>>and many had been the willing victims in the purchase of a variety of patent hives-not one of which answers the purpose, as recommended!>>

Hello,

Below, at 'The End', is a quote snipped 
from an 1878 article. There were
many innovations during this
period and patients related to
bee culture, and the field quite
crowded with 'experts' set on
making their fortune. "The U.S.
Patent Office records 558 patents
for beehives between 1790 and 1874
(Leggett 1874)."

The first patent ever obtained for
a beehive was in England by Dr. Gedde,
for his invention of octagon hives, in
the year 1675. By the year 1879, (over
200 years) it remained the only patent
taken out in England for a beehive.
In contrast, by 1879, America recorded
1101 patents for beehives.

In the early days of bee culture
the country was full of patent-right
venders who sold county or state rights.
Some of these sharks reaped a harvest
in selling moth-proof hives. Practically
all of these patentright venders sold
useless contraptions, and most of them
were men without principle—so much
so that the business of selling out
county and state rights had fallen into
ill-repute.

The quote below, is a sort of complaint
during the time, a gripe related to the fact 
that too many were claiming to be expert
in the field. 

References:
Leggett, M.D. 1874. Subject matter index
of patents 1790 - 1873 inclusive.

The ABC and XYZ of bee culture:
By Amos Ives Root, Ernest Rob Root
1917 page 557

Bee-keeper's magazine, Volume 7
Introduction or early history of bees and honey
By William Carr
1879 - Page 111

===The End====

"...A gentleman living in the northern suburbs
secured a hive of bees two or three weeks
ago as a nucleus for an apiary, and in the
course of ten days be had read ten different
works on the honey bee, and invented half
a dozen patent hives...." 

Source:
Chester Daily Times
December 6, 1878, Chester, Pennsylvania

Best Wishes,
Joe Waggle
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/HistoricalHoneybeeArticles/

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