the 
“smudge,” in the direction in which the wind is blowing, 
elevated a foot or two from the ground, if the surface be 
smooth—if bushy, higher, so as to have it the highest ob- 
ject near the smoke—place a piece of honey-comb, par- 
tially filled with sweet, freshly diluted honey; or sweet- 
ened water will do if the swarm is close by, otherwise 
they are not so sure to readily accept it. If a drop or 
two of the oil of anise be added to it, or sprinkled on the 
comb, the bees will be attracted by its strong scent, and 
work all the more rapidly. The bees will soon begin to 
collect upon the comb, and if the weather continues favor- 
able, with but little wind, and the swarm is near by (by 
which J mean within half a mile), a steady line of bees 
will be seen going from the combs, laden with the sweets, 
to their home, wherever that may be. 
The first time a bee starts for home, and sometimes for 
several of the first trips, it will be seen to describe a cir- 
cle immediately around the comb, the circles gradually 
becoming larger and larger, till apparently the true bear- 
ing is found, when a “bee line” is struck for home. In 
order to watch their course as far as possible, an open 
space must be chosen, or what is better, an open field, 
even if it be somewhat further off, when we shall be able, 
by keeping the eye as close to the ground as possible 
while the bees fly against the sky for a back-ground, un- 
