1871.] 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



59 



cubic inches capacity, fox' the summer and win- 

 ter accommodation of the bees, so constructed as 

 to perfectly protect the bees from all wet, and as 

 far as practicable from the extreme heat of the 

 summer sun ; aud if that is properly done, it will 

 sufficiently protect them from the winter's cold, 

 and prepare them for remaining on the summer's 

 stand the year round. xVs the form of the hive 

 makes little or no difference to the bees (if not 

 run into any extreme), it may be so constructed 

 as to afford room to apply boxes enough to the 

 sides, or top, or both, as to give the bees an op- 

 portunity to work the season through without 

 any change of boxes, or disturbing them at all 

 during the working season. The aggregate ca- 

 pacity of the boxes may be about sixty pounds 

 of honey in the comb, which will be quite as 

 much as a swarux.will ordinarily put up in sur- 

 plus boxes. 



I have a number of hives constructed upon 

 the above ])lan, and stocked with bees, and at 

 the close of the season may be able to give to 

 the public, through the Journal, the result of 

 my experiments. There is no patent behind the 

 curtain, for I have none, aud never design to 

 have, even if I succeed in getting up the best 

 hive ever invented. 



D. Lathrop. 



La Salle, Ills., Aug. 7, 1871. 



No form of hive -whieb does not provide for 

 or admit of the ready use of the honey emptying ma- 

 chine, eau ever again find favor with progressive 

 bee-keepers. — [Ed. 



For the American Bee Journal.] 



Galluiys Eeminder. 



Mr. Editor : — This is to inform you that Ave 

 are still on this footstool, and up to our eyes in 

 honey. The season has been an extra good one, 

 and in due time we shall report. 



Tell those anxious folks not to borrow too 

 much trouble about Gallup' s baiting his hook 

 too late. Let them hold on to their dollars ; they 

 may want them to purchase lumber with, to 

 make one of my new hives, when I come to give 

 a full description, as I certainly intend to do in 

 time for next season's operations. 



I have too much business on hand to allow me 

 to write for the Journal now ; but have any 

 quantity of hash cooking for its readers. As 

 soon as we can find time to put it in shape, they 

 shall have it. 



E. Gallup. 



Orchard, loica, Aug. 7, 1871. 



[For the American Bee JournaL] 



Proper Size of Surplus Eoney Boxes. 



Mr. Editor : — In common with many others, 

 I like to see the large box question agitated in 

 your columns. Messrs. C. O. Perrine & Co. have 

 set the ball rolling iu the right direction. We 

 know that bees will store more honey in large 

 boxes, but the small ones sell more readily aud 



at a higher price, and bee-keepers will stick to 

 them until as good a market is found for large 

 boxes. 



This is a question that interests all engaged 

 in the honey trade ; and we want every bee- 

 keeper to sit down in some quiet corner of his 

 domicile and write to the .Journal his experience 

 upon his methods of obtaining surplus honey. 



My own experience leads me to advocate the 

 use of small frames, either in single or double 

 sets, upon the top, or upon the sides of the hive. 

 Small frames have all the advantages of large 

 boxes. When a frame is filled with honey, it 

 can be removed and an empty one inserted. 

 This small frame plan, and the plan of elevating 

 a box nearly full and setting an empty one under 

 it, are the very best ways to keep bees steadily 

 at work. 



After reading Mr. Perrine' s article in the Jour- 

 nal, and after a personal correspondence with 

 him, I am tempted to ask, and will ask, if there 

 is only one C. O. Perrine & Co. iu the United 

 States ? This Company certainly show great 

 enterprize in making honey an everyday article 

 for the table all the year round. A few more 

 companies of the same stamp would greatly 

 stimulate the cultivation of the honey bee. The 

 bulk of our honey is stored in the space of two 

 or three months. If this could be delivered at 

 proper times all the year round, honey lovers 

 would buy regardless of the season. 



Our New York city friends tell us that honey, 

 like strawberries and other small fruits, have 

 their season. Now, by looking at the market 

 reports, we find the season for small fruits lasts 

 the entire year ; for as soon as the supply from 

 the field is exhausted, we fall back upon the 

 preserved, dried, or canned fruits. The skill of 

 man has been applied to the production of hardy 

 fruits, like the apple, which, with proper care, 

 are preserved iu the natural state until new 

 apples are put upon the market in the spring. 

 But, should the apples fail, or the price become 

 too high for ordinary purses, in such case we fall 

 back upon the dried fruit. In handling honey 

 we have an advantage over fruits — v>^e do not 

 have to dry it for preservation ; but any day 

 during the year it can be put upon the table, as 

 clear and as fine flavored as when stored by the 

 busy bee in the height of the honey season. 

 Should it assert its freedom from adulteration 

 by becoming candied, behold the transforma- 

 tion which a little heat produces — it becomes as 

 transparent as ever. 



Now all that is necessary is to produce the 

 honey in shaxies to suit various tastes, and or- 

 ganize companies that will place it before the 

 consumer at proper times, and there is no danger 

 of honey becoming a drug upon the market. 



Why, Mr. Editor, I know persons, even in the 

 country, who are very fond of honey, yet rarely 

 get a taste between the two ends of the year. 

 How and when, and in what shape shall we 

 supply these honey lovers'? These are questions 

 which we hope to see agitated through the 

 columns of the American Bee Journal. Every 

 bee-kee])er is interested in the discussion. Who 

 speaks next? 



Scientific. 



