ADVERTISERS' DEPARTMENT. 



SO.TIETHINK TO FILL THIS COVER. 



We once rode into a town in the Southern 

 part of Ohio, and as we' were utter strangers, 

 requested a bystander to direct us to the best 

 hotel. The individual addressed acted a little 

 queerly, as we thought, but after looking up 

 street and down, he Anally replied, 



"I swear stranger, T wish you would ask 

 some one else. There are three good hotels 

 here, and I own one of them." After laughing- 

 ly assuring him his modesty was a sufficient 

 guarantee, we allowed him to conduct us to 

 what proved to be really good accommodations. 



Now in giving our opinion, in reply to nu- 

 merous inquiries in regard to wares such as 

 we sell, we fear we cannot be as modest as our 

 friend; but even at the risk of having it said 

 by some, that we cannot see good points in 

 other peoples' wares, we will try and give our 

 honest opinion whenever we think it will ben- 

 efit our readers. 



Several letters have been rec'd asking about 

 Winder's new Extractor. We wrote Mr. W. 

 before putting ours into the market, urging 

 him to give the people a Stationary Can ma- 

 chine, as the rotary ones must soon be laid a- 

 side. He replied, pronouncing our reasons all 

 imaginary, that his turned easy enough etc. 

 Since then, he has admitted we were right in 

 part at least ; but since seeing the dimensions 

 of his new machine, we cannot help thiuking 

 he has only abandoned one error, to fall into 

 another. After what we said on the matter 

 last month, our readers will understand why 

 a machine large enough to take a comb fifteen, 

 by twenty two inches, would be objectionable. 



Several have written us in regard to ma- 

 chines made so as to be propelled from the bot- 

 tom, and a number of such are now in use in 

 different states. We have considered the mat- 

 ter well, and have had the opinion of our me- 

 chanical friend, Mr. Wasnbuim, on the subject, 

 and have abandoned the idea for the two fol- 

 lowing reasons : In the first place if we use 

 gearing, two sets of beveled gears will be re- 

 quired, making much friction, and much ex- 

 pense ; secondly, if we use pulleys and a belt, 

 the belt, to "hug" properly, will make an a- 

 mount of friction on the pivots that would be 

 a serious objection, besides the frequent repairs 

 always needed to keep a belt from slipping; es- 

 pecially when we take into consideration that 

 to work fast, the machine must be started and 

 stopped with a suddenness, that nothing in 

 the shape of a belt could stand very long. If 

 We are in error, a trial in the Apiary will quick- 

 ly show it. 



HAVE OTJK SOUTHERN FRIENDS BEEN 

 FAIRLY REPRESENTED 7 



MESSRS A. I. ROOT & CO.:-Your postal card 

 rec'd yesterday, and box of frames to-day. First 

 — ; the postal card: I sat down and wrote It off all 

 bntone word which being Hebrew T could not make 

 out; Greek or Latin, well, but the Hebrew "nips" us. 

 As to the size of the frames: A neighbor loaned me 

 four year's back numbers A. B. J., Langstroth's and 

 Quinby's books, which I have studied while able du- 

 ring the past v, inter. I took King's Magazine during 

 '73, and this year have King's, Mrs. Tupper's and 

 Gleanings, and swap for the A. B. J. Now In all 

 this reading I found the first point to be wintering 



bees. No one from this latitude (30°) wrote for any 

 Journal, and hives or frames to remain on the stand? 

 with no extra protection were not disenssed, so we 

 (neighbor and self) concluded as no two- bee-keeper"? 

 had frames alike, and many had many sizes, wc would 

 adopt 10x14 as our standard. I got a lot of lumber 

 dressed, and by error it came all 12 'i wide. Ambition, 

 said, "saw off an inch ;" weak back said, "can't do it ;"" 

 so we put the inch on the frame. As to the fractions, 

 your college bred bees may understand it, but our com- 

 mon school black fellows haven't got that far. 



Well, the frames are splendid, even if they did cost 

 8% cents here. I put 20 of them together— had to file 

 out the anvil a little— and as the slots in ends don't 

 agree exactly with groove in top piece, some little 

 bother to get in the guides. But I'll get tip my saw 

 and make a ivorsejob of the next lot sending ouly for 

 corners ; can't stand $2.50 expressage or 84 -00 by mail - 

 Neighbor came over to look at frames, he thought 

 from sample corners he had seen, that they would not 

 be as strong as nails, but finds them strtmger and not 

 half the weight. 



We had to transfer 2 hives some days ago, the othei 

 4 will swarm in a few days, when we shall transfer 

 swarms, and old folks too, to new frames, and have n<> 

 more swarming if it can be helped. I am feeding the 

 two we have transferred all they will take, and some, 

 to two of the others. I took out the frames of the iS 

 to-day, removed the pegs and clasps, straightened the 

 combs, cleaned out the hives etc. Got stung once in. 

 the face, twice on the hand. Went at 'em without 

 veil or gloves— only a little cotton rag for smoke, anil 

 think it was bees from other hives that pitched into 

 me while I was straightening the combs. It was built 

 thick and crooked in old boxes, tad to split them up 

 with a chisel to get comb and bees out. We used no 

 drum box, but smoked them a little, cut out the comb, 

 brushed the bees in the new hive, fitted best part of 

 the comb in frame, gave it to them and then cut out 

 another, brushed bees in hive, and so on to the end. 

 Didn't get stung at all. but may be the Italians will 

 give us "Jesse" when they come, to make up for it, al- 

 though the books say they are not as cross as the 

 blacks. 



Well, I've got to use neighbor's Peabody, because I 

 can't spare funds this season ("unless our ship comes 

 In") to get one, weak back will grumble, but mui-t 

 "grin and bear it." lean get a few first swarms for 

 SI .50 from 20th to last of this month. I want by divis- 

 ion and purchase to have 40 stocks by fall, extract the 

 honey and feed for winter. Will this be undertaking 

 too much ? 



Wishing yon success and a bigger pile than Adam 

 Grimm made the last 5 years ; I remain yours, 



New Orleans, March 10th, 1874. Jas . H. Yousu. 



Our reason for using fractional measure- 

 ments, is simply that when we undertook to 

 to classify frames we foxtnd dimensions all or 

 nearly all inside measure. Of what use is this ? 

 The outside of the frame must bear a precise 

 relation to the inside of the hive, but the in- 

 side, of frame affects nothing. We found as 

 nearly as we could come at it, that the Lang- 

 stroth and American frames were most in use, 

 next the Quinby, and Gallup, and as there 

 were a multitude of odd frames in use all 

 along between them, we almost despaired of 

 finding anything broader than the G., and 

 [Continued on hack cover.) 



