The following in regard to the Quinby hive is just at hand.
You say on page 15 that “in justice to ourselves we would smile to
see the person who would dare undertake to find the Queen or extract
the honey from a dozen Q. hives as quickly as we could from a like
number of our suspended frame hives.” _I_ would smile to see
yourself, or any one else undertake to do it one-half as quickly as
some half dozen I could name. Again, on same page, “where one has
plenty of leisure Mr. Quinby’s cheap hive has many advantages, and
we may be mistaken about the time needed by an expert to open and
close these hives.” Now would it not be candid to say that Mr.
Hetherington, Mr. Elwood, Mr. Van Deusen, and Mr. L. C. Root, have
as much sense as common folks. Now what can be the object of using
said hive, when hundreds have to be looked after if there was
nothing to be gained from it. It is necessary for Mr. H. to work
fast, if it is for any one. It is his business. He has used box,
straw, and modification of Langstroth—has a thousand dollar’s worth
on hand, that he does not use, now. To suppose that he has thrown
aside all this property without being quite sure he can work with
greater facility with the hive he is using is paying his judgment a
poor compliment.