ALEXANDER'S WRITINGS ON PRACTICAL BEE CULTURE 17 



I find that the Danzenbaker hive with Its modern improved appliances 

 has fewer faults and more advantages than any other hive I know of. 

 The hive we use for extracted honey suits us very well; and as 

 we now have about 2100 just alike, it would seem foolish and be quite 

 expensive to make them over into another kind of hive. 



rAOTOBT vs. HOME-MADE HIVES. 



In regard to which is the better and cheaper, all things considered, 

 home-made or factory hives, I will say, don't be satisfied and contented with 

 poorly made hives of any kind. I know of nothing more provoking than to 

 have a lot of slam-bang hives. Bee-stings can not commence to make me 

 feel as much provoked as to find some parts of a hive left a little too thick 

 or too thin, too long or too short, to fit the place for which they 

 were Intended. If you are a good mechanic, and have a good planing- 

 machlne and all the necessary fine sharp saws to do good work, and 

 can buy your lumber at a moderate price, then it is possible you might 

 save a little in making your hives and appliances right through; but 

 unless you are so situated I think it would be much better to buy all 

 those things in the flat from some factory that does nice work. The 

 one thing which is of far more importance than the first cost is to 

 have every piece in a hive an exact duplicate of that part in every other 

 hive. This is where factory hives usually have a great advantage over 

 home-made ones. I have been fortunate in getting our hives and appli- 

 ances without much trouble, always living as I have within a short drive 

 of wood-working factories where I could either buy the rough lumber 

 or the hives ready to nail together, at a reasonable price. 



Please do not infer from the above that I have not had any experi- 

 ence in cutting up lumber and making hives, for I certainly have had. 

 Twice one hand has come in contact with the buzz-saw, to my sorrow. 

 In going over this part of the business, it is not only the matter of 

 hives but there are our sections, queen-excluders, separators, clamps for 

 holding the sections in their place on the hives, crates for our comb 

 honey — yes, even our queen-cages and labels, and, many times, our glass; 

 for all these and many others we have to look to the large manufac- 

 turing plants. Now, why not go one step further, and, in sending in 

 our orders, include the necessary hives, and have all come together in 

 a good workmanlike manner, even if it should cost a trifle more, which 

 I have my doubts about, and then for many years enjoy the pleasure 

 of knowing that you have all your bees in good well-made hives? This 

 part is certainly well worth taking into consideration, for it instills in 

 us a certain pride in our business which no man can expect to be suc- 

 cessful without. Don't for a moment feel that any old ram-shackle thing 

 is good enough for you and your bees, but make up your mind from the 

 first that you will have every thing connected with your business just 

 as good as any other man's, and then work hard to acoomplish it. 



Before I leave this subject I wish I could impress upon the minds 

 of all those about to engage in bee keeping the importance — yes, I might 



