1S'J6 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



601 



one of the boys who worked near me at the 

 tim«, doing the same work, was stung any- 

 where from three to tive limes a day. Perhaps 

 some may feol that these slow movements 

 waste a good deal of time; but I find that I can 

 really do more work in a day by closely and 

 ear-fully watching any disposition on the part 

 of \he bnes to resent my intrusion. Right here 

 rests the whole secret. To one who is accus- 

 tomed to handling bees there is a certain inde- 

 scribable action on their part that shows when 

 they arc ready to sting. A little smoke at the 

 right time takes the " fight" all out of them. 



1 do not believe it is good policy for one who 

 handles bees very much to get stung a great 

 many times, and one should be careful to avoid 

 every sting as much as possible. In the sum- 

 mer, when the bees are working in the fields, 

 one or two stings perhaps in the whole month 

 would be all thut I should get, providing there 

 were nothiiie but Italians from imported stock, 

 or of that pi^rsuasion ; and how I avoid the 

 stings is simply by following the plan laid down 

 for Mr. A. 



In this connection It might be well to state 

 that one who makes a business of keeping bees 

 Is liable in years to come to experience some bad 

 effects from too much of the apis-raellifica ooi- 

 son being inject»-d into his system. The Rev. 

 L. L. Langstroth, James Heddon, and others in 

 later years experienced some inconvenience 

 from what they ascribed to the presence of too 

 much bee-sting poison in the system. 



In regard to dispensing with a veil— yes, this 

 can be done, but it doesn't pay. I have seen 

 some of these same chaps boast of how they did 

 not need any face protection ; yet I have seen 

 them waste valuable time in stopping to put 

 the hands up to the face, or plunge the head in 

 a clump of bushes, in ignoble retreat. — Ed.] 



OPENING UP NEW MARKETS FOR OUR SUR- 

 PLUS. 



A PR.\CTICAL WAY SUGGESTED. 



By F. A. Snell. 



In years past there has been much territory 

 in our country where bees have not been kept- 

 some parts, at least, of which are not adapted 

 to the keeping of bees. I have tried and suc- 

 ceeded very well in making sales in such terri- 

 tory to some extent, through friends located 

 there. In aoing so the benefit would be two- 

 fold in seasons when our crops have been good 

 here, as then all bee-keepers have a good crop, 

 and there is much to be sold; and if too much 

 honey is thrown on our home or any other one 

 market the result is a demoralized one, and low 

 prices obtained for our honey. 



The other benefit results in having an outlet 

 for the large crop when it comes, and at good 

 prices, besides supplying the people at distant 

 points with nature's purest and healthiest 

 sweet— honey. 



In 1886 our crop of honey was a good one in 

 quantity and quality. Having friends in the 

 unoccupied fields I wrote them as to selling for 

 me, or buying and selling it to grocers or con- 

 sumers. I thus secured two good markets at 

 good distributing-points. At one of these 

 points my friends sold nearly 2000 lbs. of comb 



and extracted honey for me at satisfactory 

 prices. At the other good point the second 

 friend did nearly as well. Others with whom I 

 thus arranged disposed of from 100 to aOO lbs., 

 buying outright from me. The comb honey 

 netted me about 15}4 cts., and the extracted 9 

 cts., or about that. Each year since, I have sold 

 more or less at the distant points. The only 

 drawback has been our extremely poor seasons 

 for the last six years, during which time I have 

 been able to ship only small lots to the distant 

 points, owing partially to the urgent home de- 

 mand for our honey. This season thus far has 

 been a poor one with us, and we are in much 

 need of rain at present. Bee-keepers who 

 make their bees their leading business should 

 see well to it that too much honey is not forced 

 on their home markets or the large city mar- 

 kets, but try to keep posted as to the honey 

 crop, and select the not overcrowded points to, 

 sell their products in so far as is possible, using 

 no deception in crating. Have the sections 

 cleaned of propolis, and as little soiled as can 

 be; thus the best prices will be secured, which 

 are too low, like all products of labor. 



At this time, and for several years past, 

 whether the crops were light or heavy, the 

 tendency has been gradually but surely down- 

 ward, until very little or no profit is left to the 

 producer, and sometimes the produce is sold at 

 less than the actual cost of producing. Th& 

 producer of honey, at least, should come as- 

 near to the consumer as possible, which is se- 

 cured to quite an extent by selling, at points as 

 above indicated, in vacant territory; for, were^ 

 these remote points reached by our large city 

 dealers, much expense would be added; viz., 

 freight to city markets from the country pro- 

 ducer hundreds of miles away, perhaps; cost of 

 commission and transportation from city to the 

 unoccupied markets, which would make a dif- 

 ference of from 2X to 5 cts. per pound at the 

 final selling-point, which would of necessity 

 compel the dealer there to add this amount to- 

 the selling price; and the loss from breakage is 

 much increased at times, all of which will add 

 to the retail price unless the grocer loses, in 

 which case less honey will be consumed than if 

 sold at a lower figure, and the grocer less in- 

 clined to buy; when, if sent by the producer 

 to the point of consumption, all parties would 

 be helped, and far more honey used at such 

 points; and as the extent of our country is im- 

 mense, on the whole the results of bringing the 

 producer and consumer near each other would 

 be great, and the greatest amount of honey pos- 

 sible sold, resulting in a benefit to all parties 

 interested; viz., the bee-keeper, dealer, and con- 

 sumer. I think too much thought along this 

 line can not be bestowed. 



Later.— We are now having a delightful rain, 

 which is much appreciated. 



Milledgeville, 111. 



