These are simply made, by tying one end of a bunch of straight or well-combed straw with tarred string, dipping them in water before placing them on the hives, hooping them on, and then clipping them neatly. When put on wet, they set, and stiffen to fit, and may be lifted off and on like a man's hat. When well made they last two years. As hives, out of doors, cannot be kept too warm in winter, the reader will, in another place, be urged to protect his bees from the cold of the winter storms, by giving them not only a good outer covering, but plenty of under flannels.

Thousands of hives are starved to death for want of food, and thousands more for want of sufficient winter covering.

CHAPTER XX.

STINGS.

IF bees had not been furnished with weapons of defence, the probability is great that they would have been destroyed centuries ago. The treasures of a bee-hive are so tempting to men and brutes, birds, and creeping things, that it has been necessary to provide bees with a means of defence; and this is done by giving them stings and bags of poison, which they can use at will. When they receive or anticipate molestation they are not slow to make use of their "poisoned arrows;" and every arrow is barbed, so that, if inserted, it sticks fast- -so fast that it drags or tears the venom-bag attached to it from the body of the bee. And after separation from the bee, the sting is moved by a self-acting machinery, intended, no doubt, to empty the entire contents of the venom-bag into the part stung; hence the wisdom of withdrawing a sting as soon as it is inflicted. The pain and probable inflammation will be greater and longer continued if the sting be not extracted at once.

Some people are much disfigured by being stung on the face; and the question has been asked, If these people were frequently stung, would the stings continue to have as great influence? We cannot answer this question with certainty, though we have known men who suffered great inconvenience from stings in early life, disregard them

after a time; at least the swelling or inflammatory power of stings was comparatively lost on them.

Those who are liable to swell much on receiving a sting should wear a bee-dress when likely to be attacked by bees, or when doing anything among them. A bee-dress

is simply a piece of crape or muslin tied above the brim of a hat, to hang over the face, and some inches below the chin. The other parts exposed are the hands only, which can be protected by gloves. Fortunately we ourselves do not suffer or swell much on being stung, and therefore never use a bee-dress of any description. When bees attack one, or mean to do so, the hands should be spread in front of the face-or, better still, a bush held before it -then walk slowly away. When the bees see the fingers or bush they are afraid of an ambuscade as sparrows are kept from gooseberry-buds by the use of thread.

CHAPTER XXI.

FUMIGATION.

THIS is a grand invention-how long it has been practised I cannot tell. About sixty years ago, when selling honey in Edinburgh, my father met an Irishman, who undertook to teach him how to carry a hive of bees, open and exposed, through the streets of that city without receiving a single "stong," for a gill of whisky. Far too tempting an offer this to be rejected by my father. He got the secret, and, I presume, the Irishman got some whisky for it. The secret was worth all the whisky in Edinburgh; for ever since we have been enabled to do what we like with our bees without risk or fear. Smoke from the rags of fustian or corduroy, blown into a hive, is the secret bought from the Irishman. A few puffs of smoke from a bit of corduroy or fustian rolled up like a candle, stupefies and terrifies bees so much, that they run to escape from its power. Tobacco-smoke is more powerful still, but it has a tendency to make bees dizzy, and reel like a drunken man; besides, it is far more expensive and less handy than a bit of fustian or corduroy. Old corduroy or fustian is better than new, unless the matter which is used to stiffen it be completely washed out. This stiffening matter won't burn-won't let the rags burn; hence we use and recommend old stuff which has lost it. The old worn-out and cast-away fustian and corduroy

clothes of labouring men cannot be surpassed for the purpose of stupefying bees. Let me ask the most timid beekeeper in the country to try it. Get a piece, the size of a man's hand, rolled up rather tight and fired at one end —not to blaze, but simply to smoke. Let him now place the smoking end so close to the door of a hive that all the smoke may go in when he blows on it. After six or eight puffs have been sent into the hive, let him lift it off the board, turn it gently over, upside down, so that the bees and combs stare him in the face. By holding and moving the smoking end of the rags over the face of the bees, and blowing the smoke amongst them, they run helter-skelter down amongst the combs, far more afraid than hurt. Now he can carry the hive round his garden under his arm, and then carry it round the house, and over it too if he choose, without being stung. Whenever the bees are likely to rise they should be dosed again.

If the reader has hitherto not dared to handle his bees in this manner, we ask him to try the experiment, believing that he will be more than satisfied with the result, for he will find that he has now got the mastery over his bees, and can do what he likes with them. Yes, he will be able to drive them out of a hive full of combs into an empty one, and, moreover, shake them back, or tumble them back, or spoonful them back, into the old hive or another, as men take peas from one basket to another, Nay, he will be able, after another lesson, to swarm his bees artificially, and thank the Irishman for revealing the virtues of corduroy-smoke.

This smoke does not injure the health of the bees, does not stop them from work more than two or three minutes. The material of it is cheap and comeatable; the use of it is so easy and simple and efficacious, that we have no wish to find anything better for stupefying bees. Old calico