_Ottumwa, Iowa._
[For the American Bee Journal.]
The Economic Hive, and Gallup’s.
MR. EDITOR (and some one says that means everybody):--As I receive many
letters asking what I think of the Economic Hive, mentioned and
described in several numbers of the last volume of the Journal, suppose
you allow me to answer them at once through the pages of the Journal. It
will save me much trouble, and obviate the necessity of replying to the
same questions asked over and over again, by different inquirers.
Another matter I would like to speak about. I receive a great many
inquiries somewhat like this--“Mr. Gallup, I am a new subscriber to the
American Bee Journal.” &c., &c., and asking me for information about
such and such articles, or what does such or such a writer mean, &c.
Now, gentlemen, I am perfectly willing to answer your questions, but it
appears to me that your very best plan would be to send the money to the
publisher, and get the back numbers of the Journal. You would certainly
get the worth of your money; and then you can understand what the
writers mean, better than I can tell you in one short letter.
Well, here I am off the track, as sure as fate. To return; in the first
place, the Economic Hive and the hive I use, are (with slight variation)
substantially the same. Both can be used in the same manner, in every
respect. I have used them with from ten to fifteen frames, but for
general use, twelve are sufficient. All it needs is to make the hive
wider or narrower, to accommodate more or less frames. In using my hive
two story, I make the second story the same depth as the first. My
frames hang on small three-cornered cleats instead of on rabbetings; and
to make any hive into a second story box, draw the small finishing nails
out of the cleats and nail them on again, low enough down to allow
one-fourth of an inch space between the upper frames and the lower,
without the honey-board. Now, all that is necessary to convert this into
two hives, is to move those cleats back to their former places again. In
placing this top box on and lowering the cleats, it leaves an inch and a
quarter space between the top of the lower frames and the honey-board.
Now drive four finishing nails into the sides of the hive, inside,
leaving the heads project one-fourth of an inch above the frames. Then
fit in an inch board and let it rest on those projecting nails. This
will fill up so much of the vacant space under the honey-board.--In
putting on the third story, I make my boxes so as to fit inside the
hive, _on the frames_, and do not use the honey-board between the boxes
and hive in any case. This third story is only used with very strong
stocks.
Once more, I will say that this hive suits me, and can be used for every
purpose, in forming nuclei. You can raise four queens in it, as Mr.
Truesdell says, and by inserting three division boards you can make it
into four small hives. The entrance on the four sides of the hive are
all in the bottom board. It can be accommodated to any size of swarm,
simply by using the division boards, or not, as the case requires. In
short, read what Mr. Truesdell says about the hive, and also what I have
previously said about it; and then read what I say in the “Annals of
Bee-culture for 1870” (when it comes out) about the best method of
having honey stored in combs for market--decidedly the best, in my
opinion; better than any glass boxes I ever saw. In such a hive you have
one adapted either to a poor honey district, or to a good one. It will
accommodate the largest, as well as the smallest swarm you ever saw. It
is cheap and simple. Understand, I am not cracking up this hive to make
money out of it, for it is not patented, and I have no time to make any
to sell.