THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



119 



as pound sections. When retailed, 

 the two halves can be separated with 

 ease by a light stroke, with a sharp 

 knife, across the top and bottom of 

 the section, betwixt the two pieces 

 forming the division. 



My first section honey was obtained 

 in a similar box, containing two 1%- 

 Ib. sections, and I experienced no in- 

 convenience in its use. I sold the 

 honey for a good price, and let the 

 grocer do the separating when re- 

 quired, which he did without com- 

 plaint or objection. 



The extra expense in construction, 

 required by dividing the pound sec- 

 tion, as described in the foregoing (as 

 will be readily perceived by the ex- 



gerienced), is in the two extra kerfs, 

 andling tlie pieces forming the divis- 

 ions, and the lumber required for the 

 division pieces. The amount of foun- 

 dation is not as great as tliat required 

 for a single pound section, and the 

 two pieces can be fastened quite as 

 quickly as one. VVtien the whole is 

 complete, the remaining work of the 

 apiarist is the same as that of hand- 

 ling the single pound section. Racks, 

 crates, etc., will require no alteration. 

 Other items, pro or con, might be 

 enumerated ; but, if a half-pound sec- 

 tion of honey is demanded by the 

 trade, their discussion is simply a 

 part of the business negotiation of the 

 producer, dealer and consumer. 



West Cumberland, Me ,Feb.9, 1883. 



For the American Bee Journal* 



My Apiary for Six Years. 



H. S. HACKMAN. 



Getting up a complete statistical 

 statement of even the live bee-keep- 

 ers' product, will be difficult, and 1 am 

 sure of the almost impossibility of 

 getting the statistics of •' old fogies," 

 lor I have interviewed a few of such 

 and not one could or would tell what 

 amount of honey their bees produced. 

 Not one in twenty, in ordinary life, 

 keep any account of what they are 

 doing, not even the farmers. Ask 

 them how much they sell from the 

 farm during a year, and they say, " I 

 do not know ; I keep no account." 



Until men learn the benefit and 

 pleasure such yearly reports afford, it 

 will be difficult to gather statistics. 



I append a tabulated statement of 

 my work with my bees for six years, 

 or since 1 commenced the business : 



Total honey sold $861 II 



Supplies " 34 40 



Total 1893 51 



Total bees bought »285 oo 



Hive material 185 40 



Supplies 126 93 



597 33 



In favor of the bees $298 18 



2,647 IbB. of honey on hand 397 05 



100 colonies, average, 25 fts. of honey. . 600 oo 



ISO " " 611 " '• .,1,300 00 

 Supplies and hives 120 00 



Total in my favor for 6 years $2,715 23 



I have compared bee-keeping with 

 several of the most profitable busi- 

 nesses, such as poultry, dairy, etc., 

 but find nothing to compare with bees 

 for profits, according to the capital 

 invested. 



When bee-keepers become enough 

 interested to keep a correct account of 



their work, it will be much more easy 

 to make out true statistical reports. I 

 would not think of running even a 

 pea nut stand without knowing what 

 I was about, and how I was doing. 

 Peru, 111. 



For the American Bee JoumaL 



Hints— Standard Hives, Etc. 



W. T. STEWART, 100. 



I have just been commenting with 

 a friend on the merits of the Ameri- 

 can Bee Journal, and more es- 

 pecially on its circulation as an adver- 

 tising medium, and I have come to 

 tlie 'conclusion that it is like Brady's 

 Bitters, " Everybody takes it." Two 

 years ago I wrote for its columns an 

 article on the value of the Simpson 

 honey plant tor bee forage. Straight- 

 way i was deluged with letters of in- 

 quiry, orders for seed, etc. I com- 

 menced to answer all letters, cards, 

 etc., until I had demolished about $2 

 worth of 3 cent stamps, besides paper, 

 envelopes, and time to write, so 1 quit 

 answering unless a stamp was sent 

 me ; but still they kept coming from 

 all over tliis big continent. Then, 

 last year, I told its readers something 

 about " the coming hive," with re- 

 versible frames ; ever since that, I 

 have been almost daily receiving cor- 

 respondence about that hive, and it 

 keeps coming from Maine to Califor- 

 nia, from Canada to Texas, and even 

 from Scotland. They want a more 

 minute description of it, until I have 

 a half bushel of answered letters, and 

 as many more not answered. My 

 stationery and stamps gave out, but 

 when one sends a stamp 1 answer. I 

 am not stingy, but poor. 



