THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



101 



to us that with the extractor and movable 

 combs, we might make this avaihible ; and 

 thus far we have not been disappointed in 

 tlie results. If we have strong, powerful 

 »*toeks there is always warmth enough to 

 properly evaporate tlie honey ; whereas in 

 small standard stocks it is frequently the 

 case that the honey is not properly evapo- 

 rated and especially is this apt to be the 

 case in cool, wet seasons. In the large 

 hives there is no tendency to stop breeding 

 at every cessation of honey gathering, for 

 a few days at a time, as there is in common 

 or small standard hives. 



Novice will probably say, as he has said 

 before that we are trying to befog or puzzle 

 the novices in bee-keeping. But let him 

 consider that others besides Gallup and 

 Adair are trying thosf experiments and 

 Arriving at like conclusions. We are aware 

 that a hive of four times the capacity of 

 tlie ordinary standard, or two thousand cub- 

 ic inches, looks large, and we are perfectly 

 willing to admit that it is large. But what 

 will you do about it ; tliat is the question. 



If I mistake not, 'Sir. llosmer says, that 

 in the past season he has made some for ex- 

 periment, of fifteen thousand cubic inches. 

 I know of no law to prevent, and so we 

 will have to let him go on as he sees fit. 

 But Mr. Hosmer says that he has been rais- 

 ing or keeping his best or most prolific 

 queens. Now that is just what I contend — - 

 that I cannot atlbrd to sell a queen for one 

 dollar that I can build up a stock from that 

 will occupy a hive of six or eight thousand 

 cubic inches. My impression is that Nov- 

 ice's Hives and Queens are both cheap at 

 one dollar each ; and my hives and queens 

 may be cheap at five dollars each. Who 

 knows. Let every one decide for himself. 

 I have sold queens at fifty cents each, but 

 they were only fifty-cent queens, and I 

 never claimed that they were anything 

 else. 



The bees are wintering splendidly in this 

 vicinity. E. C4allvp. 



Orchard, Iowa. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Criticisms Examined. 



A friend having called my attention to 

 the last number of Gleanings, I borrowed 

 the pai)er, and found that " Novice " quoted 

 from my circular to shew that a calculated 

 jield of one or two hundred pounds of box 

 honey, or two or three hundred pounds of 

 <?xtracted, is a little too much. He " wrote 

 Mr. Q. asking the question," etc. I do not 

 see tliat this amounts to anything more than 

 an eflbrt to show that I have made a false 

 estimate, and at the same time give an ex- 

 cuse for a sort of tirade against the hive. 



He would be pleased to hear where any 

 one had succeeded in obtaining that average. 



Had he quoted a little further from that 

 same circular, he would have told his 

 readers where it was done. He very ingcn 

 iously gives the number as twenty-five or 

 fifty stocks, wliH'li 1 said nothing about, 

 and it did not belong to him to do it. Why 

 did he not put it at five hundred ? He 

 would be still surer not to hear of a case. 



I ask of any man of even common fair- 

 ness, to decide if it was so very absurd ti) 

 calculate that what had been done, and re- 

 peated, might be done again. 



I don't claim to know it all, and doubt 

 not, much will be learned after we have all 

 gleaned to the best of our ability. A cal- 

 culation of even a few pounds more may 

 yet be made. He asks if it "was wise to 

 put it so high when his own apiary averaged 

 less." Without claiming to be particularly 

 wise, I majr venture to express a fear that 

 Novice is partially blinded by prejudice. 1 

 would ask if it was just to hold forth what 

 my apiary does before his readers, as a cri- 

 tei'ion to judge of what can be done by 

 others, and withhold the fact — -which I pre- 

 sume he knows — -that I have sold my best 

 bees every year. AVhen I get an order, I 

 select the best — sometimes sell off all the 

 best, and then take from the next best, bees 

 enough for several swarms for the purpose 

 of rearing queens, which do not store sur- 

 plus, and often have to be fed what otliers 

 have stored. 



Justice would take this into " calculation." 

 I rather think that my estimate was made 

 when thinking of the bees that I sold rather 

 than of such as I kept myself. Of course / 

 meant good hives. 



We all know of the reduced condition of 

 a large number of stocks in the springs of 

 the last two winters. Few men would de- 

 pend on such for a fair average, especially 

 if they took into account the fact that brood 

 had to be taken from the best of these 

 reduced hives to build up the poorest. 



Now about the hive, which seems to 

 trouble him, in view of " blasted hopes," 

 etc. He asks, " Has he ever considered 

 that the hive itself is only a plain, simple 

 boxV " 



No, sir. I have not so considered it. 

 When I have made a bottom board of the 

 size I want, and a frame which I hook to it, 

 and it stands alone, and I make a half dozen 

 more, and stand by the side of it, and then 

 take boards just the width and length of the 

 frame and set one on each side, and one on 

 top, I claim that it is a hive of itself, not 

 " a simple box," nor particularly "cum- 

 brous." The frames constitute a part of it. 

 Much has been said about getting hives the 

 right size. This one is adapted to the wishes 

 of all. Frames being added any time to 

 accommodate a large swarm, or taken oflF if 

 the swarm becomes reduced. It is easier 

 managed, and is much more efficient than 



