1896 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



633 



than one of Dadant's large hives, even if those 

 two hives were tolerably well filled with brood 

 and honey, there has been very little if any 

 swarming; but wherever possible we try to 

 arrange to have a set of extracting-combs on 

 one of these double stories. Having such I 

 would almost guarantee that theoe would be 

 no swarming, either at Mr. Taylor's or at your 

 place. It is not so much, then, empty combs in 

 a small brood-nest as it is in having a large 

 amount of hive capacity; and I am not so sure 

 but a large amount of brood with lots of bees 

 tends rather to contentment, so far as other 

 quarters are concerned, than otherwise, provid- 

 ing that they are in a large hive; but this large 

 amount of brood and bees must be in a good- 

 sized hive.— Ed.] 



A NEW UNION AND HONEY EXCHANGE. 



The North American meets the 7fch of Octo- 

 ber next. This is just the chance you want to 

 form and organize a new union and honey ex- 

 change—national in every respect. There will 

 be present a large number of beekeepers — men 

 of national reputation, almost equal to myself, 

 and you will not get such a body together soon 

 again. Take the constitution of the present 

 Union and add ample power to protect bee- 

 keepers in every thing that relates to their call- 

 ing — power to fight adulteration in the legis- 

 lative halls, in the courts, and in the streets. 

 This question of adulteration overtops all 

 others that confront us at the present time. 

 Everything else dwindles into utter insignifi- 

 cance before it. It is the greatest enemy we 

 have to fight. One man or a few men can do 

 nothing; but a great organized body, cemented 

 together by mutual interests and a common 

 objective point, would be invincible in plead- 

 ing for the right in the legislative hall or in a 

 court of justice. This hydra-headed monster, 

 Adulteration, that has started up in our path, 

 is the only one that bids fair at the present time 

 to destroy us in the end. Its utter destruction 

 and annihilation is our only salvation. "Is 

 life so dear or peace so sweet" that we will 

 stand idly here and allow our enemy to sweep 

 over us, carrying every thing before him ? No! 

 a thousand times no! I don't want to say any 

 thing against the little Union, and I won't; 

 but I have examined it with my little micro- 

 scope, and it appears to watch that $700 very 

 much as a little bulldog watches a bone that 

 he has laid away for future use. A national 

 union and honey exchange would soon absorb 

 It, for the members of the Union, as it is, would 



see that they could get much more protection 

 in the new organization. This institution 

 would be the great bulwark of our liberty— the 

 fortress from which would belch forth the 

 thunder of our cannon on evil-doers— a protec- 

 tion and a defense at all times and under all 

 circumstances. Don't talk to me about the 

 expense of it. I hate expenses. A man would 

 actually make money by his membership. Can 

 you buy $100 worth of supplies as cheap as you 

 can buy 2.5 carloads? Well, that is exactly 

 what this union and exchange would do — buy 

 in large lots and sell to members at cost, plus 

 expense of handling. To outsiders it might sell 

 at a fair profit, benefiting even them. Any 

 bee-keeper would make much more than his 

 outlay for membership by belonging to it. 



And last, but not least, there is the great and 

 paramount object of having your honey han- 

 dled honestly. It would be no jolut stock com- 

 pany, where a few men can get rich at the ex- 

 pense of the many. Every man would be just 

 as good as another, and a great deal better. 

 This institution would eventually control the 

 honey market, and get much better prices for 

 our product. Thousands would flock into it, 

 for they can see they would be making money 

 by it. If a man can see he is losing money by 

 staying out, how long will he stay there? If 

 they can see, as they will see, that it is a bless- 

 ing and a free lunch to be in, won't they tumble 

 in pellmeU? Some say we are talking too 

 much; that action Is what is wanted, and then 

 they go on and talk a good deal more. Well, 

 why don't they act— take the lead without talk? 

 the fact is, no one seems willing to make a 

 leader of himself. But now a great body of 

 leading bee-keepers is about to come together 

 at Lincoln, Neb., and it is to them we must 

 look if any thing is to be accomplished at the 

 present time. Turn the North American, with 

 its present membership, into a new " Union and 

 Honey Exchange," and in thr^e months there 

 will be 1000 names on its rolls, and it will in- 

 crease so fast that the little Union will march 

 up to its treasury and cast in its little trifle of 

 $700. Let the headquarters be at Chicago, the 

 hotbed and sink of adulteration. First fight 

 for pure-food laws, and then fight to get them 

 executed, and it will not be long until the 

 hydra-headed monster is laid low in the dust. 



A GREAT DISCOVERY. 



Mr. Editor, I have struck it rich. I thought 

 I ought to tell this at once, and unfold to all 

 beedom this unthought-of discovery. But it 

 might be too much of a shock; and then again 

 some of you will not be satisfied. You will 

 want to breed off its tail and its wings, while 

 others will want to breed out the swarming 

 fever; and yet, how do I know I shall get an- 

 other chance? "We know not what a day 

 may bring forth." This great truth was in- 

 delibly fixed in my memory by the "stop short 



