1899 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



753 



new just because it is a different style, and 

 they like to be humbugged. Now, this custom 

 of introducing new styles of hives and sections 

 every year is a nuisance to the bee-keepers at 

 large, and should in some way be stopped, for 

 they will never take the place of such hives as 

 the Langstroth and other leading hives in use, 

 or the 4%X4X, 2, Iff. or 1% sections. 



To show how many 4^X4^ sections are in 

 use I will sav that The G. B Lewis Co., of 

 Watertown, Wis., has sold about 10,000.000 to 

 25,000 of the 4X5, and they consider the 4% 

 undoubtedly the better section. Now, just 

 think of the waste there would be with such 

 bee-keepers as father and myself, with about 

 300 colonies run for comb honey, to discard old 

 supers for new ones. You are doing an injury 

 to your brother bee-keepers, instead of good 

 If Mr. Massie thinks the fence separators such 

 a fine thing with his 4X5, he doesn't know 

 what a good thing is. The fences are the 

 poorest separators on the market, and that 

 helps to knock out the 4X5 section. I have 

 tried almost all, and long enough. The 4 '4, 

 raised with a plain tin separator, will weigh a 

 little less than a pound, which most retailers 

 like; and a square chunk of honey looks, if 

 any thing, better than the 4x5 on the table. 



I have been an exhibitor at the Wisconsin 

 State Fair for the last five years, and have 

 taken almost all of the premiums, and never 

 heard of any preference for the new style of 

 sections, or fault with the 4} 4 'XLV. I think 

 I have sold and shown my honey to more peo- 

 ple than Mr. Massie. He might fool custom- 

 ers of his, but I can't mine. I have tried 

 quite a number of hives and sections, but nev- 

 er found any thing as simple and profitable as 

 the Langstroth hive and the T super with fol- 

 lower and wedge holding 24 4 J 4 X4% sections. 

 There are too many trying to make money out 

 of their new hives and sections. 



Prairie du Sac, Wis. 



[Why, Mr. O., you are speaking for your- 

 self. This United States of ours is too large to 

 have any controversy or ill feeling over a mat- 

 ter of this kind. Before you judge your oppo- 

 nent too harshly, I suggest that you take a 

 trip east and look over the market there — par- 

 ticularly those of Albany and New York. 



You might just as well say that everybody 

 should be Methodists, Baptists, or Congrega- 

 tionalists. There are some people who wear 

 Congress gaiters, and yet I suspect a great ma- 

 jority will wear nothing but laced shoes. It 

 would be folly if those on one side should say 

 that laced shoes should be thrown into the 

 mud and left there, simply because Congress 

 gaiters can be put on more easily and in less 

 time. Then, again, some farmers prefer nar- 

 row wagon-tires while others use those that are 

 four or five inches wide, and there is another 

 large class who, like yourself, are making a 

 great outcry against them. 



If some of the arguments on either side were 

 to be carried out, the result would be absurdi- 

 ty. The simple fact is, we can not all be 

 brought to one idea or pattern. It in no way 

 conflicts with your interests if Mr. Massie or 

 Mr. Orton prefers 4x5 sections. Your prefer- 



ence for the 4)4 can not in any way affect 

 their pocketbook. 



This world should be broad enough and lib- 

 eral enough to allow each one to wear what- 

 ever kind of shoe he pleases, or any particular 

 hat that suits his fancy, or to use the hive, 

 section, or frame he likes best. 



To a " man up a tree " it might look as if 

 what has been said in Glranings in favor of 

 plain sections, fences, and tall sections, was 

 put in solely to grind a certain ax, the proper- 

 ty of The A. I. Root Co. ; and knowing people 

 as I do, and judging other people as I am 

 afraid I do, I do not blame you or anyone else 

 for taking this view of the matter ; but if you 

 will come to our place and then take a trip 

 east with me, I think I can show you that dol- 

 lars and cents, in the case of The A. I. Root 

 Co., zaas not the motive for putting out these 

 sections. 



While The G. B. Lewis Co. may not have 

 sold more than 25,000 tall sections out of 

 10,000,000, our proportion (and you know we 

 are nearer the eastern market) runs about 

 1,000,000 for every 10,000,000 of the 4% sec- 

 tions. The simple fact is, we could make 

 more money, and so would all manfacturers, if 

 all bee-keepers would stick to one style of sec- 

 tion ; but if another kind for some people and 

 some portions of our country is better, should 

 we not give it to them ? — Ed.] 



THE DAISY FOUNDATION-FASTENER. 



Its Merits and Demerits. 



BY F. GREINER. 



I have received several letters this spring, 

 asking my opinion regarding the Daisy foun- 

 dation-fastener. These letters came from par- 

 ties largely engaged in the production of comb 

 honey. It seems, then, that the little machine 

 is not fully known among the bee-keeping 

 friends, and it may serve a good purpose to 

 bring it before the readers again and discuss 

 its merits and perhaps its demerits also. 



In the years gone by I have purchased sev- 

 eral foundation-fasteners only to discard them 

 after a brief trial, falling back on the melted- 

 resin process, although I have always consid- 

 ered the resin objectionable. My own expe- 

 rience with the Daisy has not been a very ex- 

 tended one ; but I am happy to say I can re- 

 port success. The machine does quick work, 

 and does it very neatly. I have spent a good 

 deal of time fastening foundation into sections 

 by the use of wax or resin — time that w T as very 

 valuable to me. I did not feel as though I 

 could trust an inexperienced hand with this 

 kind of work, for it has to be done just right. 

 The Daisy may be operated by a child, and 

 still every starter will be exactly in the right 

 place. In fact, since I have had the Daisy I 

 have put in scarcely any starters myself. My 

 girl, eight years old, thinks it is just fun to 

 work with it, and she does the work well. I 

 can, therefore, recommend the Daisy fastener 

 to all. 



When I was using the resin method I would 



