338 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



a subscriber by so doing. Some of the 

 other journals have been kind to the Re- 

 view in the way of mentioning its good 

 qualities; and while these kind words 

 have undoubtedly helped the Review, it 

 is not at all likely that those who gave 

 utterance to them have thereby lost any 

 subscribers. Withholding deserved praise 

 of a contemporary has never helped any 

 journal in the race for fame and fortune. 

 Letting a journal "run down" editorially, 

 or typographically, or any other way, 

 allowing it to become dull, pros^' and 

 common-place, these are the things that 

 kill a journal. Keep your jom nal bright, 

 fresh, clean, newsy, helpful and up-to- 

 date, put some life into it, and it will live 

 and prosper, though there are compli- 

 mentary notices of other journals in 

 every issue. 



SHAI,!. BEE-KKEPERS MAKE THEIR OWN 

 HIVES AND FIXTURES ? 



A subscriber wishes the above question 

 discussed in the Review. He says that it 

 costs him a good share of the crop of one 

 season to buy supplies for the next sea- 

 son, and he wishes to know if it would 

 not be more profitable to make his own 

 supplies, with possibly the exception of 

 sections. 



The answer to this question all depends 

 upon the circumstances. Mr. Doolittle 

 used to make all of his supplies, even to 

 the sections; and I believe he does yet 

 with the exception of sections. I have 

 always made all of my hives, supers, 

 shipping cases, etc., and did once make 

 sections to advantage with the aid of my 

 brother and a foot power saw upon which 

 we could put our combined strength. 

 When I made sections they were worth 

 |8.oo a thousand. I could not afford to 

 make them now. Even the manufacturer 

 with power and some special machinery 

 finds that he can not successfully compete 

 with the more extensive manufacturer. 

 For the last two years I have also been 

 buying my shipping cases more cheaply 

 than I could make them. My hives I 

 still make. I am in a lumber region, or 



what was once a lumber region, and lum- 

 ber is not so expensive as it is some lo- 

 calities. I am also near planing mills 

 that have good machinery and competent 

 workmen. The hives that I use are of 

 very simple construction — simply a plain 

 box without top or bottom. The bottom 

 board is cleated at each end and has a little 

 strip of wood on each side and one end 

 to raise the hive from the bottom board. 

 The cover is simply a plain board with 

 cleats at the ends. I can get the material 

 for such hives cut out and delivered at 

 my door for much less than I can buy it 

 at any factory of which I have any know- 

 ledge. It is a short, easy job to nail the 

 hives together and paint them. The 

 frames I buy away from home, as the 

 planing mills here can not cut them out 

 so cheaply as the bee hive factories do. 



Mr. Taylor contends that bee-keepers 

 should make thetr own hives, supers, 

 and other fixtures. Perhaps in a major- 

 ity of instances they should. Some men 

 are bunglers with tools, but it is hard for 

 me to understand how such men can be 

 successful bee-keepers. If a man is a 

 good workman with tools, can buy lum- 

 ber cheaply and can get it cut up near 

 home, or, can get a foot power saw and 

 do it himself, and has the leisure for the 

 work, it will pay him to make his own 

 hives. If he must send away for the lum- 

 ber, does not need a large number of 

 hives, and must go some distance to get 

 lumber cut up, or else buy him a foot 

 power saw, or if he is a bee-keeper but 

 not a mechanic it may be more profitable 

 to buy his hives of some manufacturer. 

 This is one of those questions that each 

 man must solve for himself. He alone 

 knows all of the circumstances. L,et him 

 figure it all out carefully, taking into con- 

 sideration all of the points that will have 

 a bearing on the subject, and then do 

 what seems best. If any one else can 

 offer any additional thoughts on this top- 

 ic that will be helpful in enabling bee- 

 keepers to decide whether to make or to 

 buy their hives, I shall be very glad to 

 hear from them. 



