:v2ii 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 



here yoii have it of the old orthodox dimen- 

 sions, and a nice entrance at both front and 

 rear. Perhaps I might add, that, in tlie 

 way we make tliem, some ventilation is al- 

 lowed. The end boards are exactly lo indi- 

 es square. Two. exactly alike, are recjuired 

 for a box. Well, the sides and l)ottom are 

 all made of pieces of board exactly alike — 

 six being required to make the box, each one 

 of these pieces l)eing 17i inches long and (U 

 inclies wide. In nailing, lirst nail a piece on 

 each side, Hush witli the to[) i'dixe of the box. 

 Now ])ut on the l)ottoni. the edges being- 

 Hush with the end-lioards. Last of all, put 

 on the two remaining pieces, nailing them 

 into the bottom boards as well as into the 

 ends. This leaves a crack at the middle of 

 each side ; and. if the lioards ever shrink a 

 little, a smaller one. in the center of the 

 bottom. 



If you want to try a potato-box, to see 

 liow handy they are to have around, just or- 

 der one for a packing-box when you are get- 

 ting some goods. We will send a sample, 

 tilled witli goods, for only lo cts., for it saves 

 us the price of a box to put your goods into. 



Y. M. L., Panama, N. r.— What about Mrs. Lizzie 

 E.Cotton aiYd her wonderful " Controllable " bec- 

 hiveV How many dollars' worth ot honey will a 

 hive of pure Italian bees make in a season, and how 

 mueh is a hive of .such bees worthy 



A.NSWERED BY PROF. A. J. COOK. 



Mrs. Tiizzie E. Cotton has been exposed as a fraud 

 in the J^iooi Nrw-Yorkcr and leading bee-journals 

 for years. She says her iiive and sy.stem will surely 



j bring .^^'O per colony each yeai-. Such a statement 

 is absurd. The season may 1 e so \»H<r that no hoii- 



1 ey will be gathered. Even the be '-keepers of 

 Maine, in her own State. lu-onouTic Mrs. Cotton to 

 b- :i cheat. Her hive and system would not be ac- 

 cepted as a gift by the first bee-keepers of the 

 countr}-. .V good colony of Italian bees will, in 

 average seasons, give one swarm, and gather M 



i pounds of fine comb honey. Our best bee-men sell 

 good strong colonies, in our best hives— such hives 

 are now unpatented— for $10. Mrs. Cotton charges 



I double this amount, and many of her iiutrons com- 

 plain that what she sends is really worthless. 



CONVENTION NOTICES. 



The Mahoning Valley Bee-Keepers' Association 

 will hold its ne.\t meeting at Newton Falls, Ohio, on 

 Thursday, May 28, 1885. E. .W\ Turner, Sec. 



pupBae? M^ Dwindle? 



PERTAINING TO EEE CULTURE. _ 



fRIEND ROOT:— I have got into considerable 

 trouble from the party whose circular I in- 

 close, as he claims I am infringing on his 

 patent in using the oil or enamel cloth that I 

 got from you. He claims that he has a pat- 

 ent on all cloth covers, every thing e.xcept boards, 

 and warns me that I shall be prosecuted in the U. S. 

 court. He has sold the right to use his hives in this 

 county, for f20t1, to a party in Rockdale. Please in- 

 struct me what to do. I am not able to stand a 

 suit; it would ruin me, yet I have my forty stands 

 of bees covered with such sheets, and have sold 70 

 hives, all with the same sort of sheets, so I am in 

 for it. Wm. Wason. 



Rockdale, Milam Co., Texas, April 18, 1885. 

