452 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE. 



Sept. 



time. The question has been up, too, as to what the 

 effect would be should she meet a black drone at one 

 time, and an Italian at another time. This doubtless 

 does happen, and may be the cause of a pure queen's 

 suddenly changing- to a hybrid, and vice versa. 



SUPPLY DEALERS. 



I am sorry to say that a number of our supply 

 dealers have been sadly remiss in filling- their orders. 

 I certainly ought to have charity for such, and to 

 take their part, but the worst of it is, some have 

 not filled them yet, and refuse to reply or return the 

 money sent. Others are quarreling with those who 

 have been so kind as to send them money. My 

 friends, after you have failed to send g-oods as you 

 have advertised to do, you ought to be g-lad to settle 

 with your patrons on almost any terms they have a 

 mind to make. Foot the bill, like men, and then look 

 out what you promise, in your circulars, to do next 

 season. I am taking- your part, and telling the 

 friends you will certainly make it all right; now, 

 please see that you do so before our next issue; will 

 you not? 



Pertaining to Bee Cviltxire. 



\\V respectfully solicit the aid of our friends in conducting' 

 this department, and would consider it a favor to have them 

 send us all circulars that have a deceptive appearance. The 

 greatest care will be at all times maintained to prevent injustice 

 being done any one. 



MITCHELL. 



AST spring, one of N. C. Mitchell's "Hints to 

 Bee-Keepers" was handed to me. After read- 

 ing it, I sent money for his "First Lessons," 

 but never received it. A friend of mine (an apiar- 

 ian) since told me that he sent $6.00 to Mitchell for 

 an extractor, and never received it. 



Mrs. O. F. Dean. 

 Carthage, Jeff Co., N. Y., Aug. 3, 1880. 



My bees are all played out, and I have none now. 

 I registered an order to N. C. Mitchell, of Indianapo- 

 lis, Ind., in February, and have no bees yet. I can't 

 think why he don't send them along. I ordered 5 

 nucleus stocks, at $10.00. I wish he would send 

 them, for I am lonesome without bees. If he is the 

 right kind of a man, I think he will send them soon. 

 I think I look about like Mr. Merry Banks and his 

 $7.50. I can' t help thinking of my $16.00, and think I 

 would better have Ordered of some one I knew. 



Hiram Dickson. 



West Lima, Richland Co., Wis., June 21, 1880. 



MITCHELL. 



I have been thinking for some time I would write 

 to you, and tell you something about my experi- 

 ence with N. C. Mitchell. I got hold of some of his 

 advertisements, with his terms to agents, &c. After 

 reading his terms and studying about it, I concluded 

 to take an agency for the county in which I then 

 lived. He proposed to give 2 farm rights to make 

 his hive, a lot of books containing all necessary in- 

 formation about bees, and a good honey extractor, 

 all for $9.00. I sent him a P. O. order for the $9.00 

 and got his receipt for it. I think it was a week or 

 ten days before he sent me anything, and some 2 or 

 3 months before I got the books and papers. He 

 finally sent me all, except the extractor. I wrote to 

 him several times for it, and he was always going to 



send it that week or the next, but has never sent it. 



When I sent to him for an agency and an extract- 

 or, I did not doubt his being an honest man, but 

 have changed my opinion about him since. Of 

 course, I did not try to sell any of his goods for him, 

 and I reason that I was fortunate to come out as 

 I did with him. I am ashamed of myself for having 

 been deceived by him, but it will be a lesson to me 

 in the future. C. A. Johnson. 



Somerset, Ky., Aug. 2. 1880. 



I am very sorry for you, my friends, but if 

 it will be any comfort to you, I can tell you 

 that you are only H losers of a small army 

 of them scattered all over our land. 



We have heard nothing from Mrs. Cotton 

 this month, and hope she has been so thor- 

 oughly ventilated by the bee journals and 

 other papers, that her business is substan- 

 tially at an end. 



THE: " SUNSHINE " CONTROVERSY. 



TRUTH STRANGER THAN FICTION. 



5yj3&* EAR SIR:— I made a practical test as to the 

 JjMjl length of time the sun shines on the north 

 side of things here on the 21st inst. I found 

 that the sun rises here at 5 o'clock a.m., and from 

 that time until 9:12 a m. it shone on the north side 

 of things. From 9:12 A.M. until 2:46 p.m. it shone 

 on the south side; and, as the sun sets at 7:04 p.m., 

 we have, on the 21st of June, 8 hours and 30 minutes 

 sunlight on our north side, and 5 hours and 34 min- 

 utes on our south side. At my suggestion, Mr. J. E. 

 Dean, of Fishkill, N. Y., said he would do the same, 

 and report to Gleanings. N. R. Fitz Hugh, Jr. 

 Picolata, Fla., June 28, 1880. 



Below is Mr. Dean's report:— 



On the 21st of June at Mr. Fitz Hugh's suggestion, 

 I took an observation with the rough implements at 

 my disposal, with the following result: 



I found that the sun rose on the 21st inst. at 4.26 

 A.M., and set at 7.37 P.M.; consequently, it was 

 above the horizon 15h. and 11m., of which time it was 

 north of an east and west line 7h. 6m. I acknowledge 

 that I am surprised at my own figures. I had no 

 idea the sun was so long on the north, but I can see 

 no error in my calculations, and think the result is 

 very nearly correct. J. E. Dean. 



Fishkill, N. Y., June 23, 1880. 



KIND WORDS FROM OUR CUSTOMERS. 



The queens are received, and all introduced suc- 

 cessfully, I think. I was very glad to get the six. 



B. F. Earlt. 

 Unity, Columbiana Co., O., Aug. 2, 1880. 



The simplicity feeders are the most convenient 

 I ever tried. I will order enough soon, so I will 

 have one for each of my hives. R. Stehle. 



Marietta, O., July 31, 1880. 



Queen and bees received all right. Wife says I 

 am entitled to a front seat in right-hand corner of 

 the Smilery, and I surely do feel well pleased. I saw 

 the "old lady" this morning; she was on her nest to 

 lay. W. C. Howard. 



Chelsea, Iowa, July 28, 1880. 



Thanks for promptness. It does one good to 

 know that he can send for a queen, and have her 

 one week from the day the order is written. I wrote 

 for her on the 17th of July, and received her on the 

 24th. N. R. Fitz Hugh, Jr. 



Picolata, Fla., Aug 2, 1880. 



