BEES UNDER PROPER CONTROL. 
25 
former, may, indeed, be used from the first, but for 
myself I would prefer, with Cyprians, to regard these 
methods only as alternative. 
But another style of defence remains to be noticed, 
and which is certainly well worthy of the attention of the 
learner whose confidence is only in the making. At 
the first bee show at the Crystal Palace (1874), well 
do I remember the comical expression that stole over 
the countenances of more than one who asked to be 
informed in confidence what substance was rubbed 
upon the skin to prevent the bees stinging, for then 
the onlookers could not imagine that the mastery of 
the manipulators was other than some trick upon 
trained bees, or the result of some secret anointing* 
The idea that then caused merriment as a ludicrous 
fancy has been actually tested, and Mr. R. Franks, 
writing to the British Bee Jourjial^ August ist, 1885, 
says that by washing the hands with vinegar, and 
.allowing it to dry on, those handling bees will escape 
being stung. This plan really has its value, as has 
also rubbing the hands with common disinfecting 
powder ; but both of these applications do not act 
upon the skin as Pears’ soap is advertised to do. 
An oily body, however, which, judging from my own 
experience, would not spoil the whitest hand, and 
known to the chemist as methyl salicylate, is infinitely 
more effective, and, after applying a few drops of it, 
I have been quite unable to get my own bees to sting 
me. But, judging that home stocks might not put this 
restrainer of naughty bees to a severe test, since I 
generally prepare any queen breeding savages for a 
post- 7 nortem^ I determined to try my fortunes upon 
