THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



189 



a vast amount of room for idle bees to louf in, 

 when they should be at work in the boxes. In 

 the best forms of frame hives this loafinn; space 

 amounts to one-fifth or one-fourth of their whole 

 capacity. We want a hive in which the bees 

 will all be compelled to stay on the combs, or in 

 spaces in which combs are to be built. For tiiose 

 ■who desire to raise queens, or rapidly multiply 

 stocks, it would be well to have a long Laug- 

 stroth hive, that could be divided into four 

 apartments when necessary ; and by having an 

 entrance at each end and one on each side, com- 

 municating with the respective apartments, there 

 would be no risk of losing queens by mistaking 

 the wrong entrance. The frames could be made 

 of the proper size .to fix in the sections, after 

 sawing off the projecting shoulders ; then, as 

 stocks were built up,'they could be transferred 

 into the section hive above described, and the 

 case of the long hive used for other nuclei. 



As to the right to use the hive I have attempted 

 to describe, it is and ever will be free from patent, 

 so far as I am concerned. Whether it neces- 

 sarily conflicts with Mr. Adair's patent, I do not 

 know. I purchased an individual right to use 

 his hive and boxes, as his price was moderate 

 and he seemed fair in his business transactions. 

 I procured the right principally on account of 

 his honey boxes, as they are almosUuidispensable 

 in our markets; the sections forimng a box of 

 themselves, having the advantage over small 

 frames of protecting the surface of the comb from 

 injury, and yet being divisible into single combs, 

 the same as frames. 



There is probably no greater happiness to a 

 good and true man than that of being serviceable 

 to his fellow creatures, without the hope of fee 

 or reward. Let us, therefore, all try and con- 

 tribute our mile, that we may perfect a hive and 

 system of bee-keeping free to all, and cease to 

 patronize the cormorants that. have for years 

 plundered the industry of the country. Cease to 

 patronize patents, and they will soon cease to be 

 the disgusting nuisance they now are ; and per- 

 chance we may be able to induce patentees them- 

 selves to adopt some other policy. The honey- 

 emptying machine has (thanks to the Germans) 

 come to us untouched by the grasi)ing hands of 

 patent venders ; and its rapid success gives hope 

 of improved hives and system of bee-keeping, if 

 free and unpatented. 



I fear I am occupying too much of your space, 

 yet I cannot refrain from whispering a word of 

 advice to one of your correspondents, hailing 

 from- Des Moines, Iowa. He has written three 

 communications, (some dozen columns in all,) 

 to show, among other things, that the bee- 

 cholera or bee-disease prevalent last year, besides 

 every other ill that bee "flesh is heir to," was 

 caused by the want of a certain-to-be patented 

 hive. And by reference to the September num- 

 ber we find the very contrivance he is " talking " 

 about, described by Sir. Owen Davis as the 

 "Double Combined Movable Comb Ilive," pat- 

 ented in 1867, and yet pending. Now if Mr. D. 

 will turn to page 553 of the Report of the De- 

 partment of Agriculture for 186:', he will find 

 ins contrivance described by Mr. Richard Calvin, 

 of Baltimore. Md. I could add some other facts 



to show that the use of two or more frames, 

 placed within one larger one, is not new ; but as 

 I have neither seen or heard of any " startling 

 wonders" resulting from their use, I dismiss the 

 subject, as undeserving further consideration. 



I have something more to say on the subject of 

 patents, Avhich, with the indulgence of the Editor, 

 I may give in another communication, as this 

 one is full long already. 



_ Will not Mr. Quinby favor us with a descrip- 

 tion of his hive, if experience has confirmed his 

 judgment as to its utility? Most bee-keepers 

 have entire confidence in his honesty and un- 

 biassed judgment ; why then not sacrifice the 

 time and trouble necessary to attain so great a 



good? J. M. WOKDEN. 



Mobile, Alabama, Dec. 28, 1869. 



[For the Americau : 



Disturbing Bees. 



I Journal.] 



What is the average number of times a good 

 bee-keeper will "go into" (open the hives and 

 examine) his bees, in the course of the season ? 

 —J. G. W., Cliillicothe, Mo , July 25, 186'J. 



A good bee-keeper can generally tell if any- 

 thing is needed by his stocks of bees without 

 "going into" his hives; and, generally, need 

 not " go into " them more than four times dur- 

 ing the season : Once in the spring to clean the 

 hives and regulate the cotnbs, bees, honey and 

 brood— that is to equalize them ; then once or 

 twice at swarming time, and once in the fall, to 

 see that they are all right for winter. The latter 

 time or trouble may be avoided generally by pre- 

 vious diagnosis, without "going into" the hives. 



It will pay a better bee-keeper than I am to 

 "go into" the hives, say once a week, unless his 

 time is worth more than one or two dollars a 

 day, as he will see places and items that may be 

 improved ; and he may study and work out 

 something valuable, as there is no branch of sci- 

 ence that has yet reached perfection. 



If the operator can learn nothing by opening a 

 few hives every day for six months, he holds an 

 enviable position. I would like to see a person so 

 far in advance, or so far behind others, that he 

 cannot learn something more. Even if he should 

 learn nothing from any one operation, he may 

 console himself by the reflection that his time 

 has been more profitably occupied than it would 

 have been by frequenting saloons or places of dis- 

 sipation, to the neglect of his stock or his home. 

 J. M. Marvin. 



St. Charles, 111. 



If the spring is not favorable to bees, they 

 should be fed, because that is the season of their 

 greatest expense in honej', for feeding their 

 young. Having jjlenty of honey at that time, 

 enables them to yield early and strong swarms. — 

 Wildma?i. 



Beware of demoralizing bees, by tempting them 

 to rob each other. 



