964 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec 



patented the first practical bee-hive the world ever 

 knew. Its principal features were the movable 

 frame and bee-space. As Mr. Langstroth's patent 

 expired more than twenty years ago, his hive, and 

 all its valuable features, are public property. Since 

 that time hundreds of patents have been issued on 

 bee-hives, and the great majority of them have 

 been on claims or principles worse than worthless. 

 It is an easy matter to get a patent on any novelty 

 or new design, even if it is practically useless. Thus 

 it is easy to attach some clasp, feeder, fixture, or 

 something patented, to an otherwise unpatented hive, 

 and the combination proclaimed, with a slight de- 

 gree of truth, a patented hive! Some so-called pat- 

 ented hives have been industriously shoved in com- 

 munities; and the people would afterward discover 

 that there was no patent on the hive at all, may be 

 on no part of it, and that they had been duped by 

 swindlers who had sought fresh pastures elsewhere. 

 In either case the usual result is, the purchaser of 

 the "Right" finds himself in possession of the 

 plans for a hive that no one but a flrst-class me- 

 chanic can construct properly (as the majority of 

 them are very complicated). Such labor costs more 

 than he can afford to pay, and he does not use his 

 " Right " after buying it ! 



This is a significant fact; think of it: The largest 

 and most successful bee-keepers in the world— men 

 who produce tons of honey, and who make bee- 

 keeping a life study, do not use patented hives! 

 They are posted, and would not hesitate to pay $100 

 for the right to a hive that would give them any ad- 

 vantage over the unpatented hives they use. 



Bee-keepers and farmers, put your bees into 

 good unpatented frame hives, and keep them as 

 they deserve; and if you want to make your own 

 hives, do so; but don't pay any man a cent for the 

 right to make them. If the patent-hive agent calls 

 on you or gets into your neighborhood, set the dog 

 on him; show him up; warn your neighbors of him; 

 make it unpleasant and unprofitable for him, and 

 he won't abide with you long. 



My friends, these are hard things to say; but 

 the Southern people have been and are being so im- 

 posed upon that I feel justified in thus warning 

 them. If you don't believe what I say, write to the 

 editor of any bee-paper in America, and ask him if 

 I am not right. 



I^YgEIiF Tip W ]^EIGflB0I^. 



There shall arise false Christs and false prophets, 

 and shall show great signs and wonders ; insomuch 

 that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very 

 elect.— Matt. 24 : 24. 



TTp S a rule, those who follow Christ Jesus 

 ^fjb are expected to show, in their daily 



jP** conduct, love and kindness ; and per- 

 ■*** haps I should say, only love and kind- 

 ness under all circumstances and on 

 all occasions. Jesus conquered by love. It 

 is true, that on one or two occasions he had 

 to drive certain people from the temple. 

 He even used a whip of knotted cords, and 

 turned their money-tables over. But these 

 few occasions are isolated, and stand almost 

 alone. His mission in this world seems to 

 have been mainly to persuade people toward 

 better ways. If they would not be persuad- 

 ed, they were allowed to go on in their own 

 evil ways. We therefore, then, who are fol- 

 lowers of Christ, should do our work in the 

 spirit of love and kindness. This the world 

 has learned to recognize and expect. When 

 we attempt to enforce law and order in any 

 other way, very likely we shall hear, " A 

 pretty specimen of a Christian you are ! " 

 or, " Do you call that Christianity? " Well, 

 even if we do meet such words and opposi- 

 tion, I believe that every true Christian is 

 called upon, sooner or later, to meet Satan 

 in a regular pitched battle. I would not 

 court controversy nor quarrel nor conflict ; 



but I think there is a time when forbear- 

 ance ceases to be a virtue. A very simple 

 incident will perhaps illustrate my mean- 

 ing. A good deal is said about ruling dumb 

 brutes by love and kindness. In fact, I am 

 a strong believer in the doctrine myself. I 

 would not pound a balky horse, neither 

 would I allow it to be done in my presence. 

 I would strive, however, to accomplish 

 what I wish, by mild words. We may be 

 mild, and yet Arm at the same time ; but 

 with me it is one of the most difficult mat- 

 ters that I have ever had to meet. Our old 

 Charlie, that draws the market-wagon, is 

 an excellent horse for business. He is large 

 and strong, and ambitious ; yes, he will 

 work until he falls down, if you let him. 

 He will also stand hour after hour, all over 

 town, and we never think of such a thing 

 as hitching him. At the same time, he has 

 some little notions that are not pleasant, 

 and, like one of the human family, he very 

 soon discovers whether he can make his 

 driver respect his notions or not. If his 

 driver is a man who knows what a horse 

 ought to do, and is determined to make him 

 do it, he submits readily enough. When 

 we back the market-wagon out of the house 

 built expressly for it, sometimes when the 

 roads are heavy the thills are dropped part- 

 ly on the plank sidewalk. Old Charlie has 

 a kind of theory of his own, that sidewalks 

 are made for men and women to walk on, but 

 not for horses. He will not step on the walk 

 if he can help it ; and if he is obliged to 

 stand there, he backs and stamps and 

 twists. I have often remonstrated with the 

 boys for allowing him to have his own way ; 

 but rather than have a tussle with him they 

 push and tire themselves out in backing the 

 wagon off through the mud. When I re- 

 monstrated, one of them asked me to make 

 him step into the thills while they were 

 across the sidewalk, if I thought I could do 

 it. He backed so stubbornly that I had 

 much difficulty in getting the thills through 

 the straps, and then he came very near 

 breaking them by trying to get off from the 

 planks, cramping them sidewise. We were 

 late that morning, and so I let him go. 

 Another morning, when we had more time, 

 I told the boys to wait until I had taught 

 the horse a lesson in obedience. I had had 

 a like experience with him before in other 

 things, and I knew what was needed. I 

 did not want a whip. I simply wanted a lit- 

 tle stick— a short piece of lath suits me best 

 for such a purpose. I waited until I found 

 it, and then I took him by the bits, and 

 said, decidedly, " Now, Charlie, behave your- 

 self, or there will be trouble.' 1 He saw the 

 stick in my hand, and knew by my tones, 

 doubtless, that there was not going to be 

 any fooling, nor time wasted. I took pains 

 to hold the stick where he could see it clear- 

 ly. He stepped into the thills, without any 

 trouble whatever. When we began to raise 

 them he commenced to back, as on former 

 occasions. I simply raised the stick, and 

 said, firmly, " Look here, sir ! you behave ! " 

 That was all. He did exactly as I wanted 

 to have him, without any fooling, and with- 

 out wasting perhaps five or ten minutes. 

 The next time, he behaved well without 



