390 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 



dow-sash, about 13x20 inches. Stand them 

 up the long way, one touching the other. 

 Only the two outside frames have glass in 

 them. Fasten the frames together with 

 small cleats, putting a small screw through 

 the end of each cleat. The screw penetrates 

 the edge of only the outside frames, or those 

 that are glassed ; otherwise the inside frames 

 could not be removed for the purposes of 

 observation. Provide an entrance and put 

 on a roof, and there you have the hive that 

 Huber used. Sometimes, however, these 

 frames were hinged at the back, and then 

 they could be opened at one side like the 

 leaves of a book. Mr. Kellen says : 



It will he seen that this leaf-hive was the fore- 

 runner of the Dzierzon frame. In fact, at first the 

 frames turned outward, while the movable frames 

 are inside. Such was the service rendered by this 

 blind investigator, who in apicultural science, at 

 least for his time, made true the little legend of his 

 native city, Past tenebras lux— light after darkness. 



In the above interesting account of Hu- 

 bert work, it seems a little significant that 

 two of his most valued helpers were women 

 —his wife and Miss Jurine. Woman's place 

 in the industries, inventions, and progress 

 of the world, was beginning to be felt, even 

 in the time of Huber ; and oftentimes as I 

 sit in the office and listen to the click of the 

 type- writers (there are four of them now), 

 and see how much of the brains and head- 

 work of our establishment is in the hands of 

 womankind, 1 deeply ponder. In a great 

 many ways in these latter days, God seems 

 to be choosing the weak ones of the world to 

 confound the mighty. 



HIVES. 



CLOSED-END FRAMES, ETC. 



fHIS being the subject I have studied the most, 

 my enthusiasm leads me to say a few words 

 regarding Prof. Cook's article on pages 349 

 and 350. The professor asks if the advantage 

 gained by the use of close-fitting frames 

 doesn't cost too much. By this I apprehend he 

 must mean to ask if we are not losing more than 

 we gain by parting with the lateral movement of 

 suspended frames. Now, I wish to say that all de- 

 pends upon the construction of the closed frames. 

 Mr. Langstroth said, and truly too, that the one 

 main objection to all close-fitting frames of the 

 past was the danger of pinching bees when they 

 were put up together sidewise. Well, now, with 

 my arrangement of the tight-fitting frames they 

 are not put up together in that way, and do you 

 not see that I can put a frame down into the hive 

 and take it up much more rapidly, and not only 

 that, but with no danger of pinching or mashing 

 the bees, than we could when using the Langstroth 

 frame? Heretofore the frames have been put to- 

 gether sidewise because they could not be shoved 

 down, pushing them through all the way from top 

 to bottom, removing the possibility of pinching a 

 bee, because they were liable to slide sidewise; but 

 with my arrangement there is no such thing as 

 pinching a bee, either between the uprights op 

 each side or between them and the case. However 

 many bees may be there, they must be pushed out 



frame? You know that, unless nerve and time are 

 expended, you are liable, by a little sidewise mo- 

 tion, to pinch bees— not mash them, but pinch them 

 between the uprights of the frames and the case. 

 You hardly notice anything out of the way; and 

 when you get a jab on the hand or nose by the pain- 

 producing javelin of this bee, you hardly know 

 why it comes. You can not imagine how much 

 less stinging we have, and how much more amia- 

 ble our bees seem to be, when handling them in the 

 new hive, from whence we seldom move a frame, 

 being able to accomplish all that the practical suc- 

 cessful honey-producer could possibly ask without 

 such removal. I mention the foregoing, because 

 friend Cook really makes a mistake in classing my 

 new hive with the Huber and other close-fitting 

 frames. The shallowness of my frames, especially 

 since the adoption of wired foundation, making 

 good, straight, regular combs, the lateral movement 

 of the frames is almost useless. 



THE DOVETAILED HIVE. 



On page 363 I notice what you say about the 

 popularity of the Dovetailed hive; and so far as the 

 dovetailing is concerned, or, more correctly speak- 

 ing, the notching, if you make it as accurate and 

 even as the box-factories, certainly your patrons 

 will like it, all of which I studied on and talked 

 about to my students several years ago when we 

 came near putting in machinery for the purpose; 

 but after all, friend Root, when I remember how 

 many such practical bee-keepers as Prof. Cook, 

 Hutchinson, and scores of others I might meution, 

 feel in regard to my modification of the Langstroth 

 hive as against the Simplicity, I feel very certain 

 that it is the changing from the one to the other 

 that gives your customers such satisfaction. I 

 have made my modification of the Langstroth hive, 

 with loose bottom-board with the cleats tacked on, 

 the same as I use with my new hive, and sold them 

 in that shape for about two years; and you will see 

 that the Simplicity will be rapidly superseded by 

 what I suppose I may call the Heddon-Langstroth. 

 In a foot-note to a former article you call my atten- 

 tion to the fact that using cleats to make a bee- 

 space on the bottom-board was prior to my inven- 

 tion of it. Certainly it was. I willingly admit that; 

 but that arrangement is no part of my patent, ex- 

 cept when used in combination with a divisible 

 brood-chamber, etc. I think I can agree with the 

 several customers you mention, in saying that you 

 will undoubtedly find this the best and most practi- 

 cal hive you have ever sold, and I really wish I had 

 one to look over as a sample. I am mainly inter- 

 ested in the quality of your workmanship all over 

 the hive, and especially in the notching at the cor- 

 ners. I inclose order for a sample hive. 

 Dowagiac, Mich. James Heddon. 



Although I am favorable to the closed-end 

 frames, I must say that I can not manipulate 

 and examine in the same time as much comb 

 surface in a divisible Heddon hive as in the 

 old-style full-depth Langstroth. Perhaps it 

 is because practice has not made perfect in 

 my case. I have also tried, several times, 

 shaking bees out of the brood-sections ; but, 

 my ! how the bees did boil all over the bot- 

 tom-board, in the grass, and — up my trow- 

 sers legs ! Perhaps I have not yet quite got 

 hold of the knack of it. We shall take great 

 pleasure in sending you a Dovetailed hive, 



of the way. how is it when you lift a suspended Test the strength of the corner. Ernest. 



