12 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



and a purer article ? Of course, if we raise 

 numberless tons os solft«n nectar, it may be 

 necessary for us to secure the aid of the 

 "middle-men," but make him do the busi- 

 ness, on not extortionate principles. We said 

 that the consumer would get a purer article 

 at a lower price. Of course we can afford to 

 sell at a cheaper rate than the consumer has 

 usually paid, and at the same time, sell him 

 something besides sugar and glucose. It 

 seems to us that there should be a distinc- 

 tion between the products of an apiary and 

 a honey-house. Consumers should note this 

 point ; for, while the former represents the 

 delicious nectar of nature's labratory, the 

 latter conveys a strong impression of the 

 conglomeration of a variety of saccharine 

 substances, of which honey forms an insig- 

 nificant proportion. In recently passing 

 over the Michigan Central K. R., vv^e stop- 

 ped off at Dowagiac to visit Michigan's ris- 

 ing apiarian, Mr. James Heddon. We were 

 much pleased with his apiary and its ar- 

 rangements ; and also were particularly im- 

 pressed with the correctness of his ideas up- 

 on the above subject. lie thinks that ex- 

 tracted honey is having a hard time of it, 

 when compelled to compete with the sugar 

 works of New Orleans and the glucose fac- 

 tories of France. We are glad to add that 

 he, is doing good work in redeeming the 

 good name of extracted houey, by furnishing 

 the consumer with a neat, pure article at 

 living prices. 



Mr. Editor, haven't you been bothered so 

 much with the hive controversy as to be out 

 of all manner of patience witfi the patent- 

 right chaps ? Well, we just want to say a 

 word or two on hives, and as we've no 

 "right" to sell or give away, please tolerate 

 ns just a few minutes. Long idea hives 

 had been lauded to the skies and their praise 

 vociferated the wide world over, so we, too, 

 must have 'em. Well we've got 'em, and 

 tioiv if we could only find the man who in- 

 vented them, we'd be most terribly tempted 

 to call him— well, we wont say what, but 

 'twould not be pretty, we can assure you. 

 The simple truth, plainly told, is this : these 

 great, long, ungained, ill-shajied monstrosi- 

 ities of a l)ee-hive are unmitigated humbugs, 

 both theoretically and practically. Adair 

 may tell us of the obvious advantages to be 

 derived from using a hive ten feet long ; 

 that we may increase the fertility of the 

 queen ; Gallup may triumphantly point us 

 to his 800 pounds of liquid from one hive in 

 a single season. Novice can predict that 

 these fearful "new ideas" will 'ere long, 

 l-ule the (bee) world. But why won't Adair 

 have the kindness to say that he loses more 

 than 90 per cent of his bees in winter ; Gal- 

 lup the manliness to frankly state that he 

 can get his 800 ]X)unds from the same num- 

 "ber of combs in smaller hives and with 

 much greater certainty ; and Novice the can- 

 dor to' admit that he hasn't used such hives 

 at all. These rose-colored pictiu-es of long, 

 one story hives, are evanescent bubles ready 

 to exi)lode upon practical experiment and 

 investigation. They offer no iiossible ad- 

 vantage over smaller hives, while they are 

 deficient in many prime requisites which 

 small hives possess. And if any "new idea" 

 advocalc wishes to "go for us" because of our 

 heresy in this particular, let him "])itc]i in.' 



And now in conclusion, we must confess 

 to having been a tri lie. belligerent, ])erhaps, 

 but will try henceforth, to be a steady sober 

 Eccentric. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



A Home-Made Bee Hive. 



A correspondent of the Cincinnati Gazette 

 gives such plain directions for making a bee 

 hive that every boy on a farm witii a bit of a 

 taste for mechanics can readily make one 

 for his own bees. He says: In the first 

 place yon want rabets, half an inch deep, 

 at each end of the hive, to receive the ends 

 of the frame; next you want your frames 

 made true so that they will hang plumb in 

 the hive. Tliere should be one frame for 

 every inch and a half of space in the width 

 of your hive. Next prepare your bottom 

 board and lay it level. Put your hive on the 

 board so that tiie frames will run from front 

 to rear; then elevate your hive about three 

 inches, and your hive is ready for the bees. 

 Make your frames just three-fourths of an 

 inch shorter than the inside of your hive, 

 and have them so that they will not touch at 

 either end nor swing against each other. 

 I have a center opening that is very conve- 

 nient, and different from any that I have 

 seen. 



I wish it understood that when I raise the 

 rear of the hive, I raise the bottom board 

 with it. If your hive leans to one side, the 

 bees will build across the frame. I have 

 my bees in a yard, and each hive is covered 

 with a cover made by nailing two boards 

 together and resting it on the top of tlie 

 hive. I make the ton board of my hive in 

 three pieces, by nailing two cleats on the 

 top of them, and making two holes to run 

 across the frames, each hole six inches 

 long. This is to make room for the bees to 

 pa,ss into tlie sm-plus honey-boxes. When 

 the boxes are on. the cover alluded to rests 

 on the box. G. Long. 



For tlie American Bee Journal. 



A few Remarks. 



I find different writers in our bee journals 

 and standard books, published for our in- 

 struction, often come in conflict on ques- 

 tions of some interest and information to 

 the bee keeping community. 



There has been considerable written on 

 the sulijt'et of the Italian and native bees in 

 comj)arison with each other. 



With regard to their peaceable and quiet 

 disposition, I have read reuuirks by some 

 giving preference to the Italians as alto- 

 gethcT more i)eaceable than the native, and 

 that they would hardly ever use the sting, 

 if treated with gentlen"ess. Some have giv- 

 en the hybrids tlie name of being the Gross- 

 est and most difficult to manage. 



W. M. Kellogg, in your October number, 

 tells us : "Many say that Italians are not 

 so cross in brushing off the coombs as hy- 

 brids and blacks, biit we don't find it so. 

 We have handled a good many stocks this 

 season, of all three kinds; and when we 

 come to tlic extracting, give ns the hybrids 

 and blacks in preference to the Italians, 

 every time. * * and the worst stinging 

 we have had this sunnner, has been by 

 Italians," 



I think that a little reflection will satisfy 

 lis tliat tlu^ three kinds will probably ]ily 

 their difl'erent weapons when rudely as- 

 saulted; and that under quiet and gentle 

 treatment we may succeed, with little 

 trouble, with either of the three. 



