456 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



The Best Bees. 



May 15 



As I have several times mentioned in the editorial 

 columns, my object in life is the good of bee-keepers. 

 That I earn my living while thus engaged, makes me 

 none the less sincere. lu my younger days I taught 

 several terms of district school. After securing a 

 school I forgot, for the time being, that I was earning 

 money. I went in to teach those children, and do 

 them all of the good that I possibly could. For weeks 

 at a time the thought never came to me that I was 

 working tor wages. I should be doubtful of the sue 

 cess of a teacher who taught simply for money. Now 

 I am working for the good of bee-keepers. As in the 

 case of school-teaching, I have become so interested 

 that I often forget that I am earning my living bv the 

 work that I am doing. I should also be doubtful of 

 the success of a bee-keeping editor who worked sim- 

 ply to make money. With that object in view, there 

 are other occupations in which he could engage to 

 better advantage. 



I am trying to get bee-keepers to keep more bees, 

 scatter them around the country, and learn to man- 

 age them with the least possible labor. I am trying 

 to get bee keepers to organize and secure the benefits 

 of co-operation. I am trying to arouse them to the 

 danger hanging over their heads from contagious 

 diseases among bees, and to get them to bestir them- 

 selves and rid the country of these plagues. I am also 

 striving to show them the importance of improving 

 their stock — that there is just as much difference in 

 bees as in other stock. Not only this, but circum- 

 stances have been such that I have been able to dis- 

 cover what, I am thoroughly convinced, is a strain of 

 bees that are the equal, if not the superior, of any 

 bees in this country; and I am trying to scatter this 

 stock through the country. As I have said before, 

 that I am earning my living while thus engaged does 

 not make nie any less sincere. 



These bees are dark, leather-colored Italians. They 

 are gentle, industrious, and hardy, and cap their 

 honey as white as do the blacks. No bees, that have 

 had their tongues measured, have shown a greater 

 tongue-reach than have these bees. While there is 

 little doubt that length of tongue and superior honey- 

 gathering qualities go hand in hand, it has not j'et 



been proved, while it has been proved that these 

 bees are very superior, whether it is from length of 

 tongue or not. The price asked for these bees is 

 higher than for common stock, and ought to be; supe- 

 rior stock always sells for more than common stock 

 or scrubs. The Roots are now asking SIOOO for a 

 queen whose bees show a tongue reach of 19 100; 815.00 

 for one whose bees show a reach of 20-100; and $25 00 

 for one whose bees have tongues measuring 21-100; 

 and it is all right to ask these prices. I hope that Mr. 

 Root will sell a lot of these queens, as the more such 

 queens are scattered aiound the country the better 

 stock will there be. Only a queen-breeder, or some 

 one with a large number of bees, could afford to pay 

 such prices, but the ordinary beekeeper can afford to 

 pay the 81 50 that I ask for a queen; and, while I do 

 not guarantee the length of the tongues of the bees 

 that such a queen will produce, it is true that the 

 mother of these queens produces bees having a 

 tongue-reach of 21 100. Not only this, but I guaran- 

 tee safe arrival, safe introduction, if directions are 

 followed, purity of mating, and complete satisfaction 

 to the extent that, if, for any reason, the purchaser 

 desires to return the queen inside of two years, he can 

 have his money back and 50 cents in addition to pay 

 for his trouble. 



Besides this, there is a way in which one can get one 

 of the queens for only one dollar, and that is in con- 

 nection with a subscription to the Review. For 82.00 

 I will send the Review one year, and one of these 

 queens. This offer is open alike to old and new sub- 

 scribers. 



As my older readers know, I do not breed these 

 queens myself. They are reared by a breeder who is 

 neither in the North, nor in the extreme South, but 

 whose name I do not give, simply because, if I did 

 give it, the orders would go to him direct, and I would 

 lose all of the advertising that I have done. A man 

 has to be selfish to a certain extent, and it is all right 

 that he should. 



I make in the neighborhood of 50 cents on each 

 queen that I sell, and it is right that I should, but the 

 man who buys one will make dollars where I make 

 cents. 



W. Z. Hutchinson, Flint, Michigan. 



I. J. Stringham, 105 Park Place, New York City. 



Keeps in stock a full line of modern appliances for bee-keepers. 



SILK-FAOED VEILS. 



As good as any made ; 35 cents postpaid. Catalog free. Full 

 colonies Italian bees, '16.00. Apiaries, Glen Cove, Long Island. 



I. J. Stringham, 105 Park Place, New York City. 



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Marshfield Manufacturing Company. 



Our specialty is making SECTIONS, and they are the best in the market. 

 Wisconsin basswood is the right kind for them. We have a full line of 

 BEE - SUPPIylES. Write for FREE illustrated catalog and price list. 



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