8 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[July, 



ing apfivtment. Then, with a board or ventila- 

 tor, or cloth, cover tlie top of the breedinj^ apart- 

 ment, and they are doubly enclosed for winter. 



My claim allowed me was the combination of 

 the central apartment, the movable partitions, 

 and the side surplns honey boxes — arranged in 

 the manner described. 



If tliis hive and arrangement of boxes and 

 movable partitions was never seen before, I don't 

 know bnt this may be an answer to the question 

 — " What has Mr. Hazen invented?" 



"With reference to side surplus honey boxes, 

 as inviting, the labor of the bees, I will state— if 

 you will venture to publish my statement as bona 

 fide—1 have within a few days examined my 

 hives, and have found bees at work in the side 

 surplus boxes, from one to nine boxes in a hive, 

 and yet not in one of the top boxes. I see a 

 reason for it that is satisfactory to me. 1 place 

 small pieces of guide comb on tlie underside of 

 the top of the bar at the end next to the bees, 

 and an entrance directly to it. The bees can 

 almost and sometimes quite reach from the comb 

 in the central apartment to the piece of guide 

 •j.omb in the box ; whereas they must travel five 

 iuches^the whole height of the box — to reach 

 it in the top box. 



I have sometimes by accident placed the guide 

 in the outer or distant end of the box ancl had 

 the box neglected entirely. AVith a fixed parti- 

 tion between the box and the box that they 

 must pass through to reach, they will be much 

 less likely to begin to store honey at all in the 

 box. Tliis is one important advantage in mova- 

 ble partitions, that they can be taken away and 

 bring tlie surplus honey boxes squai-e up to the 

 sheet of comb. 



I must close this short article. 



Jasper Hazen. 

 Albany, N. Y. 



[For the Americau Bee Jouiual.] 



Eee-keeping and Patents. 



Dear Journal : — The April number came to 

 hand in due time, freighted as usual with nu- 

 merous ideas which encourage the novice in bee- 

 keeping, to press forward and enuilate the ex- 

 ample of those whose experience places them in 

 the advance rank of apiculturists. We like to 

 meet on the pages of the Journal the names of 

 Quinliy, iSTovice, Gallup, and many other true 

 bee-men ; and would like to testify our apprecia- 

 tion of their services to the bee-keeping frater- 

 nity, by a good, long, strong shake of the hand. 



Un page 208 I see a very disinterested account 

 of a honey emptier. I use something similar, but 

 Mr. Davis and I will not quarrel about it, for 

 my machine is non-patented also. I hope Mr. 

 D. hasn't a patent hive behind his extractor, to 

 pop up like Jack in the box, when we "address 

 him by letters with a stamp." 



If every bee-keeper would use his brains and 

 his mechanical genius (if he has a little of both), 

 he could devise and make his own hives and 

 other appliances during the long winter evenings 

 and other leisure hours. I have but little confi- 



dence in those who use your columns as a grind- 

 stone to grind some of the gaps out their axes. 

 Their patent traps and long columns of figures 

 would look much better on the last page of the 

 Journal. I claim that such persons are not true 

 bee-keepers. They are patent right salesmen, 

 and keep bees, or pretend to keep them, as a 

 means through which to advertise their wares. 

 Their stock in trade generally consists of a small 

 model hive, printed circulars, farm rights, and a 

 smooth tongue. The proper way to meet these 

 men, is for the intelligent bee-keepers to insist 

 upon a trial of their hive for one year. In nine 

 cases out of ten they will not send you a full- 

 sized hive. If they do, of course the hive merits 

 your careful consideration. Bee-keepers should 

 bear in mind that a complicated hive, with many 

 fi.xtures and moth traps, &c., will prove a curse 

 to his apiary, if he introduces it there. 



The hive nature provides, is a hollow tree. 

 Let bee keepers follow out the idea, and study 

 simplicity in construction. Frames can be fitted 

 into a simple box hive. Top storing or side 

 storing cases can be attached to it, if desired. 

 The hive of our grandfather's days, with the 

 real modern improvements, is far better than those 

 bearing tfie high-sounding titles of palaces, &c. 



To protect our swarms from the ravages of the 

 moth, we have learned to keep our stock strong. 

 So, to keep this pestiferous, swindling horde 

 of patent right moths form our apiaries, let bee- 

 keepers become strong in bonds of union, in 

 every State, county, and town, throughout our 

 broad land. Then when an invention comes be- 

 fore our Committee on New Inventions, its merit, 

 if it has any, will soon become known to all, 

 with no danger of being swindled, unless a bee- 

 keeper likes the idea of being humbugged, as a 

 great many seem to do now-a-days. 



Come, bee-keepers, wake vip everywhere, and 

 form societies for the interchange of views and 

 co-operation with our National Convention. 



On page 263, Mr. Beck with discour.ses upon "My 

 Patent Bee Hive," and Mr. Langstroth's claims 

 as inventor of the movable frames. This is a 

 subject that interests every bee-keeper, and upon 

 which we want more light. I devise and make 

 my own non-patented hives, and my neighbors 

 are adopting my plans. I make a frame as simple 

 as it can be made, by nailing together four pieces 

 of lath. Now, if I am infringing upon Mr. 

 Langstroth's patent, I want to know it, and am 

 willing to pay him for the right to use the frame. 

 As I understand it, the frame was used in 

 Europe, and was public property to any one 

 who chose to use it in this country before Mr. 

 Lang.stroth procured a patent. My idea of his 

 patent was that it covered some peculiaritj' of 

 construction of the frame. As Mr. B. says, 

 '* we want to know just what inventors claim." 



Scientific. 



Hartford, iV. Y., May, 1871. 



rC^ The movable frame as given to us by Mr. 

 Langstroth, nor in any other practical shape, was not 

 in use in Europe or anywhere else, before he invented 

 it. Tiie case will shortly come up before the courts 

 for decision, and we, therefore, refrain from saying 

 more on that point now. The Suber hive is not a 



