1872.] 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



57 



tect the combs now containing, or which have 

 heretofore contained, brood. 



The combs upon which the bees cluster should 

 be removed in the hive to a position near the 

 entrance ; and should the combs be rather 

 broad, that end on which the bees cluster thick- 

 est should be placed towards the entrance. 

 Should the edges of the combs be somewhat dis- 

 tant from the walls of the hive, it would be well 

 to put a small strip of comb between the comb 

 and the wall of the hive, so as to form a bridge 

 between the entrance and the comb, thereby 

 giving a ready means of access to the comb. 

 Many stocks have neglected a favorable time 

 for the purification flight, and lost many bees, 

 which, half benumbed, are able to reach the 

 entrance of the hive, and die in the hive, the 

 way to the entrance being long and much ob- 

 structed. I think it doubtful therefore whether 

 it is judicious in box hives to put the entrance at 

 the bottom of the hive. When the boxes are 

 high, two entrances are advantageous ; the one 

 at the bottom and the other about half the 

 height of the brood. And these entrances can be 

 closed, or partly closed, according as may be re- 

 quired by the strength of the swarm and the 

 position of the bees in winter and when rearing 

 brood. To leave the openings both open in win- 

 ter will be beneficial to strong stocks. The air 

 can thus pass in at one entrance and out at the 

 other, and will thus be constantly renewed 

 without any aid from the bees, so that strong 

 stocks, which carefully guard the entrance, will 

 pass safely through the winter. How quickly, 

 especially with weak stocks, a want of air will 

 show itself, I discovered through actual experi- 

 ment in this manner. I wintered for the purpose 

 of having reserve queens, and also for the pur- 

 pose of making observations, small swarms in 

 small boxes, and sometimes transferred strong- 

 swarms after they had suffered from cold, in like 

 boxes, and placed them in a room. To protect 

 them from the light, I placed some in a clothes 

 closet and some in larger boxes. Whenever I 

 opened them the bees began to buzz, so that I 

 began to suspect the loss of the queen. As this 

 fear of mine proved false, there was no other 

 explanation to be given, than that the bees were 

 lacking fresh air, since the air contained in the 

 large chest was not sufficient to renew the air 

 in the hive. 



Now every room, every cellar, and every en- 

 closed room is but a box, larger, of course, in 

 size, and the stocks placed therein may, even 

 though the entrance be wide open, more easily 

 suffer from want of air, than when the stock is 

 upon its summer stand. 



Strong swarms in box hives may have the 

 doors raised, or removed entirely, and straw 

 mats substituted. In Stebnik's the cylindrical 

 formed hives are placed on their side, with the 

 one end open, and the bees winter in it advan- 

 tageously. I write this oh these conditions, 

 that the earth will absorb the carbonic acid gas, 

 and thus purify the air. The degree of mois- 

 ture in the air also plays a very important part 

 in this matter. It will never be any injury to 

 fill a pure white comb, having no appearance of 

 mould, with water, and place it in the hive 



either horizontally or perpendicularly. Even 

 though the bees do not touch it, it will still pro- 

 duce moisture, and thus aid to produce health- 

 fulness among the bees. Dzierzon. 

 Carlsmarkt, February, 1873. 



How Petitions are Manufactured, 



At the request of several subscribers we insert 

 the following letter, addressed to the editors of 

 the Beekeepers' Journal, showing how petitions 

 were manufactured this spring to defeat the 

 supposed application of Mr. Langstroth from an 

 extension of his patent. 



Nashville, Tenn., 1872. 



Editors of Beekekper's Journal : — In the 

 April number of the Journal, over the signature 

 of reporter, I noticed an article headed "The 

 Tennessee Apiarian Society," about which I 

 desire with your permission to say a word, and 

 to make a few corrections in regard to the re- 

 monstrance mentioned there. 



Now, whether those who presented the re- 

 monstrance were mistaken in regard to the facts 

 concerning the extension, or whether they were 

 governed by selfish motives, I leave for them- 

 selves to say. But it looks a little suspicious, 

 when I inform you that at the meeting referred 

 to by the reporter, there were but seven members 

 present, five of whom signed the remonstrance. 

 Of these five, four are inventors or improvers of 

 hives or frames in which all the main principles 

 of the Langstroth hive are included accidentally 

 we presume; and the fifth, the Secretary of the 

 Association, signed under a misapprehension of 

 the facts, and has since renounced the whole 

 scheme and will sign for extension. So much 

 '• for all the members but one and the president," 

 signing the remonstrance. 



Now, Messrs. Editors, I shall leave it to you 

 and your readers to say, whether these inventors 

 and improvers of the Langstroth principles were 

 governed by disinterested or selfish motives in 

 signing the remonstrance against the extension 

 of the Langstroth patent, when it stands directly 

 in the way of the manufacturing use and sale of 

 their own hives, which they can neither use nor 

 sell, on account of Mr. Langstroth happening to 

 have invented the same principles fifteen or 

 twenty years ahead of them. 



But let us look at the arguments in favor of 

 the remonstrants : 



1st. Inasmuch as Mr. L. had not realized 

 what he ought to from his patent, therefore lie 

 never would, consequently an extention would 

 be of no benefit, to Mr. L. 



2d. That there was no assurance that those 

 who had purchased a right to use the Langstroth 

 hive, would not be compelled to do so again. 



3d. That this (Langstroth) hive was the 

 greatest incubus on bee-culture. 



In regard to the first, argument, let us say, that 

 if the remonstrants consider this argument con- 

 clusive, we think they deserve the pity of every 

 sensible man. In regard to the second, would it 

 not have been more creditable for these remon- 

 strants to have informed themselves on the rules 



