THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



231 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Conklin Diamond Hive Rejoinder. 



Mr. Editor : — As the columns of your most 

 valuable Journal are open to all attacks, of right 

 Ave claim the chance of defence. Let me saj-^ to 

 friend Sillier, of Peninsula, Ohio, to "keep cool," 

 don't take your hat off and go off half-cocked in 

 great haste, for we wish to have a little friendly 

 talk to you and the readers of the Journal. It 

 is unpleasant to be jumped on so rough-shod and 

 be forced into a controversy to defend one's rights 

 and reputation, especially when the columns of 

 the Journal ought to be occupied by, perhaps, 

 more important matters. But then there is per- 

 haps nothing more interesting to the bee-keeper 

 tlinn the best slyle of hive, to commence with ; 

 and as Ave believe we have at least one of the 

 best, and came by it honestly, Ave Avish to make 

 this statement. . 



We invented the Diamond Hive in 1862, as Ave 

 have said before, and tested it ; but the arduous 

 labors of a large practice of medicine prevented 

 us fiom attending to more than from six to eight 

 stands of bees — just for our own use. In July, 

 1868, believing the Diamond Hive one of the best 

 in use, (as I had tested the Langstroth, Flanders, 

 American, Quinby, and Buckeye hive form of 

 movable frame, besides several hives that were 

 not of the frame patterns,) I applied for a patent, 

 Avhich was granted October 20th, 18G8. I also 

 obtained, as soon as published, Langstroth' s great 

 work on tlie Honey Bee, Quinby's "Mysteries," 

 Flanders' "SAveet Home," King's Bee-keeper's 

 Text Book, Mitchel's Guide, and Thomas' Cana- 

 dian Bee-keeper's Guide, all of Avhich I have 

 read, besides the five volumes of the American 

 Bee Joursal, all of Avhich I have read Avith 

 much interest. So you see that I am not entirely 

 ignorant of the Avants of a good hive. 



Mr. Miller states, on page 188 of the Bee 

 Joui;kal, Vol. 5, " You convey the idea that all 

 that is rcriuired to obtain straight combs in the 

 Diamond hive, is to level the hive, put in a swarm 

 of bees and let them have their own way in build- 

 ing." This, with one addition, is correct; that 

 is,' to see that the frames are true in tJie hive. 

 Now, "wo speak that Avhich we do knoAv, and 

 testify to that Avhich Ave have seen," that if you 

 will sec that the frames are true in the hive, or 

 not winding, and the hive is level, with the bees 

 in it, they Avill buiW their combs straight in the 

 Diamond Hive, Avithout any other guides or divi- 

 sion boaids than the simple empty frames furnish. 

 Of course, by the division board, which is tight- 

 fitting and yet perfectly easy of removal, we can 

 adapt the capacity of the hive to the size of the 

 swarm ; thus enabling a small swarm to send more 

 workers to the field than if in a large hiveAvilhout 

 such division board ; though its use is not neces- 

 sarj^ to secure straight combs. 



Don't begin to cry up — "Stop thief!" and 

 doubt the truthfulness of our Bennington colony 

 statement. We have told you the truth, and if 

 you wish to cross-examine the AN-itness, I Avill 

 make this offer : If you, or any of the readers of 

 the Journal, in America or in Europe, will visit 

 me and the Bennington colony, they shall be 

 taken around among the bee-keepers, and have 



the chance of examining all the hives ; and if 

 they are not as we have stated, I will pay your 

 fare here and back, and your expenses while iiere. 

 We are five miles east of Ashley Station, on the 

 Cleveland and Columbus Eailroad, thirty-six 

 miles north of Columbus. A hack runs every 

 day to the station. Now, gentlemen, if you wish 

 to cross-examiue the Avitness to get the " to/iole 

 truth,'" come on. You may have invented, five 

 years ago, and used, hives with frames hung an- 

 gling, and got crooked combs in them. 1 can 

 shoAV you hives of one man in this neighborhood 

 that Avere filled last year, Avith frames hung an- 

 gling, and have crooked combs ; but they are not 

 made like the frame of the Diamond Hive. They 

 are placed two inches apart, and the bees were 

 compelled to build crooked in them to keep the 

 usual distance between the combs. 



I said, in the April number. Vol. IV., of the 

 Bee Journal, that I invented llie Diamond Hive 

 in 1862, Avhich is more than five years ago. You 

 may have been the first inventor ; but don't mix 

 your testimony. Until otherwise proved, I claim 

 to be the first inventor and- patentee. We profess 

 to be truthful people down here in Quakerdom ; 

 and i-f we are accused of. false statements, Ave 

 ask for investigation. You speak of the Michigan 

 convention, and ask if I Avas there. I was, and 

 received the first premium and diploma at the 

 State Fair, over thirteen hives in competition — 

 among which were the Langstroth, America, 

 Buckeye, and Thomas' hives, by decision of as 

 practical and disinterested a committee as there 

 is in the United States. If you doubt my state- 

 ment ask Prof. Cook, of the Agricultural College 

 at Lansing,- or Mr. J. H. Townly, or E. Rood, 

 Esq. At the Bee Convention the majority of the 

 committee were in favor of the Diamond Hive, 

 if I mistake not ; bul.the chairman was interested 

 in territory for the Thomas Hive, and the com- 

 mittee did not agree. The chairman reported in 

 favor of the Thomas Hive, (which, by the way, 

 is a very good one in many respects.) The Sec- 

 retary at first refused to put it into the minutes, 

 on account of the disagreement ; but after some 

 discussion in the convention, it was allowed to go 

 on the minutes, as I had been awarded the pre- 

 mium at the hiir. These are the facts in the 

 case. 



Perhaps Mr. Miller lives as near Prof. Flanders 

 as I do ; so don't link one man's reputation Avitli 

 another's because you don't like him. 



It is not a fact that we obtained straight combs 

 in the frames by the use of comb-guides and divi- 

 sion boards, as you accuse us ; only such as are a 

 part of the simple empty frame. 



As hir as Mr. Price's statements are concerned, 

 I have simply to say, I wrote an answer to that, 

 sending a copy to the American Bee Journal. 

 I do not knoAV Avliy it was not pulilished.* 



A. V. Conklin. 



Bennington, Ohio. 



* The reply referred to never came to our hands, 

 and of course could not be published. — En. . 



Bees dislike any quick movements about their 

 hives ; more especially any motion which jars 

 their combs. 