 Friend AV".. tell the " Common - sense'' 

 folks to commence suit on me for using 

 enamel sheets, if they like. I am, perhaps, 

 the largest infringer, and have probably been 

 using tlic enamel sheets more years than al- 

 most anybody else— certainly long before 

 tlieii- ])ateiit dates. This is simply a rehash 

 of .MitclielTs absurd claims. Tlie circular 

 you send us is the usual one that is sent out 

 with the Conimon-sense (?) hive. Some may 

 urge that good men's names are appended to 

 theii- testimonials. A'ery likely; but these 

 good men liave got into company most decid- 

 edly Itad. No such a patent would be possi- 

 ble or rational. Ton can cover your bee- 

 iiives, or any other farm implements, with 

 cloth, paper, or oil cloth, or any thing you 

 ctioose, and tliere can l)e no patent on it. 

 Tliere is no danger of a suit at all. They 

 are simply trying to blackmail you, friend 

 Wason. 



It seems that Prof. Cook does not hesitate 

 to declare publicly wliere Mrs. Cotton and 

 her hive belong. Surely she can not claim 

 that Prof. Cook is interested in a bee-journal 

 ( ir a hive-mannfactorv. We copy the foUow- 

 ing from the Jiural Nnr-Ydrhr "of Apr. 2.1 : 



The bee-keepers of Western Mich, will hold their 

 spring meeting at Fremont, Mich., May 5, 1885. All 

 are invited to attend. F. S. Covey', Sec. 



Coopersville, Mich., April U, 1885. 



The Central Michigan Bee-Keepers' Association 

 holds its spring convention at Lansing, in the State 

 Capitol Building, on Tuesday, May 13, 1885, at 9 a. ji. 

 E. N. Wood. Sec. 



No. Lansing, Mich., April 20, 1885. 



The next meeting of the Central California Bee- 

 Keepers' Association will take place in the park at 

 Hanford, Tulare Co., in picnic style, at 10 a. m., on 

 the first Wednesday in .June. All family folks will 

 bring their baskets; and bee-men generally are 

 invited. Geo. Hobler, Sec. 



Hanford, Tulare Co., Cal;, April 11, 1885. 



The Northern Ohio Bee-Keepers' Association will 

 hold their annual meeting in the Council Chamber, 

 at Norwalk, Ohio, Saturday, May 9. 



Several subjects of immediate practical value will 

 be discussed. Officers will wo elected for the ensu- 

 ing year. 



No one engaged in the production of honey can 

 afford to be absent. H. R. Boardm.\n, Sec. 



East Townsend, Ohio, April 15, 1885. 



PENNSYLVANIA KEYSTONE BEE-KEEPERS ASS()CI-\- 

 TION. 



The next annual meeting of the above association 

 is to be held in the court-house, in the city of 

 Scranton, Pa., at 1(1 o'clock A. .m., and at 1:30 P. .M. 

 on the seeoTid Tuesday of May, the 12th, 1SS5. 



At the nioriiini; session the annual election of 

 othct'rs will take place. While the association is 

 but Just eoninieneing its third year, we feel to 

 congratuhiie nni selves in having a working mem- 

 bership ill tiltN and ujnvard; yet there remains 

 mueh to be aeeoniplislied, and we tinist that all who 

 keep bees, whetlnM- Inr pleasure or i)rofit, will make 

 it their duty to attend this meeting, and bring their 

 friends. Business ot great value will be brought 

 before the meeting. The question-drawer will be 

 opened, and questions answered. Let everybodj- 

 send a question. All ai-e most cordially invited. 



Arthch a. D.vvis, Sec. 



Clark's Green, Pa., April 17, 18s.'). 



CIRCULARS RECEIVED. 



M. C. Kerns, Pomeroy, O , .sends an 8-pago circular ot hives, 

 section boxes, etc. 

 n. A i;....ilii.li, M issie, Tex.ts, sends an 8-page circular of 



o II 1 II III \ tamo, Mich., sjnds us a one-page circular 



of 1.. I - .iiPl ■,"• ' "-■ 



P. s 1 1 I II, s III !i < .il)ot. Vt.. sends a small Spagc circular; 

 .I.e. Mi~lil. I, l.iu.ijiii I-, liiii , -I'lids MS a one-page circular; 



la IV. 



