1871.] 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



81 



We sometimes think his opinions upon bee- 

 culture much above par ; but we will not question 

 his modest decision, and shall hereafter class him 

 as par Gallup. 



While readinfj the many descriptions of hives, 

 one is reminded of the proverb, that "there is 

 but one real good woman in the whole world, 

 and every married man thinks he has that one 

 best, blessed, adorable creature." So it is with 

 hives ; every beekeeper has the very best hive. 

 Many want side storers, and a few don't. Some 

 want side openers, and others would banish them 

 to Tophet. Now I use a tJiree side opener, and 

 like it. It contains two sets of frames, one 

 above tlie other. The upper set I can remove 

 without opening the sides. By opening the 

 sides, I can remove the lower frames, witliout 

 disturbing the up^jer ones. The rear opens, 

 and is devised to contain twelve four pound 

 boxes, or a series of small frames. The sides 

 can be removed, and cases containing either 

 large or small frames or boxes can be applied. 

 The hive has a removable cap, and an adjustable 

 bottom-board. These are the general features. 

 Should I give a full architectural description and 

 charge for it according to my eminence, I would 

 fix the price at about five cents — for I feel 

 myself away down below par Gallup, almost 

 at the foot of the ladder. The name of this hive 

 is " The Star-spangled, Universal, Trio-side-open- 

 ing, Apis MelUfica Gasket. ' ' 



My experience during the past honey season, 

 confirms me in the use of small frames. They 

 may not be so convenient to ship to a distance 

 as boxes, but for local sales they can't be beat. 

 I find that if you appear before a customer with 

 a box for which he will have to jjay from three 

 to five dollars, he will often look at the amount 

 several times and finally put the money in his 

 pocket, refusing to buy. Whereas, if you pre- 

 sent a neat frame for about fifty cents, he will 

 buy every few days, and spend three times three 

 three dollars, for honey in this shape. It is 

 much like selling candy. If the retail dealer 

 was obliged to sell it by the box of several 

 pounds' weight, his sales would be few, while 

 the sale of stick by stick is rapid and profitable. 

 We must study to popularize honey in the comb, 

 for extracted honey will always be looked ui)on 

 with suspicion, for it will be adulterated. It is 

 almost impossible to get pure extracted honey 

 in any of our cities. While there are honorable 

 dealers, there are also those so dishonorable as 

 to palm off a poor quality of doctored molasses 

 for honey ; and a small quantity of adulterated 

 honey gives a bad name to a large amount of 

 pure honey. If extracted honey is to become an 

 evei'yday article of use, its price must be put 

 down cheaper than any article by which it is 

 adulterated. We will then, and not until then 

 have the pure honey on sale in our largest cities. 

 Extracted honey would be profitable at a very 

 low price, for it is great gain to keep the breed- 

 ing chamber emptied of honey. Extracted honey 

 also bids fair to have a powerful rival in the new 

 rising industry of grape sugar. Honey as we all 

 know comes under this head, and grape sugar 

 can be made from shavings, rags, sawdust, and 

 any kind of cellulose; but the cheapest material 



is corn and grain. From the pure starch obtained 

 from any kind of cellulose, a syrup can be made 

 that resembles honey so closely that few can 

 detect the difterence ; and when this industry 

 becomes thoroughly established, it will take the 

 lead, and extracted honey will have to fall into 

 line upon some uniform price per gallon. But, 

 Mr. Editor, I have already written too much, 

 and will close. Scientific. 



Hartford, N. Y., Sept. 7, 1871. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Patents, and Patenting Inventions. 



So much has been and is being said against 

 patented inventions, especially "Patent Bee 

 Hives," that it would almost seem to be the only 

 side of the question that would bear discussion. 



After waiting a long time to see something in 

 the Journal from some patentee, in defence of 

 their motives and rights, we have thought that 

 something might be said in their favor. 



It has been written in the Bee Journal, and 

 elsewhere, that patent hives are a curse to bee- 

 keeping. Let us see if this is true. In this case 

 we must not be i>artial ; we must include all. 

 Now, shall we go back to the old box hive, and 

 say it is the best? But some will say "the 

 Langstroth is good." So it is, but it is patented, 

 and therefore should come under the rule that 

 " patent hives are a curse to beekeeping." 



To Mr. Langstroth we are indebted for the 

 principle of tlie movable comb, as introduced 

 in this country ; and to him we should give the 

 honor and pecuniarily respect his claims. With 

 these considerations, improvements should be 

 allowed. Mr. Langstroth drew his ideas from 

 those before him, and others should have the 

 same right. How would it have been with other 

 inventions, had no improvements been allowed ? 

 Savery with his steam engine, Fitch with his 

 steamboat, Howe with his sewing machine, 

 Morse with the telegraph, and so on through the 

 list? 



It is a law of the universe that there is no 

 stand-still. We are either improving or going- 

 back to rise again ; and perfection may be 

 considered as the plant tliat is matured, as tlien 

 decay is its destiny. If the proverb is allowed, 

 that "necessity is the mother of invention," 

 then we must allow that witliout necessity there 

 would be no invention. Suppose some inven- 

 tions are counterfeit, and do more harm than 

 good, should we say that all are worthless? The 

 best test of a genuine thing are tlie numerous 

 attempts to counterfeit it. An article of no 

 value is not worth counterfeiting. 



But says some one, if you have anything of 

 importance, you should give ^it to the world, or 

 you are not a public benefactor. A public bene- 

 factor is an exception, not the rule. Besides 

 an invention given to the world, of whatever 

 importance in itself, would not be introduced 

 without more labor, time, and money spent iu 

 introducing, them when a person is pecuniarily 

 interested in its introduction ; and this selfish 

 world would not accept anything so unnatural 



