third day. I then gave them 3 frames of 

 fresh eggs from anotlier colony with an 

 imported queen, and in 8 days after, I 

 received anotlier imported one ; and as this 

 was late in the evening, I thought the best 

 way to do would be to take away the 

 frames of brood and introduce her to the 

 same colony. I had forgotten that I put in 

 3 frames, and had the impression that it 

 was only two, so I took but two away, and 

 then besmeared the queen witii honey and 

 dropped her in. The next day being Sun- 

 day, I only looked about tlie 'entrance, to 

 see if they had accepted her. I concluded 

 they had, and was right. On Monday 

 evening I opened the hive, and the first 

 frame 1 lifted was the third one that I had 

 forgotten, with 3 perfect cells on it. Just 

 10 days old. I saw at once that my own 

 bungling carelessness had destroyed such a 

 valuable queen ;— (but wait for the excep- 

 tion). 1 removed 2 cells, and then was 

 about to close up, leaving one cell to hatch, 

 when the thought struck me that the queen 

 might be there yet. So I commenced 

 searching for her, and the third frame I 

 lifted out, lo, and behold, she was ail right ! 

 Was ever a man more glad ? This queen 

 proved very prolific, but for some cause was 

 removed last week, by the bees, after being 

 in the hive only 7 or 8 weeks. 



TWO QUEENS IN A HIVE. 



I sent off a fine queen some 3 weeks ago, 

 and not wishing to get out of stock, left the 

 hive to start cells ; in just 3 days after, I 

 examined to know what number of cells 

 they had started. Ccmid not find one. I 

 thought perhaps they had forgotten it, but 

 would remember when too late. So 1 gave 

 them a frame of fresh eggs from another 

 hive, and in 4 days after, lifting out tliat 

 frame to count the cells, I saw a large and 

 bright queen on it, already laying. Now, if 

 this was not two queens in the hive, what 

 was it ? It was just 7 days from the day I 

 shipped off one, and if the other was not in 

 the hive, then how could she be laying so 

 soon. 



MITCHELL'S PATENTS. 



An agent of N. C. Mitchell came to my 

 apiary with 2 Adjustable hives for me to 

 put bees in. After examining the hive, I 

 told him 1 had been using that division- 

 board since 1866, and a hive similar to that 

 since 1872, and took him out in the bee-yard 

 and showed him. There was not a particle 

 of iron or lugs on his division-board, except 

 the tacks to hold the strips of cloth to the 

 edges or sides— no rubber strips. Just so 

 of my division-boards. I used the strips 

 torn off of cassimere, by tailors, so there 

 was not a pai'ticle of difference between his 

 division-boards and those I have used since 

 1866. His frame, if I recollect, was 12 

 inches square. Mine is 11x13, inside meas- 

 ure. My hives are 12 inches deep, 14 inches 

 wide, and as long as suits my convenience ; 

 some 20 inches, some 24 and 36 inches. — 

 Mitchell's honey-boards are cloth. I use 

 both cloth and wood at certain seasons.— 

 Cloth in winter, and wood in summer. 



Now, I would ask this question : Does a 

 man have a right to patent a hive that 

 another has been using for years ? 



I also read Mitchell's instructions to bee- 

 keepers, given to me by the agent. He 

 gives instructions in it how to make the 

 division-board, but not a word about the 

 lugs or iron legs. He only names the strijis 

 of cloth, (not rubber), the same as I have 

 used since 1866; and I venture the assertion 

 that hundreds of others have dcme the sHUie, 

 long before Mitchell got his })atent. But if 

 he will confine himself to his patent, in 

 connection with the nietalic legs, all is 

 right. 



COMB FOUNDATION. 



I have given it a fair trial, this year. It 

 is a great advantage, thouiih I find many 

 objections to be remedied yet, I find it far 

 better to only put in the comb foundation to 

 come iiali or two-thirds the depth of the 

 frame, for when it conies to within an inch 

 of the bottom piece, they sag so as to be- 

 come rumpled and fastened to each other 

 at the bottom, and they cannot be got out 

 without tearing away a good deal of brood 

 at the bottom. The only remedy 1 find, is 

 to put them only half or two-lhiids, till we 

 can invent a foundation that will not sag.— 

 And to get them straight, there should be 

 half an inch space from the end of the 

 frame. I find them more apt to bend and 

 fall out tlie frame than natural combs. I 

 also find the bees lengthen out the comb at 

 the middle and bottom before they do at the 

 top when full sheets are given. 1 had a 

 swarm the last of July to which I gave full 

 sheets of foundation, and in a few days 

 alter, another very large swaim. This 

 latter swarm I hived without a sheet of 

 foundation. Now the first one is full of 

 honey and comb, very strong ; the latter has 

 built 3 combs and has about a pound of 

 honey. Had I given the latter swarm comb 

 foundation, I believe they would be ready 

 for winter by this time. I tried this for au 

 experiment. R. M. Akgo. 



Lowell, Ky., Aug. 10, 1878. 



For tne American Bee Journal. 



A Cheap Wax Extractor. 



Necessity is said to be the mother of in- 

 vention, and finding the necessity of having 

 some means of extracting the wax from a 

 quantity of comb on hand, I devised a plan 

 which 1 find so satisfactory to myself that I 

 desire to place it before the readers of the 

 Bee Jouknal. 



Take an old, milk pan, too far gone for 

 any further use in the dairy, and if the 

 bottom is considerably rounded down or 

 concave, so much the better. Punch a hole 

 in the centre of the bottom, about one-half 

 inch in diameter ; and after |)lacing a frag- 

 ment of china, or small piece of bent tin 

 over the bole, to prevent its b<ing clogged 

 by the comb falling into it, fill it with comb 

 and set on the urate in the oven of the 

 kitchen stove. Under the pan, on the bot- 

 tom of the oven, set another pan, to receive 

 the wax. Be careful to have only a moder- 

 ate fire, or the wax will lie scorched. 



Wlien the wax ceases to run, remove the 

 pan and refill it. Warhkn Pikkce. 



Garrettsville, O., Aug. 19, 1878. 



