188tj 



GLEANINGS IN JJliE CULTURE. 



USl 



the left-hand end. This movement disengages the 

 lower left-hand end of the bottom - bar, and the 

 frame, with comb and bees, can be removed or ad- 

 justed to any i))ace in the hive as readily as an L. 

 frame. To invert the comb, simply turn the frame 

 end over end, and it is ready to be inserted into the 

 hive in an inverted position, as top and bottom of 

 the frame are alike. 



If the condition of the couilis is such as to admit 

 inverting- them all together, we slip a strip of metal 

 like D (usually a '^a-incli strip of hoop iron), into the 

 saw-kerf B, over the ends of the frame-tops; and 

 the entire ease, with frames, combs, and bees, may 

 be inverted, end over end; and when thus inverted, 

 the case and frames, with their adjustments, are 

 just the same as they appeared before inverting. 

 In fact, both top and bottom of both hive and 

 frames are alike; and, regardless which side of the 

 case is up, any frame can be removed from the top 

 as readily as an L. frame, by removing the metal 

 strip D, which was below the bottom, now over the 

 ends of the top-bar. A hole or two pierced into the 

 metal strip, into which a nail, or the corner of the 

 putty-knife, may be inserted, assists in removing 

 said strip. 



While these frames work well in a hive as deep as 

 a Langstroth hive, we use them in our two-story 

 alternating hive, the frames of which are only si.v 

 inches deep. When of such depth they can readily 

 be handled with one hand; although in a hive, 

 practically arranged to alternate the upper with 

 the lower story, the combs require very little hand- 

 ling. In fact, we don't handle one frame in this 

 hive where we handle four in any other hive, to ac- 

 complish the same result. 



A few weeks ago, while looking over my past rec- 

 ords of wintering bees under various conditions and 

 preparations, I found that 1 had sustained less loss 

 of bees in the alternating hive than in any other, 

 although wintered on the summer stand, which I 

 attribute largely to their thorough central commu- 

 nication, the two cases of brood-combs being V2 

 inches deep, with a ' i-inch space through the cen- 

 ter. Do not understand me as advocating tall hives. 

 I have used hives with frames U inches deep, and 

 sustained heavy losses, as tall hives necessarily are 

 of small circumference, and the cold penetrates 

 from all sides, and reaches the bees sooner than in 

 a shallower hive. E. Kketchmer. 



Coburg, Iowa, Dec, ]88ti. 



Friend K., your plan is not new, so i'ar as 

 the frame is concerned. Tlie idea, however, 

 of slipping a piece of hoop iron over the 

 frames, so the hive may be inverted, is, so 

 far as I remember, original. The whole 

 difficulty with such an arrangement is, that 

 frames supported by opijosite corners are 

 not tirm and substantial. If heavy with 

 honey, the upper unsupported corner will 

 sag over to one side or tiie other, and notli- 

 iug will keep them in place except project- 

 ing wood, nail-heads, or something of that 

 .sort, and then we have frames at lixed dis- 

 tances. We give the illustration more to 

 show to others that this field has been al- 

 ready worked over, than with the hope that 

 it will ever be adopted. (3f course, it would 

 work very much better with a shallow frame, 

 say five or six inches deep, than with the 

 ordinary L. Iramc. A broad base ^^•ould 

 also help the fiame to stand securely. 



FHIEND DADANT IN EEGAED TO THE 

 SALE OF HONEY. 



CAN IT EVER COMPETE WITH THE SUG.A.K-1NUUSTKY? 



HIEND ROOT:— You will not be astonished \t 

 I come forward to take issue with friend 

 Heddon on his article, page 8S2. He and I 

 hardly ever agree on details, but we have 

 never fallen out with one another, even if 

 we have had pretty warm discussions in different 

 papers. 



Friend Heddon says honey will never become a 

 staple. Are not syrups a staple? And is not honey 

 better than syrup, and more healthful V Indeed, 

 we have low prices; but how long will that last'/ 

 By looking back to our accounts I find that, in 1880, 

 only 6 years ago, we were selling honey, at whole- 

 sale, in .5 lb. cans, at "Jt els. per can, or 15 cts. per lb. 

 In 1883, only 3 years ago, we sold 14,358 lbs. of honey 

 (28 barrels) to Thurber, Whyland & Co., of New 

 York, for .^1435.80, or 10 cents per lb., delivered in 

 New York city. This was mostly fall honeij. At 

 the:e wholesale prices, the honey was retailed at 

 not less than 18 or 20 cents, and, of course, could 

 not be expected to compete with syrups. 



This year, for the first time, we are ottering hon- 

 ey in cans, at 8 cts. wholesale, and 10 cts. retail; and 

 it is selling well, altiiough. to be sure, we have to 

 offer it. and we would sell but little if we should sit 

 down and say, " Honey is not a staple, never will 

 be, and is only tit for sauce," which is the long and 

 the short of Heddon's argument. 



But can honey become a staple, and compete 

 with syrup, so long as it is refilled at 10 cents, while 

 the best granulated sugar is only f)'»? Evidently 

 not; and yet bee-keepers, owing to the new meth- 

 ods of production, are overstocked with it, and can 

 not realize more than 4 or 5 cents on the large 

 markets. Why? For the very reason that they 

 send it to the large markets instead of trying to 

 make it a staple by selling it at home, for a trifle 

 more than they can get on the wholesale market. 



But Mr. Heddon and others will say, " I am not 

 a peddler, nor do I wish to be." Very well; but you 

 will find plenty of men who will peddle your honey 

 for one or two cents per pound, and make big 

 wages. The reason why honey is not yet a staple, 

 like sj'rups, is, that consumers don't know that it 

 can be had so cheap. They may read Chicago or 

 St. Louis quotations at 4 or 5 cents, but they either 

 see no honey at all, or the little that they buy is 

 sold to them at 12 to 15 cents or more. As Prof. 

 McLain truly remarked, in a visit which he paid us 

 a few days ago, " Not one-flfth of the children, the 

 world over, know what honey tastes like." Per- 

 haps children don't like honey 1 



How can we induce bee-keepers to push their 

 home market? If they will not listen to reason, 

 they will learn It by dear experience. After a few 

 sales in the large cities, at 3 or 4 cents per lb., they 

 will conclude to job it in their own neighborhood at 

 ti or 8 cents. Then the people will learn to prefer 

 it to syrups, and, for some purposes, even.to sugar. 



I see by the commercial reports, that there are 12 

 grocers in Dowagiac. How many of them keep 

 your honey, friend Heddon? Of our 9 grocers in 

 Hamilton, 7 sell Dadant's honey, and the other two 

 do not sell it, simply because we considered their 

 trade too small to be worthy of attention. 



Will it pay to raise honcj- at 5 cents iier lb.? We 

 might !is well ask whether it i)iiys to grow wheat at 



