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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



New Cuts. — The Chromo-Lithographic 

 plates, advertised in tlie November num- 

 ber are excellent. We have just had a 

 new Italian Queen cut, engraved from 

 them, which is correct in every particular. 

 Here it is : 



We shall also engrave others from these 

 plates, for The American Bee Journal. 



Advertisers who may wish to illustrate 

 their advertisements with them, can do so 

 free of charge, except for the space they 

 occupy. 



To those wishing them to illustrate cata- 

 logues, price lists, or stationery, we will 

 send an electrotype of the queen cut, post- 

 paid, for $1.00. Or we will print such for 

 them, illustrated with any cuts we have, 

 at rates as low as any others will print 

 them -without the cuts. 



Comb Foundation. 



On another page a request is made for 

 the particulars of the "Claim" for Comb 

 Foundation. Mr. Perrine has furnished 

 us the following : 



The patent is No. 32,258, and was issued to 

 Samuel Wagner, of York, Pa., and dated May 7th, 

 1861. It runs for 17 years, and cannot be renewed, 

 as the law now stands. The patent runs out 

 on May 7th, 1878—2 years hence. Its title is 

 "Improved Artificial Honey Comb," and it is 

 described as follows : " The substitute is designed 

 be be artificially and suitably formed upon both 

 sides or faces; any suitable material which is 

 susceptible of receiving the desired and necessary 

 conflgur.ation." The claim reads thus: "As a 

 new article of manufacture, an artificial substi- 

 tute for the central division of comb built by bees, 

 which presents to them, on both sides thereof, 

 guides for the construction or continuation for 

 the sides of the comb cells, whether the same is 

 constructed with or without the whole, or any 

 portion of the sides of the cells." 



I want to be fully understood in the matter of 

 prices. I have put them where I thought I could 

 make a profit. I may put them lower or higher. 

 I have yetto know of any one making a profit at 

 any price. John Long {alias Iloge) put the price 

 of yellow and white at $1.00 per lb. White bees- 

 wax is worth 5.5c. to tiOc. per lb., and he paid Mr. 

 Weis-, 3.5c. per lb. for running it, (and he, the in- 

 ventor, with hie rollers, only made 40 to 50 lbs. 

 per week, working 16 to 18 hours per day) which 

 gave Hoge a profit^ if he used beeswax, of 5 to 10 

 cents per lb. lor packing box and labor of putting 

 it up, etc., etc. But he made a profit by keeping 

 the money went to him, and not filling the orders. 

 A number have complained to me of this. One 

 man sent $100, and received only 28 lbs., and can 

 get no answer to his letters to Hoge. So far as 

 Mr. A. I. Root is concerned, he has always been 



too generous for his own interest, as Ms friends 

 all know. When he had his machine completed, 

 he announced that he would furnish the Founda- 

 tion at 75 cents per lb. He has always tried to 

 give something for nothing, instead of to get some- 

 thing for nothing, as Hoge did. Mr. Root must 

 certainly have seen, before he sent me the 

 machine, that he could not make a profit on yellow 

 wax at 75 cents per tt>. He stated to me that he 

 had made only about 30 lbs. in the whole month 

 he had the machine, and I have had the machine 

 nearly that length of time, and up to the present 

 writing, have not made one pound as I wanted to 

 have it, but have melted up all attempts so far. 

 I did not buy the patent, nor machine, to make 

 money selling Foundation. I have use for it in 

 my business; but if any one wants it, at a price 

 for which I can aff'ord to make it, all right; 1 will 

 do the best I can for them, and will advise them 

 when I make prices lower or higher. I had use 

 for the patent on the Comb Foundation, and the 

 machine for making it, and paid for them instead 

 of pirating them ; and if any one wants a part of 

 it now, he must not pirate it, but do as I did. 



C. O. Pkbrine. 



Voices from Among the Hives. 



Crawford Co., Mo., April 15, 1876 — 

 " Bees have wintered well here, and are 

 nearly ready for dividing. We have none 

 but the native stock. Money is too hard 

 to get to Italianize now." 



J. Harman, Sen. 



Delhi, Mich., April 7, 1876.—" My 50 

 stands of bees have wintered in fine con- 

 dition. I purposely wintered one with- 

 out a queen; all right so far. I have mada 

 a hive which I call the Centennial. Bees 

 winter in it better than any other I have. 

 Fed once in every five days during the 

 winter." John L. Davis. 



Plumas Co., Cal., April 13, 1876.— 

 " I commenced bee-keeping two years ago 

 with two hives. Am wintering twenty, 

 and could have had twice that number if 

 I had taken proper care of them. Bees 

 do well here; no trouble in wintering, 

 and we are free from moths. Some of 

 my hives yielded 150 lbs. comb honey to 

 the hive last season. I intend to make 

 bee-keeping a business, as soon as I can 

 get properly fixed for it, and of course, 

 shall need the assistance of your valuable 

 Journal. E. Culver. 



Rochester, III., April 1.—" April No, 

 American Bee Journal, is at hand with 

 a cheery face, and much improved in ap- 

 pearance. Flooded cellar compelled re- 

 moval of bees to " stands " much earlier 

 than I intended. In good condition. 

 Had consumed a very small amount of 

 stores. Have 12 colonies in two story 

 hives, (the upper portable ;) size of brood 

 chamber 19>^xl8; frame 18x73j^. I am 

 but a beginner in apiculture, and had it 

 not been that I had counsel from experi- 

 ence, I should most likely have thrown 

 up the sponge in confusion and dismay 

 ere this, as many apiarists rush into 

 print to gratify their selfishness and mal- 

 ice, instead of on business." 



W. W. CURNUTT. 



