8 
BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 
explained ; suffice it now to say, that usually a strong 
puff or two at once brings into subjection the largest 
and most fiery colony. But it must not be under- 
stood that smoke is alone useful as inspiring fear. It 
may be what the whip is to the horse, but often it 
acts as the rein, and directs the bee to follow the 
course we desire. A hive is opened, and the insects 
appear in numbers where they would be crushed were 
we to close again. But our smoker instantly re- 
moves the difficulty, since the trespassers accept its 
notice to quit in a twinkling ; and, should they lurk 
in a somewhat inaccesible corner we might desire 
cleared, a sharp squeeze of the bellows, even at a 
distance of i8in. or more, will immediately cause them 
to take their departure, whilst with flapping of wings 
they sound the retreat. Some distinguished apiarians 
use carbolic acid (the odour of which is most hateful 
to bees) in the cases in which the majority employ 
smoke. To the Rev. G. Rayner, I believe, falls the 
honour of originating this method, and making it a 
practical success, while ‘‘Lanarkshire Bee-keeper” 
and Messrs. Raitt and Howard give to it applications 
of considerable value, to be noticed under their 
appropriate chapters. It is now followed by a con- 
stantly-increasing number, and in manners which 
seem to indicate that it will ere long displace smoke 
in certain manipulations. The originator has favoured 
me with the following summary, which, although it 
anticipates some matters, I prefer to give in extenso : 
“ I have used carbolic acid as a bee-quieter In pre- 
ference to smoke for upwards of twenty years, and 
consider it more easy of application, equally effective, 
