16 
GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 
Feb. 
GUILTY Oil NOT GUILTY '* 
M essrs, a. i. root & co-.-the last No. of 
Geeaninos was duly received, and after review- 
ing the Vol. I think It about the best investment 
iii the wav of bees I have recently made, as it seems 
like a complete casket of valuable information to 
^In the'next a Vol. please do not alter the size of pages, 
no that one Vol. will bind with another, nor cut the 
leaves, but leave that for the binder to do. I like the 
generous margin as It looks well and leaves a chance 
for notes etc. . . , , . . 
The material for six hives came dul> to hand. 
Freight, $2.70. A9 you invite friendly criticism we 
will try our hand if it is a little “onpleasant,” and as 
Hhakspeare hath it “I will nothing exteiuuite or sot 
down ought in malice.”— In your circular (oth cd. i you 
remark “and if no better lumber is used than barn 
boards (with no loose knots)” and on page 63 of 
Gleanings “There is nothing like system and pre- 
cision etc.” Now I must conclude that you did not 
make the hives as they embrace none of these princi- 
ples, so far from it in fact that it will be a tight squeeze 
to get live out of the six, as two ot the sides have 
each a very large knot, one quite loose, 2 A by 
inches, the other larger and very rotten, and which 
if dug out would require a piece of putty the size of 
vour Tittle Anger to All it. One of the tops is cracked 
so that I will not use it, and if the material is bad the 
workmanship is quite in keeping. I have owned pow- 
er saws (alas ! those days are gone,) and have done 
some sawing— making clock cases etc. but if I ever 
did such work as that, God forgive me as I would not 
forgive myself. The rabbets are not deep enough for 
the sides into over 1-16 inch, and are thinner at the bot- 
tom than the top, and none of the top boards At like 
“clock work” exccbt at the ends— at the side they 
lack from % to 3-16 of touching the side of the cap, and 
one of the end-pieces is too short, while another Is to 
narrow. In fact altogether they are the poorest lot of 
hives of anv pretensions I have ever seen. Ju9t say 
nothing until you have seen some more of the same 
man’s work, then judge for yourself how far I may be 
correct here. . . _ t , 
NoW for the other side, I like the idea Arst rate, and 
have put them together with screws. If I make others 
I shall put them together on a miter so that no end 
wood can be seen. I shall use those I have, but in- 
stead of using them two stories, will take a side from 
each of two hives and put the two hives together so 
us to form one horizontally, fastening them together 
with the same screws and a piece of hoard just wide 
enough to HU the rabbets. Now move the combs Into 
the center with a division board each side, and place 
an empty frame or comb inside of outside comb, when 
the frame is llllcd put It outside with an empty one 
Inside, and so on till your hive Is filled, if your stock 
Is an ambitious one and will do it as some have done. 
If I should require some bees In spring or summer 
could you send me one hive containing four small 
stocks of Italians, say two frames each, queens first 
rate and combs ditto 1 Hives of the simplicity persua- 
sion. If so at what price ? 
Hoping our relations through next year may be as 
pleasant and profitable as the one just closing, and 
wishing every success, 
Dec. 23rd, 1873. 
I am vours truly, 
Wm. n. Kihk, 
AVaterbury, Conn. 
The double Simplicity Hives have reached me In 
good order and quick time, and at an expense I be- 
lieve of only 81.50, 1 have them setting in the Tost Ot- 
fice and have explained their mysteries to hundreds 
of people. All admire their Simplicity and evident 
usefulness, I shall manufacture them In the spring- 
will have buzz saw In operation shortly. 
Respectfully, 
AY. O. Gkiek, Lamar, Mo. 
Deak Novice : [all but the Novice] I did not Intimate 
that your hive was rough, expecting it to moot the 
public eye; neither for much of a criticism, it was 
good enough— but being a cabinet maker it is easy ior 
me to make work rather smooth. Go on in exposing 
rascality sharplv, but at the same time with a kind 
heart. Yours for Milk and Honey, 
Stephen Young, Mechanlcsvillc, Iowa. 
Now ’twould he quite a “comfortable” way 
of getting along to pretend there Avas “another 
man” Who made those six hives, but on the 
whole we think we will plead “guilty” and 
frankly acknowledge we made them ourselves, 
and arc alone responsible. We may add in ex- 
tenuation and by way of apology that the hives 
sent Mr. K. were the very last of a lot of about 
200, and that as ’twas at a season of tlie year 
when they were little called for, we had not 
even lumber on hand for more, still we sup- 
posed we sent him material for six serviceable 
hives. In regard to the knots we Avould say 
that we always expect every hive to be well 
painted before being used, and this avUI fasten 
loose knots as Ave have had proof in our own 
apiary, the Averill Chemical paint Ave have 
mentioned being peculiarly adapted for this 
purpose. If our friend AVili pardon the sug- 
gestion, avc will suggest that a knot-hole seems 
to strike the fancy of the bees as being partic- 
ularly nice for an entrance, the rough rotten 
edges affording them a secure and natural foot- 
hold. We have one such hive and ’tis amusing 
to see them swing out and in “their knot-hole” 
as if ’twas endeared to them by some such ties 
as the “old oaken bucket” etc. is to us. We 
have thought of mentioning the matter before, 
but feared some one Avould be having them 
all patented. 
Novice once remarked in answer to P. G’s. 
remonstances that we would always save the 
knotty pieces for home use, but it must lie that 
we by mistake included friend K. in our “home 
circle” which honor he doubtless would res- 
pectfully decline. In regard to tops we use 
“checked” or slightly split ones for bottom 
boards as they answer quite as well, and we 
supposed the six hives would be used two story 
so that at least three perfect tops could be found. 
We cannot imagine how an end-piece could be 
short unless an old one got mixed in from soma 
hives made in our first experiments, for what- 
ever other faults there may be, Ave certainly 
can saw the length of all boards alike and cb 
do it. Iu regard to the width ’tis more difficult, 
for unless Ave can get wood perfectly seasoned. 
and any wood-worker knows how difficult this 
is, the boards will shrink unequally, but so far 
as the body of the hive is concerned this makes 
little difference, nor can we see that the cover 
is materially injured should it shrink so much 
as to lack % inch on each side ; we are using 
many such and have never yet kuoAVn a drop 
of water to get inside, AVhich is more than a ve 
can say for any other kind of hive we ever used. 
We have never claimed our Avork to be first 
class (see Feb. No. page 13. Vol. 1st.) but we 
can appreciate good Avork avc assure you, and 
the Connecticut mechanics who make clock 
cases would be just the chaps to make hives as 
they should be, and now Mr. K. cannot you in- 
duce some one near you to take the job? ’Tis 
true that just as mucli honey might be secured 
by using hives made as we furnish them, but 
we should like hives ourselves made as nice as 
a “work-box." 
As an evidence of the differences of opinion 
we give au extract from friend Grier’s letter in 
regard to hives out of the same lot and sent 
about the same time only avc put them to- 
gether; perhaps avc haA r e a peculiar skill in 
making good hives from poor materials. Be- 
fore closing the subject AVe would say avc have 
asked friend K. to send in his bill for allow- 
ances, aud Ave hereby extend the same iuvita- 
