1858. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



57? 



throwing it into a compact heap mingles and 

 pulverizes it, and greatly assists in preparing it 

 for use. 



Manure carried out in this way, after the 

 weather becomes so cool as to freeze the surface 

 of the heap, will not shrink so much by evapora- 

 tion as to amount to any considerable loss, while 

 the inside of the heap is probably undergoing a 

 gentle fermentation, which is highly useful to it. 



For the Netc England Farmer. 

 BEE HIVES—KEPIiY TO "J. B. C." 



Mr. Editor :— Controversy of any kind I very 

 much dislike ; it seldom amounts to much, and 

 usually the great point at issue is lost sight of 

 and the contest ends more in personal ill will 

 than the advancement of truth, or the correction 

 of error. But for the style in which "J. B. C." 

 disposes of an article of mine published in the 

 New England Farmer, some time ago, my "self- 

 esteem" would not allow me to notice his article 

 of October 2. During the past two years, I have 

 written quite a number of articles for the Neto 

 England Farmer, on bee culture, that is, as Nor- 

 folk understands and practices it. I might as 

 well say, to begin with, that my "self-esteem" is 

 large on this subject, and "common prudence" 

 has not as yet, "J. B. C.'s" article notwithstand- 

 ing, kept nie from urging farmers and mechanics, 

 indeed all, both men and women, boys and girls, 

 all who have a rod of spare land, and strength 

 enough to handle a Union Bee-hive, saying noth- 

 ing about the unweildly hive called the Movea- 

 ble Comb Bee-hive, to engage in this interesting 

 branch of farm economy. I believe it not only 

 profitable in the long run, but aside from the 

 profits, especially interesting as a branch of nat- 

 ural history every way calculated to instruct the 

 mind and elevate the soul from "nature up to 

 nature's God," and to teach man wisdom, indus- 

 try and forethought. Norfolk's self-esteem is so 

 large that he believes he understands this sub- 

 ject as well as some who have published books 

 relating to the "Hive and Honey bee," or who 

 have made the U. S. Patent laws on bee hives a 

 subject of investigation, and if "J. B. C." has 

 been a careful reader of his articles, and has ex- 

 ercised "common prudence," he has found that 

 Norfolk gives only his own views, and his "self- 

 esteem" leads him to believe that what he has 

 written will bear examination, and has truth for 

 its foundation. If "Wyoming" will visit King Oak 

 Hill, Norfolk stands ready to prove the truth of 

 all he may have said on bee-culture, or hives. 



It seems from "J. B. C'.s" article, that he is in- 

 terested in the Langstroth hive. I infer this, at 

 least, from his manner of writing, and his inti- 

 mate knowledge of the history of the patent, and 

 the contest between Clarke and Langstroth re- 

 garding the same. I confess that I know nothing 

 about either in this respect. I gave my opinion 

 of the two, based on my own experience, and 

 that of others, and it seems to me that the "self- 

 esteem" of "J. B. C." carried him away in writing 

 his laudatory article in favor of Mr. Langstroth 

 and his hive, which a little more "common pru- 

 dence" would have prevented him from doing. 

 Norfolk, in his own personal experience, does 



not believe "that the hive recommended by the 

 most scientific apiarian on this side of the Atlan- 

 tic" is the best, nor does he admit the assertion 

 of "J. B. C." to this effect to be true. "Self-es- 

 teem" and experience prevent this, and reading 

 with practical use disprove it. I have stated that 

 I am in no way interested in any "patent" hive 

 whatever. I am not — on the contrary, I have 

 but little faith in any hive with "patent" attached 

 to it; it smells of humbug, and in the article to 

 which "J. B. C." has taken umbrage, I gave my 

 preference to Clarke's hive, and I stated that, "if 

 as is stated, Mr. Langstroth," &c. This was, and 

 is now my opinion, which I stand ready to prove. 

 I will say that my authority for this language is 



Mr. C , who, I am free to say, is interested in 



the Union Bee-hive, but not to a greater extent 

 than is "J. B. C." for the Langstrotk, as I under- 

 stand his language in his article of October 2. If 

 "J. B. C'had read the work of Huber, "common 

 prudence," one would have thought, should have 

 prevented him from saying the tri-angular comb 

 guide was invented in England, or described by 

 him, as used by Clarke in his Union hive. Hu- 

 ber describes quite a different affair. "It is not 

 my purpose in this article to analyze the Lang- 

 stroth hive, or exhibit wherein it is inferior to 

 the Union, or to point out" the many good points 

 which the Union hive combines in practical bee- 

 culture. Suffice it to say, it has received the "en- 

 comiums of Norfolk," and he ought, and thinks 

 he has, put it to the test, and is "qualified" to 

 recommend it to the readers of the New England 

 Farmer. I express this opinion with the more 

 confidence, as I have now in my apiary five dif- 

 ferent patents and seven different kinds of bee- 

 hives. I am "familiar" with most of the patent 

 bee-hives used in this section of country, and 

 while I thus express myself, I believe Mr. Quin- 

 by describes as good a hive as any one need have 

 for all practical purposes, and I confess it was with 

 much surprise I learned from "J. B.C." that he 

 has abandoned his own superior hives, and which 

 he so strongly recommends in his excellent work 

 on bees. Most of his instructions are to the point, 

 and every chapter bears the marks of practical ex- 

 perience. My doubts were so strong as to the 

 statement of "J. B. C." being a fact, that some two 

 weeks or more since I wrote to Mr. Quinby to as- 

 certain his position in this matter ; as yet I have 

 received no reply to my inquiry, therefore I will 

 admit the statementof "J.B.C'.astrue. Granting 

 then that Mr. Quinby is so much in love with the 

 Langstroth hive as to use it in preference to his 

 own, or any other, this only proves what every 

 one's experience teaches, that the "parson often 

 preaches what he does not practice." His instruc- 

 tions are not for himself, out for others. I can 

 only say to the readers of the New England Far- 

 mer that such advice as I have from time to time 

 given them on "hives and bee-culture," has been 

 put to a practical test, and in accordance with 

 that test. So I would advise, nothing more — 

 nothing less ; and when a thing is a failure with 

 me, or in my hands, I so enter it on the record, 

 and instruct accordingly. 



Item. — In this town and vicinity bees have 

 done poorly this season. They swarmed well, as 

 a general thing, but have nade little or no sur- 

 plus honey. Rev. Mr. Rockwood, of North Wey- 

 mouth, I am told, out of nine stocks in the spring 



