AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



147 



practice, while the former is new, very 

 different, and productive of most bene- 

 ficial results, as my friend will discover 

 by reading the testimonials in a circular 

 now mailed to him. 



Regarding H. A. King's hive without 

 bottom-bars, Brother Draper is quite 

 right. I have the book in my library, 

 and know of lots of other frames without 

 bottom-bars. I supposed everybody 

 knew that frames without bottom-bars 

 were old as time, but I thought it would 

 strike bee-keepers as something new to 

 find that old feature connected with my 

 new hive, frame and system, and I think 

 they did so consider it. I believe it is 

 thought to be a unique and valuable 

 combination of old and new features 

 when used in the non-divisible brood- 

 chamber. 



Again, I thank Brother D. for quoting 

 the paragraph concerning the stealing 

 of an other's inventions, as compared 

 to stealing bread. 



Brother Draper and I do not under- 

 stand alike my note in the Bee Journal 

 concerning the sowing of alsike clover 

 seed by farmers. I am proud to admit 

 that what I did, and what I wrote is 

 most characteristic of the inventor of a 

 honey-board and hive that is so good 

 that others desire to claim it. 



The article I published in my paper 

 concerning alsike clover for farmers, 

 was every word quoted from the writings 

 of M. M. Baldridge, which had been 

 published in the office of the Bee Jour- 

 nal, and the cut was borrowed from 

 that periodical. I then thought, and 

 now think, that he had told the truth 

 about that stock food and honey plant, 

 and that I was doing good to everybody 

 (myself included) by further publishing 

 the truths he had told. Perhaps Bro. 

 Draper does not know that artifice, or 

 even deception, may be used in such a 

 way as to be a virtue. When the maniac 

 told the lady he could throw her out of 

 a fourth-story window, she told him 

 that that was nothing to boast of ; that 

 she could throw him from the ground 

 up into that window, if he would go 

 down with her — which he did. I tell 

 you I admire that woman's deception, 

 cool judgment and trickery. 



Now, mind you, I do not say that all 

 farmers are lunatics, nor hogs enough 

 to bite their own noses off to spite their 

 faces, but of late I believe it has become 

 popular to protect your own honey field, 

 if I ivas called bad names for being first 

 to advocate it; and as I have said before, 

 whoever adds to his honey-flow by arti- 

 ficial planting of any sort, had better 

 keep as quiet about it as possible. 



Every neighborhood contains some 

 men like the one in Kentucky, who 

 chopped down a fine bass wood shade 

 tree in his field, because Bro. Demaree's 

 bees were working up a combination 

 with that tree which would benefit their 

 owner. 



Then, there is another class who could 

 not be made to believe but that nearly 

 the entire honey-flow came from the 

 planting ; and being so constituted as to 

 enjoy a greater ecstacy in reaping what 

 others have sown, rather than what 

 they themselves had planted, they would 

 at once establish an apiary in an already 

 occupied field. Perhaps not in Mr. 

 Draper's locality, but in most cases such 

 danger is imminent, and I publish it 

 for the mass of bee-keepers, and I stand 

 by what I published, and am sure I 

 meant to be honest. Heaven knows I 

 am against injuring any " poor, honest 

 editor." You don't know how I sympa- 

 thize with them. 



Brother Draper's last paragraph I am 

 simply mashe,d on. I want to be 

 "investigated." I have a notion to 

 offer a premium to each and every bee- 

 keeper who will go back over the files 

 of all the prominent bee-periodicals and 

 read all that I have written — especially 

 in the controversial line — and also read 

 the other side of the controversy. 



Dowagiac, Mich, 



Tie Pipt Odor of Propolis, 



GEORGE A. STOCKWELL. 



A young bee-keeper writes to inquire 

 why his bees "smell so;"- why such a 

 pungent odor comes from the hives. He 

 imagines that some terrible disease, 

 perhaps foul-brood, has attacked the 

 colonies. The pungent odor comes from 

 propolis, which all bees collect to cement 

 the hive, and make it snug for Winter. 

 The odor of propolis— a resinous substance 

 obtained from pine, balm of gilead, and 

 other trees — is said to possess healing 

 qualities, to minister directly to diseased 

 lungs. The bee-keeper who opens his 

 hives often and takes long draughts of 

 the odor, will be made stronger for his 

 work, and he will find that the odor of 

 propolis is quite as beneficial and a deal 

 safer than the so-called elixir of life. — 

 Ploughman. 



The sewing machine I got of you 

 still gives excellent satisfaction — W. J. 

 Patterson, Sullivan, Ills. 



