1890 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



425 



have much trouble in proving a claim, provided he 

 knew nothing- of the condition of the bees when 

 they went into winter quarters, or was deceived in 

 regard to it. But, on the other hand, if the bees 

 did not die of starvation the chances are 999 out of 

 lUOO that no malpractice on the part of Brown can 

 he shown. 

 Michigan. C. James Heddon. 



At first the Rambler was inclined to say that 

 Brown should stand all the loss, just to punish him 

 for doing such a thing as to take bees on shares. 

 But we think he has already received punishment 

 in worry over the matter, so that he will never take 

 any more bees on shares— eh, Brown? The Rambler 

 would, however, say that, as there was no provision 

 for such an emergency, and as Jones knew that 

 such an emergency was liable to arise, we think 

 that on Jones rests the most of the blame. As to 

 the plea of carelessness, it seems that Jones just 

 found out that point after the bees died. If Brown 

 lost the bees through carelessness, then he must be 

 careless upon other points, and must be well known 

 as a careless man. Knowing this, why did Jones 

 let his bees to Brown upon such loose terms? The 

 Rambler would say that Jones must stand the loss. 



New York. E. Rambler. 



[ understand by the contract, that Jones's capital 

 with the ordinary risks of deterioration in value of 

 the same, is to balance Brown's skill and labor. I 

 should think that loss from unavoidable causes 

 should be at Jones's expense; all losses by Brown's 

 mismanagement or neglect should be at Brown's 

 expense. But without a knowledge of the cause of 

 the death of the bees, I have nothing- to base a de- 

 cision on, which decision must rest on the facts of 

 the cause of death. If the beesdid not make honey 

 enough during the season to keep them over, it 

 should be the owner's loss. If they starved because 

 the honey was taken from them, the apiarist 

 should be the loser. If the bees died of dysentery 

 or spring dwindling, I would exonerate the apiarist 

 from almost all the loss, as, in my experience in win- 

 tering in Ohio and Iowa, I lost several apiaries al- 

 most entirely, with the best care I could give them. 

 I think this is probably a case that would test two 

 of the best men in the country to bear and for- 

 bear sufficiently to leave good feelings between 

 both parties. It interests me to see them so gener- 

 ous as to leave the matter to disinterested and pre- 

 sumably intelligent beekeepers. 



California. S. W. R. Wilkin. 



Ah, hero we are, a duly constituted court of 

 equity. Looks as though we should need some dep- 

 ositions—and how about the fees? Assuming that 

 the contract was for but one season, three cases 

 arise: 1. Bees lost clearly without blame on 

 Brown's part. 3. Bees lost, and the real cause of 

 their dying doubtful. 3. Bees lost plainly by 

 I'.rown's misdoing or neglect. If the evidence puts 

 the matter as case 1, Brown, of course, goes clear. 

 If the evidence puts the matter as case 3, I vote 

 that Brown go clear. Most bees that die in winter 

 (and they are myriads) die from causes not very 

 clearly understood; and to hold the luckless wight 

 who handled them last responsible is plainly ab- 

 surd and unjust. As the case is stated to us, the 

 indications are that this case 2 covers the matter. 

 If the evidence puts the matter as case 3, 1 vote 

 that investigation be made whether Jones might 



not have saved his bees by a little inquiry as to 

 their condition, such as he would naturally have 

 made had they been sheep or pigs. I hold, that ab- 

 surd and total indifference on his part should bar 

 him from recovering of another man but little more 

 guilty than himself. If the matter lies in case 3, 

 and Jones has not shown culpable indifference to 

 his own property, then T vote that Brown be held 

 responsible to the following extent: He shall have 

 the option of making good half the loss, or of tak- 

 ing a number of colonies of bees equal to the sur- 

 vivors, and liuilding them up to an apiary equal 

 to the one lost. If he chooses the latter he shall 

 bear all expense and labor, and turn over all in- 

 come, if any, to Jones. 

 Ohio. N. W. E. E. Hasty. 



Well, well, well ! what an array of legal 

 lore ! When I began reading, I ran down 

 the column to see how many lawyers we had 

 on the list. Our friend George Grimm is 

 the only one I recognize as such, and he 

 says very briefly that the loss should be di- 

 vided, as Prof. Cook suggests also, at the 

 top of the list ; and our good friend Wilkin 

 winds up by an exhortation for each one of 

 them to show forth the spirit of " in honor 

 preferring one another.'' At the same time, 

 however, there is a little bit of sarcasm in 

 the closing sentence. 1 believe that, if I 

 were so foolish as to go into the partnership 

 business in keeping bees, as soon as I found 

 myself in such a dilemma I would make 

 haste to outdo my partner in generosity, 

 even if it took more than the bees were 

 worth, and then I would resolve to buy out- 

 right, when I wanted any such property in 

 the future. 



FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS. 



A SIMPLE WAY OF CONVERTING FRAMES ALREADY 

 IN DSE INTO HOFFMAN FRAMES. 



In Gleanings, May 1, pp. 

 330 and 331, you illustrate 

 and describe a plan by which 

 the Hoffman frame can be 

 simplified, and advise bee- 

 keepers not to go too fast. 

 As soon as I read it I tho't 

 of this plan, which I believe 



will just suit me exactly. I \ / 



take i^a stuff and cut it into 

 strips as wide as the end-bar 

 is thick, and 4 inches long, 

 and nail them on the upper 

 end of the end bar, as repre- 

 sented in the inclosed draw- 

 ing. A is the top-bar; B is 

 the end-bar of a Langsti-oth 

 frame. I use the Langstroth 

 frame, top-bar one inch wide, 

 and, after reading your foot-notes, I had lU frames 

 fixed up before supper. There may be some objec- 

 tions to this style, but they need not cost much on 

 my plan. In hiving swarms they must certainly be 

 real handy. Joseph Mason. 



Wallace, 111., May 12,1890. 



Your suggestion is capital, friend M. I do 

 not know why I did not think of it before. 



