_Newton Heath, near Manchester, England._
* * * * *
Bees sometimes abandon their hives very early in the spring or late in
the summer or fall. They exhibit all the appearance of natural swarming;
but they leave not because the population is crowded, but because it is
either so small, or the hive so destitute of supplies that they are
discouraged or driven to desperation. I once knew a colony to leave a
hive under such circumstances, on a spring-like day in December! They
seem to have a presentiment that they must perish if they stay, and
instead of awaiting the sure approach of famine, they sally out to see
if something cannot be done to better their condition.--_Langstroth._
[From the Western Farmer.]
About Patents.
A student in the Michigan Agricultural College has invented a gate
latch, for which he has received $10,000.
We find the above item in our exchanges. Assuming it to be true, we
commend the good sense of the student. If the usual results follow, the
purchaser will either lose money by the operation, or will speedily sell
“rights” to parties who will lose money. We have no wish to discourage
inventors, for they certainly are entitled to full reward for any
improvements or discoveries they give the world. But we think it is
clearly true that the great mass of inventors--especially those whose
inventions relate to “little things,” or articles in common use--place
too high an estimate on the value of their patent right, often holding
it, waiting for better offers from manufacturers or purchasers of
“territory,” until some one patents a better device for the same
purpose, when the first becomes useless or nearly so.
There are certain inventions of very great value, because they supply a
want universally felt. But even in such cases it is rare that the
original inventor secures so high a degree of excellence that some one
else cannot improve on his device. He may, however, succeed in patenting
something which subsequent inventors will have to use, and for which
privilege they must pay him. To illustrate: the plow is of almost
universal use, yet there are objections to the best plow that has been
or will be constructed. Suppose some one should invent an implement that
would obviate all these objections, and do the work of preparing the
soil for seeds better than any plow can, and do this work quickly and
cheaply. Such an invention would be of almost incalculable value, and
the inventor might well expect to become very wealthy. Yet it would be
strange if some one did not improve on this invention, and thus divide
the profits--perhaps take the larger share. Hundreds of men have
suggested improvements of more or less value in reapers, after the main
principle had been given to the public.
In case of such an invention as a gate latch, it must be remembered that
there are already very good ones in existence, and probably a still
better one may soon be invented; and so we say that, in all ordinary
cases, it is better to sell the patent if any such price as $10,000 is
offered for it. However useful such an invention may really be, the
inventor as well as the intending purchaser of a “right” should
carefully avoid forming extravagant opinions as to “the money there is
in it.” The farmer or other business man who gives up his regular
business to engage in the sale of patents, in the great majority of
cases, does a very foolish thing.
We write this, because we have noticed in many cases the high
anticipations of inventors or of purchasers of “territory” for some
patent, and the disappointment and loss that followed. If any of our
readers have invented anything they are convinced is of value, we say
patent it by all means; but do not think of leaving your farm or other
business to engage in its sale, or dream of sudden wealth to come from
it.
[For the American Bee Journal.]
Hurrah for 1870, and the Honey-slinger.
The best honey season on record, and the most useful invention! Long
live our German friend, who gave it to us without a patent!
The battle is past, and we can look back and see if the generalship has
been, like that of the Prussians, well managed--or, like that of the
French, left to manage itself.
I had two stocks last spring, and the empty combs from two hives that
died about the first of March. The first swarm was hived on the 18th of
June, and the honey-gathering on bass-wood closed July 26th--so that
none of the young bees in new hives were then old enough to gather
honey.
I have taken one hundred and eighty-seven (187) pounds with the machine,
and on the 26th of July had from five hives, 228 lbs., or forty-five
pounds each. They had gained forty pounds each, in thirteen days, on
bass-wood blossoms. The best stock gained, 52 lbs. 8 oz. A queenless
stock gained 33 lbs. 10 oz. The best day’s work, 7 lbs., Aug. 16. The
best day’s work in June was Saturday and Sunday, the 25th and 26th--a
gain of 21 lbs. 6 oz. on red raspberry blossoms, or 10 lbs. 11 oz. per
day. I see that NOVICE reports 43 lbs. in three days, 25th, 26th, and
27th of June. As he reports bass-wood at its best July 6th, the flowers
must be ten or twelve days earlier than at this place. So his best yield
of honey, on the same days as mine, at 600 miles distance, was perhaps
on account of the weather, or some electrical state of the atmosphere.
In June I took from my stocks what honey they had above twenty pounds
each. While bass-wood was in blossom, I tried to take what they had
above forty pounds each. The honey-emptier appeared to take away all
disposition to raise a lot of drones in July. When I depended on box
honey, the hive was crowded with honey before the bees would work in
boxes.
As it took two pounds per month in winter to support a colony of bees,
at this rate the twelve ounces of honey required to rear a thousand
drones would keep a thousand workers four and a half months. I believe
drones usually live about two months. So when NOVICE shaves off the
heads of drone brood sealed over, he has already lost two-thirds of what
it would cost to let them live; and the presence of drones might perhaps
prevent the raising of more drone brood.
I would like to have NOVICE answer one question through the BEE JOURNAL,
and that is--Do light queens make better honey-gathering stocks than
dark queens from the same parents?