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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[Sept., 



The other class, whom I have styled preteijd- 

 ers, are generally unscrupulons persons, who do 

 not hesitate at anything- by whieh they can bring 

 the "dimes" to their pockets. It is with this 

 class that "bee humbugs" generally originate. 

 Having a slight smattering of knowled^^e, they 

 make great pretensions, and tell wonderful 

 stories about bees — what strange tilings they 

 have known bees to do ; how one swarm went 

 away, because the owner quarrelled with his wife ; 

 another because a child was buried, and the 

 owner failed to whisper it in the hive ; while a 

 third was so ijarticular, that it would not stay 

 in the hive, because there was a rusty nail in 

 sight ! In this way they arouse the curiosity 

 of the uneducated bee-keeper, who is soon 

 ready to swallow all they have to say. They 

 then come forward with their pretensions to 

 superior knowledge. They ci^n do this or that 

 with bees. They have some wonderful secrets, 

 and for a "V" (five dollars ) they can tell you 

 how to take the bees out of a box-hive, take 

 their honey, put them back again, and they shall 

 be all right "in the spring." They have also 

 got a curious compound, a peculiar drug, with 

 which they can charm the bees so that they will 

 not sting, price "only fifty cents a bottle ;" and 

 the recipe to make it only another "V." Thus 

 the honest and unsuspecting bee-keeper is vic- 

 timized, while the swindling jiretender "feathers 

 his nest." 



The following extract from a letter of inquiry, 

 has called forth these remarks : 



"During the past season, the management of 

 bees has been taught in a secret school, and one 

 of the things taught is the art of drawing bees 

 from a tree a distance of two miles, even though 

 it may not be known where they are located. 

 As one of the students is preparing to sally out 

 on the public, I thought 1 would write to you, 

 for your opinion." 



A person possessed of such power as this would 

 be likely to surround himself with a large num- 

 ber of swarms in a very short time, if he per- 

 formed his operations in some neighborhoods 

 where hundreds of swarms are kept within a 

 circle of two miles. He would certainly be an 

 exceedingly dangerous person to liavc about, 

 unless strictly honest, as he might draw off and 

 steal all the bees. Perhaps his secret incanta- 

 tions have no attractions for bees that live in a 

 hive ; and, I may say and, for bees that live in a 

 tree ! Allow me to say to my bee-keeping friends 

 that all the bee drugs or bee charms are bee hum- 

 bugs. If any person is pretending to teach or to 

 do what is stated above, he is either a knave or 

 a fool, perhaps both. 



To say the least, all such persons should be 

 arrested, for obtaining money under false pre- 

 tences. If bee-keepers would be safe, let them 

 take a reliable Bee Journal or agricultural pajier, 

 where they will find such impositions exposed ; 

 and in purchasing hives let them select such as 

 the exiierience of years has proved to be good. 



J. H. Thomas. 



Brooldin, Ontario, 



I never vise a hive, the main apartment of 

 whicli holds less than a bushel. — Langstroth. 



[For the American Bee Jouraal.] 



Proper Eequisites of Hives and Movable Prames. 



Mr. Editor: — There seems to be no su'iject 

 connected with bee-culture so badly mixed up, 

 as the above. One approves of a low and long 

 form of hive and frames, and another of a short 

 and deep form. Now I have seen and used nearly 

 all styles in use, but never saw a frame hive but 

 what was too deep for sum.mer use, or too shal- 

 low for winter. 



It seems to me we have been straining at a 

 gnat and trying to swallow a camel. I think a 

 Irame in the clear, six or seven inches deep and 

 eleven or twelve inches long is what the practi- 

 cal bee-keeper needs. But for the careless and 

 indifferent, fixed top bars are too go(*d. 



Perhaiis few if any have experimented with 

 and used more different styles of hive than we 

 have. Being a mechanic, And always having 

 lumber and tools at hand, we have experimented, 

 too much for our own benefit. We have pat- 

 ented (like many others) one hive costing us 

 $100 ; and have never realized a dime in return. 

 But all right; I suppose the greenbacks are 

 moving . 



Now, Mr. Editor, I believe that the one thou- 

 sand and one wlio are pocketing money for 

 improvements in hives, would be just as honest 

 and make more money, by picking up the farm- 

 er's box-hive, putting the Langstroth frames in, 

 and teaching jjeople how to use them properly — 

 selling the same on commission for Mr. Lang- 

 strotli or his agents. 



But we mvist return to the sectional hive. Has 

 any one ever used such a hive ? If so we have 

 never heard of it. We use two sections deep in 

 winter, and from one to four in summer. We 

 make our case twelve inches wide, using eight 

 frames in the brood sections, and seven in the 

 third and fourth sections, in which we get the 

 greatest possible amount stored, in good shape 

 for the table or market. Mr. Thomas, or any 

 one else who thinks he has a hive that will otfer 

 so many advantages, as the simple sectional box, 

 with Langstroth's frames in them, had best 

 bring such hive out this way; and I will agree 

 to sell them as fast as forty men can turn them 

 out. 



We have omitted to mention many little 

 points, in the arrangement of the- case and 

 frames, such as beveling to prevent propolis, se- 

 curing straight combs, &c , but will do so in a 

 future article, if requested. 



Charles Hastings. 



Doicaginc, Mich. 



All necessary arrangements and preparations 

 for properly wintering l^ees, in any kind of hive, 

 should be fully completed in the mouth of Oc- 

 tober. 



Let me strongly advise the incorrigibly care- 

 less to have nothing to do with bees, either on 

 my plan of nianagement, or any oilier; for they 

 will find both time and money almost certainly 

 thrown away. — Langstroth. 



