MR. NOVICE & CO:—Arn’t we greenies glad that we settled down on our own Standard frame before you decreed something that one must print the dimensions with chalk over his work bench lest he forget it. We dislike the everlasting vulgar fractions and odd and even numbers about the size of frames. We adopted 12 inches inside of frame—144 square inches of emptiness—until filled with comb. Now any body can remember this size—and every one can build outside their frames just what kind of hive he pleases. It is just the nicest frame for taking in one hand, and for turning this way and that way for inspection and work, and also for leaving one hand to do something else, and we do find plenty for the free hand to do—all it can do sometimes. Then for shipping, why they are just the nicest and handiest frames ever made, and for housing too, hives of 10 frames pack away like brick in a wall. So you see we are not a bit sorry for ourselves—and we are so glad to have the ladies with us, we have Mrs. Tupper who is a representative character and carries the women with her in this matter. Of course we are sorry your wind-mill won’t work for us in the wood work of our hives at the “Standard prices” but we can’t be driven by wind into abandoning our 12×12—“On this firm rock etc.” Why our hives are so jealous they won’t let one frame of the Factory of the Wind, enter their yard now—we have no doubt that to set down one of your vulgar fraction and odd number frame hives would raise a mighty buzz and set all the 12 inches on a revolution against any such vulgar innovation. By the way we have got a hive “the likes on’t you never did see.” We took the Alley hive—paid the right to it too—and now we have some Alley, and some Quinby, and some of our own whims, and it is going to be just the nicest and handiest of a’ the bee gums that can be found in Patentdom or out of it. May be we’ll tell you what it is some day—if you want us to bother you.

We—that is we greenies—use the Isham honey box—the nicest, staunchest, and handiest honey box we ever saw. We know him he lives round here, he has a patent on his box—we saw his papers, all reg’lar—he deserves them too—has lately sold three counties to an apiarian who has seen a good many such affairs, and sold for a handsome sum. If you saw it, you would want a State at least—the work would suit your taste.

Now to finish all this rigmarole and to convince you that we are your friend, tho’ we expect you will blow us with a stiff breeze, we say—we frankly confess, that we have tried your tin corners for frames, after using wooden ones, and we don’t want to see in our hives another frame that has not those same tin corners. And our green advice to all beginners is, don’t make a single frame till you get these corners. We shall get rid of all our frames which have not these corners just as fast as we can. We have tried several hundred of them and now we send our orders for 6500 more with the cash, as evidence that we mean what we say.

[We can give full address to any who may desire, but the writer at present prefers a nom de plume.—Ed.]

At the risk of having the above sound something like a puff for the corners, we have decided to give it a place, especially as some disparaging remarks that have been given might tend towards giving an impression that the corners hardly deserve. We will cheerfully give place to anything on the contrary side, coming from any Apiary where they have been considerably used.

Our friends are in error about Mrs. Tupper using a frame 12×12 inside. Variety of taste has dictated so many different thicknesses of the stuff composing the frames, that we cannot see how our friend gets rid of fractions by using inside dimensions as a standard. We have seen end bars in use one inch in thickness and top bars with a massive comb guide still thicker. Supposing we all should adopt a uniform size inside of frame, where would be the outside, and what would be dimensions of hive to suit? We can readily make metal cornered frames to agree in outside dimensions, with any frame in use, and this allows them to be worked in the same hive mixed up with the old ones, thus giving the owner a fair chance to contrast their lightness, ease in handling, and at the same time greater capacity for brood and honey, from the larger comb surface.

We certainly don’t want any of your friend’s “rights” but if you will send us a sample of his honey box, we will cheerfully help him sell it, if we think it meritorious. Let him manufacture and supply all demand, and let his patent papers protect him in so doing. Nice honey boxes should be made by machinery, and ordinary bee-keepers would prefer to buy rather than to make them.