48 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Jan 15 



but that we should simply co-operate for mu- 

 tual benefit, without salary or any such thing 

 as pay. Let all such know that it is possible 

 for a few people to perform " a labor of love " 

 to aid their brethren ; but to keep it up very 

 long will wear out both the patience and 

 pocketbook of the laborer. The Bible teaches 

 us that, in the matter of moral and spiritual 

 things, "the laborer is worthy of his hire," 

 and never once hints that service should not 

 receive compensation, though we are led to 

 the thought that a labor of love and good will 

 receive its reward — if not in this world, in the 

 one to come. It is Bible teaching, and, as 

 well, a common duty, that we recompense our 

 brother for service rendered. The gist of this 

 is, let business enter into all organization and 

 CO operation. 



Our Honey-producers' Association is a busi- 

 ness concern on business principles. The ob- 

 ject is to co-operate to the business advantage 

 of those concerned. Those concerned are all 

 the honey producers of the State. True, not 

 all of our producers are members of the com- 

 pany, but they may and should be. Those 

 who are outside the company, and even those 

 who are working against it, receive benefit be- 

 cause of it. Remember what I have told you 

 about our Loveland Fruit-growers' Associaiion, 

 and the benefits growing out of it, as com- 

 pared with the demoralized condition before 

 organizing. The Colorado Honey-producers' 

 Association, imperfect and incomplete as it is, 

 and hampered and injured in its work by jeal- 

 ous and suspicious persons who ought to be 

 lending a helping hand, makes it possible to 

 market more systematically and thoroughly 

 our product, and both directly and indirectly 

 benefit the State's producers. 



The company business manager is in touch 

 with nearly all the producers in the State, and 

 with every producing part of the State. If 

 there is a crop in one valley and none in some 

 other, our manager knows somewhat of it. If 

 honey is wanted, he knows where it is. He 

 makes it his business to know, as far as possi- 

 ble, the crop prospects in the whole United 

 States, and all this information he applies to 

 the protection and benefit of the industry in 

 the State, anl in particular to those who sup- 

 port him by moral and financial help. It 

 takes thought and energy, time and money, to 

 do this work ; but in the end it pays the pro- 

 ducer and works him no hardship. 



We will admit that our organization has re- 

 duced the profits, probably, of a few middle- 

 men (I am not objecting to a middleman, he 

 is a necessity in our business); but it has very 

 much benefited the producers. One tl ing is 

 .absolutely fundamental and necessary to the 

 welfare and upbuilding of the nation and its 

 business : it is, the prosperity of the producers. 

 I wish these ideas could be in bold relief, in 

 letters of blood before our politicians and 

 rulers and law makers, till they would never 

 forget them. Break down the producer, and 

 you destroy our prosperity, middlemen and 

 all ; build up the producer, and you unavoid- 

 ably build up the dependencies. 



I will, in my next, enter into the plans I 

 have in mind for organizing the bee-keepers 



all over our nation into a co-operative business 

 concern. That we should do this I have not 

 the least doubt. Economy and justice de- 

 mand it. Duty to ourselves and oihers makes 

 it a necessity. We shall have neglected a very 

 important duty if we leave this work undone. 



Before closing I want to call attention to a 

 work done this summer and fall by our Mr. F. 

 L. Thompson It illustrates somewhat the 

 benefits of organizaiion and co-operation, is 

 the beginning (and snly a beginning) of what 

 should be carried out all over our land. Mr. 

 Thompson's work was this : 



He conceived the idea of getting reports 

 from producers all over the State, as to amount 

 of old honey carried over from last year, to- 

 gether with prices ii was selling at ; how the 

 bees wintered, and prospects for a crop, both 

 as to condition of bees and other features ; 

 from time to time the progress of the flow, 

 the harvesting of crop, prices crop was held 

 at, and when sales made, price obtained, etc. 

 From reports sent to him, Mr. T. compiled re- 

 sults, and mailed the same to the reporters in 

 the vaiious locations. It is too t-oon yet, 

 while I am wriring this, to know the benefits 

 derived from the work ; but no doubt it has 

 done much jjood. This is merely a modest be- 

 ginning — just a start. Mr. Thompson can not 

 devote a life to this kind of work unless help- 

 ed. The whole country ought to be covered 

 with this report, thoroughly organized, and 

 the work paid for. 



I shall, m forthcoming articles, outline some 

 plans for consideration and discussion, out of 

 which may grow great good to our industry. 



EXTRACTING-OL'TFIT. 



Conveniences at an Exlracting-jard. 

 BY W. A. H. GItSTRAP. 



With the producer of extracted honey, a 

 matter of no small considerati.jn is the house 

 and appliances by which the apiarist is enabled 

 to put his product into marketable condiiiun. 

 Having had an experience of eleven )'ears in 

 fourteen home and out-apiaries run for ex- 

 tracted honey, in whole or in part, and having 

 assisted others in extracting, possibly my views 

 will be worth something to others. 



Perhaps the first thing to mention is the 

 cart or wheelbarrow. This is a matter of lo- 

 cition, to a great extent. On very uneven 

 ground the cart is out of the question. If 

 you want the hives to be in a few nearly 

 straight rows, tracks may be laid and cars run 

 on the same at slight outlay of labor provid- 

 ing the lay of the ground is favorable. But 

 the general appearance of different hive loca- 

 tions should be guarded against to &void the 

 loss of queens. On soft ground the broad face 

 of an ordinary gang-plow wheel is the most 



