8 



Tum MMERicaK mmm jouRNat,. 



Following tlie President's address 

 was an essay bj' Mr. R. L. Taylor, of 

 Lapeer, entitled, 



Apicultui-al Patents. 



Not very long since it Vins stated in 

 one of our apicuUural publications as 

 an assumed fact, tliat bee-keepers had 

 settled clown to the opinion that no 

 one should seek a patent on any inven- 

 tion pertaining to apiculture. 1 was 

 astonished, and foil to remuinating on 

 the characteristics of bee-keepers. I 

 asked, what are the qualities possessed 

 by them that entitle their business to 

 be singled out and distinguished from 

 all other occupations ? for as a general 

 rule, I take it that it is conceded that 

 the patent laws are desirable and 

 beneficial. Whence, then, the dis- 

 tinction ? Is it because we are a 

 worse class of men, and are more 

 liable to use patent rights to impose 

 ujion others ? I think we would resent 

 that idea. 



Is it because we are supposed to be 

 more stupid, and therefore easilj' im- 

 posed upon by means of patent-rights ? 

 We would also, I think, quickljf scout 

 that notion. Is it because we are bet- 

 ter men, both morally and intellect- 

 ually, so that we to a man are not 

 only ready and eager to accord to 

 every one his right, but also have 

 severally sufficient knowledge, acumen, 

 time for investigation, and a judicial 

 cast of mind to enable each one to 

 determine what is the exact right t* 

 Then we as good, modest men should 

 be the last to make? the claim. I am 

 at a loss for an adeijuate explanation, 

 but the last supposition as being the 

 more probable, suggested the following 

 reflections : 



A good man may, indeed, in some 

 circumstances, properly say that he 

 means right, and will do right as he 

 sees it ; but what an amazing amount 

 of conceit must one be endowed with 

 to enable him to proclaim that even 

 when his own interests are involved, 

 be is always able to discern and do the 

 exact right ; or, in other words, tliat 

 he may safely be made to judge in his 

 own case. Yet the whole moral patent 

 idea is without other substantial sup- 

 port than this modest claim. 



There is no principle of the common 

 law better established, more salutary 

 or more consistent with reason, than 

 that a man may not be jfidge in his 

 own case. This is souud, not because 

 men are not upright, intelligent and 

 fair, but because self interest can, as a 

 rule, be relied upon to becloud the moral 

 and intellectual faculties, not alone of 

 other men, but ours — mine. The best 

 men know best how frail they are in 

 such a matter. The above rule was 

 not made obligatory on the judges by 

 king or parliament, they themselves 

 established it. 



The moral patent idea to be of use, 

 must be put in force, and to do that, 

 there must be provided some adequate 

 method of arriving at correct deci- 

 sions. But there can be none, from 

 the very nature of the matter in its 

 court of last resort a man sits as judge 

 in his own case. From a tribunal thus 

 constituted, we cannot do otherwise 

 than expect not a little of corruption 

 and injustice ; and how much worse 

 are the features of the matter when we 

 consider that possibly sometime in the 

 future, some one not strictly honest, 

 maj- steal his way into the fraternity. 



The very idea of a moral patent 

 carries with it an admission to* the 

 fullest extent of the right of the inven- 

 tor of an apicuUural article, and that 

 there is a debt due him from the one 

 who uses the invention. Why should 

 that one alone be singled out from all 

 classes of creditors to be left to the 

 tender mercies of interested men, for 

 the payment of his claims ? If he has 

 an admitted right, what possible ob- 

 jection can there be to giving him 

 legal protection in the enjojment of it? 



Is it not supremely impolitic, by 

 withholding protection, to compel in- 

 ventors, where the subject matter ad- 

 mits of it, to make a secret of their 

 discoveries ? 



Again, In the granting of patents, 

 the public stijjulates that for the pro- 

 tection given, it shall have, as a recom- 

 pense, after a term of years, a full 

 right to the invention. What limit is 

 proposed to the moral patent ? 



Finally, why should we withhold 

 protection and justice on the plea that 

 others contributed towards making the 

 discovery, or that soMe other one 

 would eventually have made it ? All 

 honor to the inventor, and all honor to 

 the patentee, say I, but especially to 

 the latter. It is an honor to be an in- 

 ventor, but he may let his invention 

 sleep — he may not know its value — 

 may have but a faint conception of its 

 possibilities. But to be a patentee is 

 better ; that means not only that a 

 candle has been lighted, but that it 

 has been taken from under the bushel. 

 It implies not only an invention, but 

 that the inventor has discovered its 

 possibilities and value. 



Long years before Columbus, the 

 Norsemen found America, but their 

 discovery slejit. They rose to no 

 proper conception of the importance 

 of what they had done. We honor 

 Columbus, because before he knew the 

 land, he saw the glory of it. 



Brethren, shall we not get our feet 

 out of the miry clay of this moral 

 patent-business, and place them upon 

 substantial ground ? Shall we not be 

 willing to give inventors substantial 

 honor, as well as empty glory ? 



R. L. Taylor. 



Mr. Taylor's essay was discussed as 

 follows : 



James Heddou — I have advocated 

 moral patents because of the strong 

 feeling in the apicuUural ranks against 

 legal patents ; but I agree entirely with 

 Mr. T. 



President Hilton — My views upon 

 the patent questions have undergone 

 quite a change of late. Heretofore my 

 circulars have said, "Nothing pat- 

 ented." In the future this will be out. 

 I truly believe that the fruits of mental 

 labor should be protected. 



Ur. N. L. Higbie — If I see anything 

 that will enable me to secure any ad- 

 vantages, I shall invest in it, even if it 

 is patented. The man who has labored 

 mentally, deserves his reward. 



H. D. Cutting — It has always seemed 

 strange to me why bee-keepers should 

 be prohibited, by public sentiment, 

 from getting patents. If a man knows 

 enough to invent something of value, 

 let him patent it. 



T. M. Cobb —Whether an article is 

 of value depends, of cour.se, upon its 

 value ; but I think that all should have 

 a chance to patent their inventions. 



Width of Xop-Kars- 



ISoUI-il!). 



Honey- 



Dr. Htgbie — With wide top-bars less 

 brace-combs are built, and no honey- 

 boards are needed. 



Mr. Fellows — My objection to wide 

 top-bars is, that they are in the way 

 when uncapping the combs. 



James Heddon — I have used both 

 wide and narrow top-bars. The nar- 

 rower the top-bars, the more brace- 

 combs will then be under the honey- 

 board, but the less likelihood of any 

 above. I am yet a great admirer of 

 the lateral movement in combs, when 

 we must handle frames instead of 

 hives. A wide top reduces the lateral 

 movement. And now, while we are 

 talking of top-bars and honey-boards, 

 I wish to say that I believe that three 

 rows of holes in a wood-and-zinc 

 honey-board are sufficient. I have 

 tried' putting on 3 and 4 honey-boards 

 on one hive, and it made no ditierence 

 in the results. Just think how the 

 bees, in the days of the box-hive, used 

 to pass up through an inch auger-hole, 

 and fill the caps. When we remember 

 that it lias been estimated that iu ordi- 

 nary honey-flows a bee makes only 

 four trips a day, and teu trips in bass- 

 wood harvest, "it will show the folly of 

 regarding in a serious light the time 

 spent in passing through a queen-ex- 

 cluding honey-board. It is something 

 like an election bet. I must wheel 

 you in a barrow from Kalamazoo to 

 this place, and once around this build- 

 ing. Putting on a queen-excluder is 

 like wheeling you from Kalamazoo, 

 and then twice around this building. 



