192 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



devises ''and calculates, while the op- 

 posers of inventions are sleeping. Now, 

 let us not disown him, for had it not 

 been for such as him, we would still 

 . have gone to mill with the grain in one 

 end of the bag, and a stone in the other, 

 to balance it. 



I presume I am a little selfish in treat- 

 ing this subject, being an inventor my- 

 self, and judging others by myself (a 

 righteous judgment), I think others are 

 also selfish who oppose inventions, since 

 they are not inventors, and may fear 

 that something will appear that will 

 supersede the articles they handle. 



The true merits of a device are found 

 in testing it. Nor need there be any 

 haste in crowding it into use. If it be 

 practically useful, the world will ac- 

 knowledge it in due time, and all jealous 

 opposition is but a favorable advertise- 

 ment. 



Nirvana, Mich., Jan. 23, 1891. 



A Frame wl a DiTW Top-Bar. 



W. p. FAYLOK. 



Mr. Albert Dakin, of Onondaga county, 

 N. Y., sends me a sample frame, wishing 

 to have me speak of its merits through 

 the Bee Journal. 



It is a modified Hoffman. The differ- 

 ence is, that Mr. Dakin uses two bars for 

 the top instead of one. The advantage, 

 he claims, is in fastening comb founda- 

 tion securely between the top-bars. I 

 notice, in the last issue of Gleanings, 

 that Mr. Root offers the same thing for 

 sale ; and who the inventor of this 

 double top-bar arrangement is, I do not 

 know. While this kind of frame has 

 some advantages, it also has disadvan- 

 tages. It is a nice thing the first time 

 we nail such frames together, to fasten 

 in the foundation, but suppose we want 

 to cut out a comb and put in foundation 

 the second time, as we often do, then our 

 trouble begins with such frames. Again, 

 driving nails crosswise through the bars, 

 we are apt to hit some nails a little hard, 

 and, as a result, a point of a nail sticks 

 out, to dull a good knife. 



I always use a triangular top-bar, then 

 I have no difficulty in bending the foun- 

 dation over the edge of the bar, and 

 when I cut out a comb, the frame is in 

 good condition for putting in foundation 

 again. The frames with triangular top- 

 bars do not sag like level frames with 

 comb guides. 



Moreover, I do not prefer a frame of 

 any kind with end-bar partly closed. I 



want the end-bars closed entirely, or 

 have them loose. If I were to use a 

 frame, like the sample sent, with double 

 top-bar, I would nail the halves apart 

 far enough so that I could slip a piece of 

 foundation between the divided bar, and 

 fasten it with a little wedge or two. 

 Then, in case I wanted to re-insert foun- 

 dation, it could be done without pulling 

 nails. What wax would remain between 

 the halves, could be easily melted out. 



What we need now, is some kind of a 

 clamp,or device to hold, or clamp, closed- 

 end frames together, without putting 

 frames down inside of a box. Read my 

 former article on "Closed-End Frames." 



State Line, Ind. 



Some Ajicnltiiral Notes, 



J. M. YOUNG. 



Our extracted-honey is selling slowly, 

 although we have considerable on hand 

 yet. 



All our hives are covered with tin, for 

 board roofs will leak, sooner or later. 



The old queen goes with the new 

 swarm (to boss things, as a beginner 

 always claims) when setting up house- 

 keeping. 



We are going to try the new dove- 

 tailed hives this season, and will report 

 our success in these columns from time 

 to time. 



Bees ought to do well this Winter, for 

 there has been no cold weather worth 

 mentioning yet ; but then we expect a 

 month or two of severe weather yet. 



Bee-keepers should always have their 

 name and address printed on their sta- 

 tionery, and everything sent out by mail; 

 it saves a world of trouble for those who 

 do business with them. 



AVe seldom fill honey-sections more 

 than half full of foundation, and often use 

 nothing but a starter ; those that have a 

 starter are often filled with honey nearly 

 or quite as soon as those filled half way 

 down. 



AVe have half a brick under each cor- 

 ner of our hives, for them to rest on ; 

 and then we keep the weeds cut off closely 

 around the hives. We do not like to see 

 hives up on stilts, like some bee-keepers 

 often place them. 



A nice way to prevent after-swarms is 

 to open the hive soon after the first 

 swarm has issued, and pinch off the queen- 

 cells ; but leave at least one cell, or a 

 queen to furnish another for the colony. 



