At 11:20 AM 1/25/96 -0700, you wrote:
>I have been looking over a beautiful little children's book, L'Abeille.  As
>the title may indicate it is in French.
>
>In it the tools of the beekeeper are shown.  I can figure out most, but
>there is something listed as "le soufflet".  It kind of looks like a
>bellows.  Does anyone know what this is known as in English and what is its
>purpose?
>
>Whitney Cranshaw
>[log in to unmask]
>
>
 
It looks like a bellows attached to a tin can with a spout right?  Usaually
dried leaves, hay or dry grass is placed inside the smoker as fuel and is
ignited.  The fuel smolders inside and the smoke is pumped out of the spout
using the bellows.
 
The bees in the hive are gently "smoked" before harvesting honey or
manipulating the hive for other reasons.  The smoke has a calming effect on
the bees.
 
The smoker is one of the basic tools of beekeeping.
 
Pete, NJ