58 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[Sept., 



construct a 7iwe in -whicli the bar or slat could be ad- 

 vantageously used for comb attachment. Mr. Lanjx- 

 fctroth aimed at and succeeded in constructing a /?-rt(/ie, 

 and devising a mode of applying it by which it could 

 be rendered of service in any form of hive that might 

 be desirable. 



Nobody, before Mr. Langstroth, ever succeeded in 

 devising a mode of making and using a movable 

 frame that was of any practical value in bee-culture, 

 or could be introduced even in partial, much less in 

 general, use. Now, every boy makes them, and the 

 principle is adopted everywliere, either openly or 

 covertly. What has brought this about ? 



Neither a bottom board, fixed or movable, nor por- 

 tico, nor definite form of hive or special shape or size of 

 frame, are embraced in the Laugstroth patent. These 

 or any of them may be formed and used as the option 

 of the apiarian may suggest. The triangular blocks 

 for enlarging or contracting the entrance are, how- 

 ever, included in the patent ; and for that special pur- 

 pose they have not yet been superseded by anything 

 better, whether or not they be regarded as of any value 

 as worm decoys. 



An exact imitation of the Hiiber hive is indispen- 

 sably necessary to entitle it to the name, because, as 

 Blackstone might say, its essentiality consists in its 

 entirety. It has a definite form and structure, which, 

 what is called the Laugstroth hive, has not. The 

 essential feature of the movable frame— movable 

 horizontally and vertically— adapts it for practical 

 service, in any form of hi\e that is itself of any use ; 

 and therefore no precise or exact imitation is required, 

 necessary, or indeed practicable. 



The "mystery not yet explained" is, why Mr. 

 Langstroth's claims and merits are perpetually 

 carped at and questioned, while all "imitations," 

 and infringements of his patent — even the most pal- 

 pable and gross — pass the same critical ordeal with- 

 out cavil or challenge ! That is the mystery, and the 

 marvel ! — [Ed. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



"The American Hive."— " Pertility of Queens." 



On page 268 of the June number ' of the Jour- 

 nal, Novice says — "of all the foolish things 

 about a bee-hive, M-e believe a movable side is 

 the most so" — having special I'eference to the 

 American hive. 



Although some of his remarks in the article 

 from which the above words are taken, were 

 open to criticism, yet we disclaim any intention 

 of reviewing them for that purpose, or to de- 

 fend the hive he so mercilessly attacks ; our 

 sole object in quoting them being to ask him 

 how tlie frames can be removed from the Ameri- 

 can hive without removing the side ? 



The frames being close fitting at the tops, 

 some fourteen inches in depth, and well glued 

 down by the bees, the idea of lifting them out 

 and replacing, involves a fearful state of things. 

 If the frames were not made close fitting at the 

 top, and did not exceed ten inches in depth, the 

 lifting process would be just the thing. 



A few years since, we had several American 

 hives made, with a door in i^lace of the movalile 

 side, securing the top of the frames and backs 

 by means of a cleat nailed between them. This 

 worked well, and disturbed the bees much less 

 than the movable side. Still, there are objec- 

 tions to it, which possibly Novice has overcome ; 



therefore, we request him, in behalf of the 

 thousands upon thousands who use this hive, to 

 advise us through the Journal in regard to their 

 use. He certainly has no reason to fear his ar- 

 ticle will be tamperd with by our publisher. 



Last March, a gentleman brought us a hive 

 of bees, wliich he desired to exchange for one 

 that would swarm, saying that this stock had 

 been in the family for twelve years, and never 

 during all that time had cast a swarm ; although 

 it was always rich in stores and apparently pros- 

 perous. After setting the hive in the bee-house, 

 we found that it was filled with honey, but sadly 

 short in bees. We thereupon stimulated them 

 faithfully until April IGth, when, very much to 

 our disgust, we found that the queen had be- 

 come too lazy, too old, or too aristocratic to lay 

 eggs freely. Taking her between thumb and 

 finger, we prepared her for burial, and intro- 

 duced a fine Italian queen in her place, stimu- 

 lating as before. The change was almost magical, 

 and on June 30th, we found eleven queen cells, 

 and the hive packed from top to bottom with 

 " yellow-jackets." Removing all but three of the 

 cells, and putting them in nucleus hives, we di- 

 vided the stock into three, giving each of the 

 two new swarms a queen cell, and leaving one in 

 the old hive, which also contained the old queen. 

 Our reason for this was tliat we suspected the 

 bees had two objects in view^ wdien they reared 

 those cells — to swarm, and to supersede the old 

 queen, she being then nearly four years of age. 

 A suljsequent examination proved this latter 

 surmise true, as we found the young cjueen en- 

 gaged in laying eggs on one comb, and her aged 

 mother performing similar duty upon another. 

 Holding a comb in each hand, and watching the 

 two queens deposit their eggs, we thought, with 

 a curious feeling of partial distrust, of the many 

 obsolete theories that have been promulgated 

 from time to time ; and felt that much remains 

 yet to be learned upon points long since re- 

 garded as practically settled. A few days after 

 this, the old lady took her final departure. 



Our object in writing this is to show the won- 

 derful fertility of this aged queen, down even to 

 the latest moment of ber life, having in a period 

 of two months and fourteen days, raised a 

 stock containing not more than one quart of bees 

 to a very populous colony, furnishing bees 

 enough for three good swarms ; and also to show 

 the no less wonderful iustinct of the queen, or 

 the worker bees, which realized and provided for 

 her final exit, while she was at the height of fer- 

 tility. 



Geo. S. Silsbt. 



Winterport, Me., Aug. 5, 1871. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Plain Box Hives. 



I have some experience in bee-keeping, and 

 have used and seen in use, a variety of hives, 

 and have come to the conclusion that there is no 

 better hive for the mass wlio are not posted in 

 the mysteries of the art (and they are the great 

 majority of bee-keepei's in this country), than 

 the siini)le box hive, of about two thousand 



