The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-05-26

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To be a successful bee-keeper, Che
persons keeping them should see
their bees often, and know at all
times their actual condition. To do
this satisfactorily, we must have the
movable frame hive in some form,
and be able to open it and take out
the frames at pleasure. "Put" says
one, "the bees will sting. should
not dare open a hive full of bees"
Yes, we know The bees will sting if
you are careless. and in taking out
the frames you hit them one against
another, thus EARRING and suiasking
the bees and honey. But if you will
be careful, and use q little smoke
when needed, there will be no trou-
Die. When you wish to open a hive
step to the back side Of it, SO as not
to interfere with the bees flying out
and in; remove the cap, and with
your knife or something else. pry
gently on the honey board. If tile
weather is warm the propolls will be
soft, and the honey-board willscorne
off without Earring particle. Have
on hand some smoke, and as soon as
you raise the honey-board blow in
some to keep them quiet. Begin two
or three frames from the one you
wish to take out, and with your knife
or fingers move them away little,
then take out the one you wish.
After the first you can take ont any
you wish by setting one down on the
outside of the hive. With the blacks
and hybrids you will want smoke !;
but as far as my experience goes,
with the pure Italians you will need
no smoke.
Twill describe o smoker which with
me works like a charm ; and what suits
me 1 think will suit any one. Take
q piece of sheet-iron and make tube
eight inches long and two inches in
diameter. This is easily done with
small rivets used by finmen-and
almost any person can make it. Now,
make a plug for each end, tapering
each down to point. Bore q quar-
ter-inch hole in the plugs and cover
the large ends of the plugs with wire
cloth, which should be bent so az to
raise them in the centre; this keeps
trash from filling the holes in the
plugs. Next-one end is nailed fast,
and the other is left movable, go that
it may be taken out when the pipe OF
tube thus prepared is TO be filled with
decayed wood, which is to be kindled
at the open end of course. You yet
want q handle, which is made by
boring a two-inch hole in piece Of
one-half inch plank, and shaping j,
to suit you. Then slip the tube into
it. and it may be fastened by insert
ing a mai! between the wood and the
tube. One plug should be shaped
convenient to be held in the mouth
when blowing smoke through the
tube. When you wish to use the
smoker insert the plug made for thu
mouth-piece, and then you can smoke
the bees sufficiently in a short time
BY adding fuel occasionally you car
keep it burning any length of time
keeping one end open when not il
use. Do not use tobacco for smoke
as it stupefies the bees and makes
them irritable for several days after
Now a word for the Italians. l fine
them very peacesble when compared
with the black bees. l can open {
hive Of Italians at any time whel
they are raising brood without smok,
and not have one offer to sting me
unless by some mishap 1 jar them q
as to arouse them, which takes con
siderable. Beside this you can fine
the queen readily; the young bee
do not drop from the comb as tn
black ones do, and as far as my expe
rienee goes, they will make one-thirt
more honey. 1 have one stock o
Italians that gave me one good swarm
and 125 pounds box honey the frs
season. The Italians, to be pure
should all have three bands, and som
will occasionally show the fourth
Cor. Bee Journal.