THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



125 



description of my device, all reversi- 

 ble-frames had fixtures at both fop 

 and bottom; see Gleanings for 1882, 

 page 71, also 1883, page 65, Burgess' 

 device; 1884, page 155, Baldridge's 

 device; and 1884, page 332, Heth- 

 erington's device. These attach- 

 ments were entirely different in prin- 

 ciple from the "Howes' Supports." 

 No one had ever suggested revolving 

 the frames on "centre pivots,^'' previ- 

 ous to the illustration, and descrip- 

 tion of my frame in Gleanings for 

 1884, page 156. 



Soon after I began to manufacture 

 and sell Howes' Reversible Frame 

 and Supports, — as advertised in 

 Gleanings, for 1884, page 285, — re- 

 versing devices began to appear from 

 all quarters ; both men and women 

 joining in the scramble for the "hon- 

 or," if not for the profits of the inven- 

 tion ; each one suspending the frame 

 by "centre pivots," as I had described 

 them. Several used hoop -iron bent 

 at a right angle to form projecting 

 arm. (Prof. Cook at the Michigan 

 convention claimed to have tried 

 this plan, though a lady, I think, first 

 described it in Glea7iings). 



Mr. Root has often, through 

 Gleanings, acknowledged that these 

 different devices are, practically the 

 same thing as the "Howes' Support;'' 

 still he does not hesitate to manufac- 

 ture, advertise and sell th*em, as if 

 the invention was common property. 

 (See editorial remarks in Gleanings; 

 page 74, describing Mr. Nuzvinis' 

 device ; then Editorial in next num- 

 ber, page 104, on the same subject.) 



I submit the question, in all seri- 

 ousness. Does not this state of 

 th\ng% justify anyone, in securing his 



rights to the labor of his brain, by a 

 patent, as provided bylaw ? If a bet- 

 ter device, to secure the results aimed 

 at, by reversing the brood-combs, 

 shall be discovered, I shall be glad to 

 adopt it, in my own apiary, and will, 

 willingly, pay for the privilege. Un- 

 til then, I request all to "please keep 

 off my preserve." 



Adrian, Mich., Feb. 7, 1885. 



WHICH IS THE MOST PROF- 

 ITABLE RACE OF BEES. 



Bv D. F. Lashieu. 



Which is the most profitable race 

 of bees regarding brooding, cornb- 

 building, honey-gathering disposition 

 and wintering qualities ? 



I have no desire to injure anyone's 

 business and wish merely to bring to 

 notice a few facts which it seems to 

 me to have been overlooked. 



Perhaps a few notes founded upon 

 years of experience would not be out 

 of place, especially as my motives 

 are entirely unselfish. 



I commenced beekeeping in 1872 

 with one colony of gray bees in a box 

 hive. I purchased this hive of a 

 neighbor whose bees seemed to be 

 very hardy and gentle. They are of 

 uniform size and as large as any Ital- 

 ians that I ever have seen, even 

 when the latter were reared in comb 

 of their own building. I hive all my 

 gray bees without any protection 

 whatever. and the same when looking 



