RECOMMENDATIONS, 95 
I hereby certify, that Iam using E. W. Phelps’ Patent Combination Bee-Hive, and, from 
practical experience, I am satisfied that it is the best adapted to the nuture and habits of 
the bees, and, also, the most convenient for the bee-kecper, of anything of the kind that I 
have become acquainted with, and I have kept bees for over twenty-five years, and have 
used Dugdale’s, and two or three other patents, but consider Phelps’ Hive far superior to 
either, or all of them, in every respect. JAMES 
Union, Licking Co., O., Sept. 20, 1850. 
Thereby certify, that Ihave kept bees for several years, and have paid considerable 
attention to the subject, and that Lam now using E. W. Phelps’ Patent Hive, and that it 
has fully answered my expectations. I think it the best adapted to the wants of the bees, 
and the most convenient hive I have ever known. OLIVER A. MOORE. 
Montgomery, Jan. 1, 1853. 
To whom it may concern: I hereby certify, that, for some time past, I have felt niuch 
interested in the culture of the honcy-bee, and being desirous of adopting the best method 
of managing them, after much investigation, I was led to believe Mr. Gilmore’s plan just 
the thing needed, and, consequently, I purchased a right of Mr. Headly, (Mr. G’s. agent, ) 
and, last spring, I commenced feeding on Mr. Gilmore’s plan, and was soon obliged to aban- 
don it, on account of my bees being robbed by others. Some time in the latter part of 
June last I had an opportunity of seeing Mr. E. W. Phelps’ hive, and considering it far 
superior to Gilmore’s plan, or any other of which I have become acquainted, I purchased 
a hive of Mr. Phelps. But the season being so far advanced, Iwas unable to get a swarm 
into it, (as the swarming season was nearly past when I obtained the hive.) And being 
anxious to get a colony into the Phelps hive, I drove one into it about the middle of last 
October, and with a few days feeding, they made honey enough to keep them until about 
the middle of January. Since that time I have been feeding them in my house, and they 
are now (Feb. 28th) doing well. I have not only saved my bees, but got them into the 
hive in which I wanted them, and obtained about sixty pounds of honey from the old hive. 
T have no hesitation in saying that I consider the Phelps Hive the vest hive I have ever 
seen; the most convenient and simple in its construction, and the best adapted to the 
habits and wants of the bee, and the least trouble to the bee-keeper, of any other hive 
extant. : WM. VAN VRANKEN, 
Schenectady, N. ¥., Feb. 28, 1853. 
I hereby certify that I am using E. W. Phelps! Patent Bee-hive, and consider it, decidedly, 
the best hive I have become acquainted with, and I have kept bees for seven years, and 
paid considerable attention to the subject. It affords the bees the best protection against 
the moth, robbers, and other enemies of any hive I have ever used, as I have not expcri- 
enced the least difficulty from these causes in these hives, and it is, undoubtedly, the best 
hive for feeding bees known, as I have tried it to my own satisfaction. I put a swarm 
into one of these hives in July last—it was a weak swarm, and the season being very dry, 
there were but a very few blossoms for bees to obtain honey from—consequently they pate 
ered but a small amount, not half enough to sustain them through the winter. I prepared 
some feed according to the directions accompanying the hive, and commenced feeding them 
about the 20th of August, and fed them for four or five days, and I found they were making 
combs and storing them with honey beyond my expectations, while the bees in my other 
hives were consuming theirs daily ; and, in order to know to what extent each were pro- 
gressing, I weighed the hive that I was feeding and two others of the same kind that 
contained stronger families and had sufficient honey to sustain them. I then prepared 
$1.20 worth of feed and fed the small swarm, which occupied :about a week’s time me 
then weighed the hives again, and found that the swarm that I had fed had increased in 
weight 11} pounds, while the others had decreased 34 pounds each, making 15 pounds in 
favor of feeding. I continued feeding until I had fed them about $3 worth of feed, and 
have since taken from them two boxes of good honey of ten pounds each, which is worth 
more than the cost of all the feed I gave them, and I have also saved the bees, which 
would not have survived the winter had they not been fed. I am also acquainted with 
several bee-keepers in this vicinity who are using this hive, all of which are highly pleased 
with them. EDWIN PHELPS. 
Westfield, Mass., March 25, 1853. 
[The following certificate is the second I have received from the Rev. C. Springer; he 
has now three of my common hives in use and one of mahogany, in the form of a wash- 
stand, in his sitting-room, with bees in it.] 
This is to certify, to whom it may concern, that I have had in use Phelps’ Patent Bee- 
Hive for three seasons past, and that my bees have done well therein. It is simply the 
