368 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



JtJLV 



trying the end frames (a, a) with an arrange- 

 ment quite similar to the one yon suggest, I 

 feel sure I would not like it. The bees 

 trouble by building little bits of comb, unit- 

 ing the ends of the frames of the main hives 

 to these single crosswise combs. By using 

 a wide f j-ame with tin separators, and hav- 

 ing the separators turned next to the ends of 

 the brood-frames, possibly it might work 

 very well. Yet I do not see how we could 

 very well avoid being obliged to make these 

 extra frames a little shallower than the one 

 occupying the main part of the hive. 

 Dummies liave often been suggested, but I 

 have always found them decidedly objection- 

 able, niey occupy room where the bees 

 might be storing honey. Theti they are 

 always getting stuck fast unless they are 

 arranged exactly like a brood-comb. If so, 

 I should very much prefer having a brood- 

 comb to a useless board. 



I believe we pretty nearly agree in regard 

 to patents ; for all that, 1 would suggest that 

 the improvements in bee culture are almost 

 invariably found to be the work of many 

 people ; or, if you please, the result of little 

 suggestions thrown out by a great many 

 bee-keepers. In view of this, can one man 

 very consistently attempt to monopolize the 

 whole of any invention V 



We all of us return kind regards to you, 

 and rejoice that you are once more able to 

 give us the benefit of your great knowledge 

 and experience in every thing pertaining to 

 the hive and honey-bees. 



THE COMBINED CRATE AND SHIFPING- 



CASE. 



ALSO SOMETHIKG ABOUT ONE-PIECE AND UOVE- 

 TAILLD SECriONS. 



N April number of Gleanings, page 176, friend 

 Heddon gives notice that in your next issue he 

 will give what he regards as clear objections to 

 my section and system of surplusage, and at the 

 same time professes his readiness to be converted if 

 he is mistaken in his conclusions. Considering that 

 friend Heddon is getting to be quite a magnate in 

 our profession, this month's notice of his intention 

 to demolish our system of surplusage was, indeed, a 

 great kindness; but after wailing two whole months 

 for his attack, I am somewhat astonished to learn 

 that friend H. has never used a combined crate and 

 case (see page 315, June number of Gleanings), and 

 I confess that, until he consents to do so, 1 fear my 

 chances of converting him are very slim, in view of 

 what has already been said by those who have made 

 this system a practical success. His arguments are 

 too much like those of the man who, after doing a 

 vast deal of thinking, tiied to prove to another that 

 it was impossible for a certain tree to bear fruit, 

 when that other had for years past been enjoying 

 the products of that very tree. Fancy some one 

 trying to convince friend H. that the Given pi-ess or 

 wired comb fdn. is a failure. But, friend H. says 

 that he has one of my sections, and that he "can not 

 accept it as a good one; that it has not the strength 

 of good all-dovetailed work." As the section re- 

 ferred to is one that I sent him, and had to take its 

 chances in the mail-bags, very likely it had some 

 weak joints when he received it. I presume all un- 

 derstand what friend Heddon means by using the 

 language just quoted, since he advertises his estab- 



lishment as " Headquarters for the Nicest of All- 

 Dovetailed Sections." Well, I have one of friend 

 H.'s sections that he sent me as a sample several 

 months ago, and it is really a nicely finished section. 

 When first received I compared it with one cf my 

 nailed one-piece sections; and as far as strength is 

 concerned, there was but little choice between them. 

 I told our "new partner" that we would lay them 

 together on the shelf for a time, until they became 

 thoroughly dry, and compare them again. 



Now, when friend Heddon's article appeared, and 

 I read the passage quoted above, I was reminded of 

 the two Ecctious, and had them compared cnce 

 more. Mj' " new partner's" comment was, "If Mr. 

 Heddon could handle them now, he would take back 

 what he said about your section not being as strong, 

 etc. ;" and mine was, and is yet, and if his section 

 was made a little heavier, and nailed or glued at all 

 four corners, it would be a gocd one. As it is 

 possible you have not seen one of friend H.'s sec- 

 tions, I will mail you the one referred to; and as 

 you already have some of mine, in view of friend 

 H.'s criticism, I want you to tell the readers of 

 Gleanings which you regard as the better section. 



Perhaps friend H. is correct about his section be- 

 ing handsomer appearing than the one engraved in 

 Glhanings; but this is not our regular style of sec- 

 tion, which, you will remark, has closed cjkZ.s, except 

 a bee-space at both top and bottom, a style which in 

 appearance and handling, we think, compares favor- 

 ably with any other. As we use both side and end 

 wedges with the crate, it is an easy matter to get 

 cither style in or out of the same. 



If friend Heddon will consent to try some of my 

 packages, I will fuinish them free of charge, and I 

 am confident he will be pleased with them. 



Capac, Mich., June 31, 1883. Byron Walker. 

 I am afraid, friends, we are getting into a 

 little controversial mood, f^et us all try to 

 excel in our different ways. J3ut at the same 

 time can we not be very careful about any 

 reflections by any one on each other's ways 

 of doing things that have even a shadow of 

 unkindness about them? The combined- 

 crate system of work is obtaining very great 

 favor this season. As you and friend Hed- 

 don both agree on the importance of narrow 

 sections and no separators, perhaps you will 

 eventually agree pretty nearly in regard to a 

 case for liolding them. In regard to the 

 comparative strength of one-piece sections 

 and those dovetailed all around, I might say 

 that only yesterday I accidentally knock- 

 ed friend Heddon's sample section off the 

 window-sill, and with it one of the one-piece 

 sections. While the one-piece was not even 

 knocked out of shape, the other tumbled 

 into four pieces at once. Very likely this is 

 not a fair test, because a dovetailed section 

 when in the hive would be pretty well glued 

 at the corners by the bees, and very likely 

 the other would also, but perhaps to a less 

 degree. Friend Heddon's sections are very 

 handsome, and, in fact, they are made of 

 that beautiful white poplar that friend 

 Manum always furnishes. In appearance, I 

 should judge they were some that friend 11. 

 purchased from friend Manum. ^Vill it not 

 be well for supply dealers to keep on hand 

 both kinds V If friend Manum keeps up 

 the standard of his work as he has done, his 

 sections are bound to take the foremost rank 

 in the market. Could he not make us an 

 extra nice one-piece section of the same 

 material ? 



