280 



My friend liad informed nie before set- 

 ting out on the visit that there were 11 

 colonies, 5 of which were in one hive,— 

 sometliing, you may be certain, I was 

 anxious to see. On reacliing our destina- 

 tion, we found tlie owner busy, for the time 

 being, but liaving been directed where to 

 find the bees, we soon found wliat we took 

 at first to be a pile of dry goods boxes, but 

 which proved, on close inspection, to be the 

 "apiary." I wish I could describe it. I 

 can't, and do it justice. 



The first hive inspected, we were told, 

 had contained bees for 15 years. I do not 

 doubt it. It was, probably, some patent 

 arrangement, witli glass back and door. — 

 The door was now held in place by a piece 

 of rail or fence stake, and the whole affair 

 was so worm-eaten that it would hardly 

 hold together. 



We next examined an old box hive, which 

 was being run for honey, having 2 old six- 

 pound boxes on top, for surplus. 



But, our curiosity was increasing. The 

 next hive, said to contain 2 colonies, was a 

 large, pine box, more than 3 feet square. — 

 An examination of its interior arrange- 

 ments showed that it contained one of the 

 aforesaid box hives. It was explained that 

 one colony was in the hiVe, and the other 

 occupied the space outside the hive in the 

 box ; but, as there appeared to be not over a 

 handful of bees outside the hive, the man 

 said they must have all gone in together. — 

 We thought so too. Another box, nearly as 

 large as the first, said to contain 2 colonies, 

 was passed, and we reached the one having 

 5. We first made an extended tour of the 

 exterior, in search of the 5 entrances. We 

 found them. On one side, 2 holes, an inch 

 long and one-half an inch apart ; on the 

 opposite side, 3 holes, an inch apart, made 

 with a small bit ; all 5 opening into one and 

 the same compartment, viz : that great box. 

 Inside, in one corner, was a small box, 

 which served as a brood nest ; while outside 

 and above it, the colony was storing its 

 sunjlus honey. 



What kind of bee-keeping is that ? How 

 many such bee-keepers there are all over 

 the country. Perhaps they have not all 

 made as much advance as this one who 

 considered the large boxes with several 

 colonies a great improvement. They look 

 upon bee papers and magazines as many do 

 uj)on honey — a luxury which they can do 

 without. 



I returned home well repaid for my jour- 

 ney, in the increased satisfaction felt as I 

 looked upon the results of my own feeble 

 eiforts, but with a determination to do wliat 

 I couki to awaken an interest, which would 

 forever do away with such bee-keeping as 

 that I had seen. Warren Peirce. 



Garrettsville, Ohio, July 19, 1878. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



The Perfection Honey Box. 



I have handled bees more or less for 15 

 years, and made my first section boxes in 

 1871 ; but not having many bees, did not 

 give the matter of boxes much attention. I 

 shipped my bees here from Rochester, 



Pennsylvania, in July and August, 1875, 

 and have been steadily increasing our 

 apiary until at present we number 117 colo- 

 nies, besides a number of nuclei. From 

 the amount of time and labor required to 

 glass up our honey in section boxes, I soon 

 found tliat with many colonies 1 nnist have 

 some more expeditious way of glassing, and 

 better adapted to make a complete section 

 honey box, hence my Perfection Honey 

 Box, of which the above illustration gives a 

 perspective view. 



The box consists, in the combination 

 with the comb frame or section and separ- 



ate glasses, applied loosely upon the oppo- 

 site faces of said frame or section, of caps 

 at each end, which embrace the frame or 

 section and glasses, and hold the whole in 

 compact form. The caps are made of box 

 pasteboard, the rim of which can be made 

 of any desired color, although I confine 

 myself to colors not easily fly specked. — 

 They are made of a size to enclose one or 

 more sections, according to size of box 

 required, also to accommodate any size 

 of section in use. 



Some of the advantages of this box are : — 

 The rapidity with which the honey can be 

 glassed and prepared for market. Easy 

 crating and safe transportation is secured. 

 It is the most attractive style of honey 

 box in the market. 



We sold our honey last season, put up in 

 these boxes, to Thurber & Co., New York, 

 who spoke highly of the package. 



DIRECTIONS FOR USING. 



Place cap without label on bench, into 

 which set the section or sections, as case 

 maybe; slip a glass down in place on side 

 next operator, then grasp lower corners 

 with both hands, pressing thumbs against 

 rim of cap on side glass has been placed, 

 and forefingers on opposite side of section, 

 pressing well together; this gives room to 

 slip glass down on otlier side, after which 

 adjust cap having label on top of box. 



J. E. MOORE. 



Byron, Genesee Co., N. Y. 



^ In 1870 there were 70^000 bee-keep- 

 ers in the United States. This year the 

 number is estimated at 150,000, averag- 

 ing 15 colonies each. 