Brother bee-keepers, it is our duty, 

 when writing business letters to any 

 party, to enclose a stamp or stamps 

 for a reply. Some forget it, some al- 

 ways enclose a stamp no matter how 

 often they write. For instance, Mr. 

 J. H. Martin wrote me several letters 

 concerning my hive, and in the first 

 letter was enclosed five 3 cent stamps, 

 and one in each after that; a man is 

 generous who does thus. But these 

 are hints enough, on correspondence. 

 I will try to answer all, at once, 

 through the Bee Journal, seeing 

 that "everybody takes it." 



I cannot describe by words my re- 

 versible frame and its supports, and 

 make it plain enough to be under- 

 stood thoroughly. Last season was 

 so poor for honey here, that I had no 

 chance to test it thoroughly, but I am 

 satisfied it is the best reversible frame 

 yet invented ; I have not, and will not, 

 patent it. I have no machinery for 

 hive-making, and no hives to sell, 

 unless it be one as a pattern to make 

 by, at an average price for first-class 

 hand-made hives, and then only to 

 accommodate. 



As to the Simpson honey plant, I 

 have sown all the seed I could save 

 last year. 



There is considerable talk about a 

 standard frame, and a great many 

 are advocating the Langstroth as the 

 frame. Go over the country and 

 measure the so-called Langstroth, and 



you will find that about one in ten are 

 of the right dimensions. They are of 

 all sizes but the true Langstroth. I 

 am in favor of three standard frames, 

 such as will best suit different locali- 

 ties ; the best frame for the far North 

 is probably not the best for Southern 

 localities. Suppose we make the 

 Langstroth, the Gallup, and the 

 American frames, the standards ; then 

 all localities will be suited ; so far as 

 I am concerned, I can use any of the 

 three, and will use whatever is adopted 

 as the standard by the vote of all oee- 

 keepers, and we can get the vote of all 

 only in a way similar to tlie one pur- 

 sued by Dr. Miller in gathering the 

 statistics. I do not think it best (or 

 even fair) for a few that are fine 

 writers to decide this matter. Let us 

 leave it to a vote, by all being re- 

 quested to send their vote on a postal 

 to some one man in a given length of 

 time, and then have that vote, with 

 names, recorded in the different jour- 

 nals as a final contract by vote of the 

 whole, and if, Mr. Editor, you and 

 your readers think this way advis- 

 able, and will so announce it, I will 

 take charge of the ballot box and re- 

 port promptly the parties name and 

 vote at the expiration of the given 

 time to close the polls. I am using 

 the Langstroth, and also the Roop 

 frame, which is 10 inches square, in- 

 side measure. I have about 50 of 

 each ; but I will adopt whatever is 

 made the standard or standards, 

 though it would necessitate a change 

 of at least 50 of my hives. I would 

 cheerfully make the change. My vote 

 is to make the Langstroth, Gallup and 

 American, the standards. By this 

 means those who have bees to sell and 

 ship, can so arrange their hives as to 

 fill orders Nortli or South without 

 trouble, and for those who produce 

 honey only for market, can choose 

 any of the three sizes ; section makers 

 and supply dealers can know what to 

 keep in stock. 

 Eminence, Ky., Feb. 4, 1883. 



[I think it would not be wise now to 

 take a vote on a standard hive. Wait 

 till next fall or winter, after the statis- 

 tical matter is tabulated. — Ed.] 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Cold Frame, Mignonette, Etc. 



vf. c. .tennison. 



March 13, 1882, a cold frame was 

 placed close to the south side of a 

 chaff hive. The front side of the 

 frame was IJ-^feet high by 2 feet long ; 

 the back side was 2 feet high by 2 feet 

 long, and was made just wide enough 

 for a 2x2 feet window sash to cover 

 it. Cleats were nailed on the sides 

 and top end of the sash, by raising 

 the lower end and placing a stick be- 

 tween it and the frame ; a space was 

 left for the bees to go outside when 

 the weather was not too cold for them 

 to fly. 



Two days after placing the frame in 

 front of the hive, I examined the bees, 

 and found about 3 square inches of 

 comb filled with sealed brood, and 

 enough bees to cover 4 Gallup frames. 



