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dr. Millers 
A. It's largely a matter of convenience. Any old thing that 
will burn is likely to answer all right, provided it is easily ob- 
tainable. Probably nothing is better than dry hardwood chips. A 
favorite with some is a greasy cotton waste that is thrown away 
after being used in machine shops or on automobiles or locomo- 
tives. Then there is bark, planer chips, cowdung, etc. 
Q. So far as using a bee-smoker is concerned, I am a novice 
in the business, and with poor success so far. I have tried news- 
paper, excelsior, and cobs broken up, but by the time I have the 
cover off and begin to raise the inside cover over the hive, or 
sections, the fire is out. What is best to use to make smoke? 
How should I use the smoker to keep the fire from going out? 
A. Try old rags of any kind of cotton cloth. First put a little 
loosely in the smoker; light it and let it blaze up; put a little more 
on and keep blowing till it gets a good start; then fill up and it 
will not be likely to go out till it burns out. When the smoker is 
not in use it will burn better to stand upright. Almost anything 
is better than newspapers. 
Q. Explain how you prepare saltpeter rags for smoker-fuel. 
A. I take a 2-gallon stone crock, perhaps half full of water, 
put in it half a pound or less of saltpeter, fill up with cotton rags, 
lift the rags out and let the water drain back into the crock 
through a colander or leaky pan; spread the rags out on the grass 
for the sun to dry, and they’re ready to use. I use them only to 
start the fire, filling up the smoker with hardwood chips oi some 
other fuel. 
Snow. — Q. Can I put snow over the entrances of the beehives 
when the coldest, windy days come? 
A. It will be all right if the snow is dry. If the snow is wet 
and packs together it may smother the bees. 
Q. Is it necessary to keep snow and ice swept away from the 
entrance of hive? 
A. As long as it remains dry and hard, a little snow at the 
entrance is not likely to do any harm. But if it becomes wet and 
soft, filling the entrance and then freezing, it may do harm, so 
it should be cleared away before it has a chance to freeze. Not 
that there is special harm from the freezing, only that it allows 
the entrance to remain closed. 
Q. My colonies are buried under the snow. Will they smother? 
I have planer shavings on top to let the air through. 
A. Enough air works in through the snow so there’s no dan- 
