280 



THE AMERICAI^ BEE JOURNAL. 



it wrongfor him to charge you SIO for 

 what was worth to you mole t han ten 

 times that amount? Did nut your 

 SIO pay for an individual riglit.and 

 lielp Mr. L. to enlighten others to the 

 fact that he had hundreds of dollars 

 worth for them for only ten dollars. 



" Some people, if they had their pleasure, 



Because silly bargains are made; 

 Would deem it a rational measure. 



To lay an embargo on trade.'* 



Patent or no patent, we should avoid 

 buying worthless goods. Worthless 

 either in principle or construction. 

 We should respect the inventor who 

 patents his inventions. We should 

 respect and help to protect him who 

 does not patent his inventions, as long 

 as he deserves it. The question is a 

 simple one ; there is nothing myster- 

 ious about it. 



Dowagiac, Mich., April 2, 1884. 



For the American Bee Juumal. 



Fixed Frames. 



A. WEU.STER. 



One writer says : " The nearer we 

 come to nature, the nearer we are to 

 right." 



I do not now propose to tell any one 

 how to make bee-hives, or how to 

 construct frames, which, in advanced 

 bee-keeping, are considered the most 

 important feature of hives, but to 

 briefly discuss principles and seek the 

 teachings of nature which are right 

 for a guide in constructing the frames 

 and hives of the future. 



The chief advantage of comb frames, 

 to the bee-keeper, is the facility they 

 offer for manipulating in various 

 ways. This has been made much of, 

 while the relations of frames, to the 

 natural instincts and working habits 

 of the bees has been neglected. 



Frames in their relations to the bees 

 may be considered as follows : 1. As 

 lixtures to which to attach the combs 

 and hold them in place. 2. As bounds 

 to the separate cards or curtains of 

 comb ; determining their sliape and 

 .size, both absolute and relative. 3. 

 As a means of expanding or con- 

 structing the hive at the will of the 

 bee-keeper, to meet the requirements 

 of either large or small colonies at all 

 .seasons and in all climates. 4. Collec- 

 tively, as a nucleus about which to 

 arrange surplus receptacles. 



1. No one will (juestion that in a nat- 

 ural state bees always select fixed ob- 

 jects to which to attach their combs ; 

 or that when put into hives with loose 

 bars or frames, they w ill tix them in 

 the most thorough manner, which the 

 means at their command will admit : 

 or that any jar or disturbance of their 

 combs, as a whole, or in their rela- 

 tions to each other, is distasteful to 

 the bees. Therefore, we say frames 

 should be fixed firmly in place, but 

 easily detached for necessary mani- 

 pulation. Safety and convenience 

 unite in requiring it. Thus, only can 

 we come near to nature and to right- 

 without sacrificing the requirements 

 of art. 



2. As bounds to the cards or cur- 

 tains of comb, etc. It is pertinent 



here to inquire how bees develop their 

 combs in a state of nature, or when 

 their natural working instincts and 

 habits have free and full play uncon- 

 trolled by confinement of any kind. 



This is sometimes seen even at the 

 Xorth, where bees have been known 

 to establish homes in the open air, or 

 in buildings, attaching their combs to 

 a branch, log, ceiling, or other ob- 

 jects. The operation of comb-build- 

 ing is very interesting. 



Having located, clustered, and pro- 

 vided wax to begin with, one comb is 

 started and soon another beside it, 

 which are rapidly extended outwards 

 and downwards until two more are 

 needed, one on each side to fill the 

 circle. And so the work goes on to 

 the close of the season, or until as 

 many combs are provided as the col- 

 ony can occupy with brood and stores. 

 The depth of the two central combs 

 will equal or exceed their length. The 

 sifle combs gradually recede "in depth 

 and length in about "an equal ratio. 



If, now. a cylinder of suitable diam- 

 eter, and of a length equal to its 

 diameter be placed around these 

 combs, and the bees allowed to fasten 

 and complete them, we shall have a 

 hive well suited to the wants of the 

 bees, but not of the best form for the 

 bee-keeper. Trim these combs to a 

 square form ; place a square box of 

 suitable size around them, and we 

 have a hive better adapted to the re- 

 quirements of the bee-keeper, and not 

 objectionable to the bees. Divide this 

 box into diagonal sections correspond- 

 ing to the curtains of comb, taking 

 out the bee-space between each, and 

 you gain an idea of frames constructed 

 on scientific principles, coming near 

 to nature and near to right. 



