THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



229 



sources of income connected there- 

 with for a livelihood. 



I most heartily agree with Mr. 

 House in his plan of cooperation, 

 but am sorry that he has been so 

 hasty with his foul-brood scare, as 

 he could have had the facts of the 

 case in three days by writing to any 

 of the leading beekeepers in this 

 section. G. W. Stanley. 



After receiving the above from 

 Mr. Stanley we wrote to Mr. House 

 and in answer received the follow- 

 ing repl3^ It is always best to 

 consider carefully any statement 

 that 3'ou intend to make public as 

 it may do considerable injury if 

 wrong. — Ed.] 



Manlius, N. F., Sept. 5, 1884. 

 P'riend Locke : 



Yours came to hand in due time 

 and found me confined to the house 

 with neuralgia and could not write 

 an article for this month as I 

 should like to have done. In regard 

 to the foul-brood matter would say 

 the matter as I gave it in my arti- 

 cle is the same as was published in 

 the Syracuse Evening Herald. A 

 few days later, I received a letter 

 from a party in Livingston county 

 telling me he had foul brood and that 

 it was raging in thatlocality. Since 

 writing that article I have investi- 

 gated further and find itis r\oi gen- 

 uine foul brood but something 

 resembling it and not at all dan- 

 gerous, hence beekeepers need not 

 feel alarmed about it. Where the 

 article originated from that was 

 published in the " Herald " I do 

 not know. Perhaps I can find the 

 paper ; if I do I will mail it to you. 

 Geo. W. House. 



EXCHANGED. 



Patents, by James Heddon. — 

 Having been somewhat associated 

 with a patent lawyer and solicitor 



for a term of years, my attention 

 has been called in that direction. 

 As might be expected, I have read 

 your printed report and decision 

 regarding your suit with Mr. Forn- 

 crook with much interest, as pub- 

 lished in last issue. We all regret 

 very much that so much time and 

 money should be spent over this 

 controversy and suit. It is the re- 

 sult of some one being in the 

 wrong. It seems Mr. Matthews 

 has decided that Mr. Forncrook is 

 that person. 



To the end that such controver- 

 sies and expenses may be as few 

 and far between as possible in the 

 future, I will add my small mite in 

 that direction, with your allowance 

 of space, as it is a matter which 

 vitally interests us all, and does 

 not seem to be clearl}^ understood 

 by all beekeepers. 



Let us analyze the subject. Many 

 think a patent-right a monopoly. 

 Well, be it such : it has one sav- 

 ing feature, in the fact that it is 

 given to the monopolist as a reward 

 for intellectual labor — a labor 

 which, while it gives the laborer a 

 monopol}', is also a great blessing 

 to the communit}' at large. Person- 

 ally I cannot say that I see any great 

 advantage or justice in the patent- 

 system. Notwithstanding, how- 

 ever, the majority of nearly all 

 countries think the system a good 

 one ; and as a true American citi- 

 zen it is my duty to fall in line, 

 abiding by the will of that majority 

 so far as my acts are concerned in 

 the matter. I hold, further, that 

 it is consistent for me to obtain a 

 patent and enjo}' its fruits, even 

 while I do not believe in the sys- 

 tem. Patriotism to what I consider 

 just should lead me to talk and 

 vote against the system I consider 

 wrong. But while said system is in 

 vogue, and I am daily paying trib- 

 ute to it, for me to refrain from 

 taking advantage of it would 

 amount to martyrdom, which should 