S. Fix these frames to the bottom- 

 board in a proper manner, and any 

 even number will form a complete 

 skeleton hive, w hich may be enlarged 

 or contracted at will " on all sides 

 alike," by the addition or removal of 

 frames. "Is not this near to nature 

 and near to right V 



4. This skeleton hive may be cov- 

 ered with sections or frames on top 

 and on all sides, and thus "supplying 

 abundant room for surplus storage as 

 near as possible to the brood combs, 

 with free continuous passages." Is 

 any svstem nearer nature, — nearer 

 riglit y 



This is a great subject, a full dis- 

 cussion of which would require a vol- 

 ume, or a series of articles, and must 

 wait. If what I have written shall 

 excite and direct thought and investi- 

 gation, it is all I have aimed at. 



South Xorthfield, Yt. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Artificial Comb Honey. 



A. J. HATFIELD. 



On reading an article, on page 87, by 

 C. R. Isham, I was reminded of sev- 

 eral instances while attending the 

 Northern Indiana Fair, last fall, and 

 on different occasions since, when in 

 conversation with persons in regard 

 to honey, of being asked : " How is 

 artificial honey made V" I assured 



them that it was an impossibility to 

 make artificial comb honey ; but they 

 invariably replied that it must be 

 manufactured, for they had read of it 

 in the papers. In some instances it 

 was impossible to convince them' 

 otherwise. As this false impression 

 prevails all over the country, it is 

 working serious damage to the honey 

 trade ; and as it seems impossible to 

 induce the press, generally, of the 

 country to correct the lie, the thought 

 is suggested that the only wa;^ to set 

 the matter right, would be "for the 

 bee-keepers of .Vmerica to bring suit 

 against Prof. Wiley for libel. This 

 suit to be brought about by the North 

 American Bee-Keepers' Association, 

 or in any other way that might be 

 thought best ; and in any case sup- 

 ported by contributions from SI to $5, 

 by bee-keepers. Although no dam- 

 ages might be collected, the matter 

 could thus be set right before the 

 public. I give this as a suggestion to 

 those who are better posted than my- 

 self, to think of. 

 New Carlisle, Ind. 



For the American Bee Journal* 



Brown Bees vs. Italians. 



GEORfiE B. PETERS. 



In the " Hive and Honey Bee" of 

 our Nestor, will be found a compari- 

 son of the different qualities of the 

 Italian and black bees. 



In this climate we _have a native 

 bee, which has a well defined brown 

 color when in cluster, and so different 

 in character from the " little black 

 bee " described by authors, that I 

 suppose the brown bee is as little like 

 it as the Italian : and, therefore, I as- 

 sume the brown bee is as much a dis- 

 tinct species as the black, Italian, or 

 Cyprian bee. 



Believing Mr. Langstroth has faith- 

 fully delineated the characteristics of 

 the two races, I will mention the dif- 

 ferent habitudes of the brown bee as 

 distinguished from the Italian. 



1. Irascibility.— The brown bee, 

 when handled with the same care as 

 the Italian, is decidedly more docile 

 and harmless. I have kept bees for 

 .50 years, and as long as I had only 

 brown bees, I never knew what a bee 

 veil or gloves were ; never used smok- 

 ing wood, or any other defense until 

 within the last 20 years, since I, in 

 part, adopted the Italian bee. during 

 wliich time I have found all of these 

 articles of defense absolutely neces- 

 sary. I can truthfully assert that I 

 have been more sorely punished in 

 one day by ill-natured Italians than I 

 ever was in the .50 years of intercourse 

 with the brown bee, all put together. 



2. Quietude in Handling.— The 

 brown bee is much more restless dur- 

 ing work in the interior of the hive, 

 and will not adhere to the combs 

 nearly so steadily as their Italian 

 cousins, making it more difficult to 

 find a brown queen than an Italian 

 one, whose workers remain steadfast 

 on the combs during the examination. 



3. Absconding Propensity. — The 

 brown bee is decidedly less disposed 



i to abscond than tfce Italian bee. 



