112 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Feb. 



workers. Another method consists in taking the 

 text and changing- the lines a little. 



As for myself, I do not see that it matters very 

 much, after all. If the public are benefited, does it 

 make any great difference " who is the greatest " ? 



ARTIFICIAI., COMB HONEY — SOMETHING MORE 

 ABOUT IT. 



A SHORT item appeared in the Pitt burgh West-End 

 Bulletin, to the effect that there was an establish- 

 ment in Pittsburgh making comb honey, etc. Our 

 good friend W. H. Ferguson, of Bloonisdale, O., 

 while in the above city, took the pains to follow It 

 up. The editor of the paper declared there was no 

 mistake about it, and gave the street and number. 

 When our friend got there they said it was a fact, 

 but that it was off somewhere else, up three flights 

 of stairs, and so on. What do you think they 

 found V Why, a man who makes cement and seal- 

 ing-wax; and it happened that this worthy trades- 

 man also put up very neat little cakes of wax for 

 the sewing-table— just that, and nothing more. As 

 he is said to be both honest and industrious, we 

 give his address to the friends who may want little 

 cakes of wax— postofflce box 15.5, Pittsburgh, Pa. 

 Now, then, who comes next ? 



gPECI^Ii ]S[05^ICE^. 



MAPLE SYRUP. 



In view of the crop soon to come, we offer the 

 remainder of the lot mentioned on page 1003, Dec. 

 15th issue, at 75c per gallon; or 8.5c per gallon with 

 package included to ship it in. 



DISCOUNTS ON GOODS FOR THE MONTH OF FEB- 

 RUARY. 



As before announced, we shall make an extra 

 discount of 3 per cent on all goods of whatever na- 

 ture, mentioned in our price list, for orders receiv- 

 ed during this month. The object is, to prevent the 

 rush and crowd that comes a little later on. 



THAT LOT OF GLASSED COMB HONEY. 



In order to close this out before the new season 

 opens, we have decided to offer it at an even 10c 

 per lb., in lots of 10 cases; less than 10 cases, 10V4c 

 per lb. For weights of cases and further descrip- 

 tion, see page 339, April 15, 1886. if you have not 

 the above number we will mail one on application. 



FRENCH BEE-.JOURNALS. 



We have on hand a large lot of nearly all the 

 standard French bee-journals published. We will 

 mail any number, as long as they last, to all who 

 can read them, for 3 cts. per copy. So far as possi- 

 ble they will come in regular order. At this rate 

 we can not promise to select any particular num- 

 ber. 



FRIEND MARTIN'S CHROMO. 



As a general thing, it will not do for us to make 

 editorial mention of the things offered for sale in 

 our advertising columns. Friend Martin has, how- 

 ever, gotten up a chromo of such exceeding beauty 

 that we do not feel as if it would be right to pass it 

 by. The figures of the bees and queen stand out 

 like life. The Chapman honey-plant is wonderful- 

 ly true to nature, even to the colors. The same is 

 true with the alsike clover and other honey-plants. 

 Even Heddon's hive is a thing of beauty, as the 

 chromo shows it. The idea is, to have your price 

 list printed on the back of these cards. For con- 

 venience In this latter respect, we will fui'nish 

 them here at his prices. The cost of the printing 

 on the back side will depend on the amount of 

 matter. The size is about that of a common postal 

 card. One feels, in looking at this, as he does in 

 looking at many of the seed-catalogues nowadays— 

 the pictures are a good deal nicer, many times, 

 than the thing Itself. 



WHAT KIND OF SEED SHALL "WE 

 PLANT? 



SOME EXCEEDINGLY Klblb WORDS FROM FRIEND 



GREEN, OF THE EXPERIMENT STATION, 



COLUMBUS, O. 



fRIEND ROOT:— I am much pleased with your 

 catalogue of seeds. Many might think, that, 

 because your list is so short, you do not have 

 the best to be had; but my reason for being 

 pleased is the fact that you have the best and 

 about all the best, varieties known to the 

 trade, and have put the matter in such shape 

 that even a novice can select. You have con- 

 densed a voluminous catalogue to two pages, and 

 have left out hardly a single valuable thing; or, to 

 use a very commoTi figure of speech, you have 

 given us the " cream " of the catalogues. The list 

 is not yet quite so short as I would have made it, 

 and I would put in a few varieties not found there; 

 but it is near enough to niy ideal to meet my hearty 

 api)roval. 



I know that one's success in gardening depends 

 largely upon a good selection of varieties; and I 

 know, also, that the majority of people do not 

 know what the best varieties are. The ordinary 

 seed-catalogues are so voluminous as to be confus- 

 ing toalle.\cept the experienced gardener, and he 

 is often misled by a flaming list of novelties. Hav- 

 ing tried almost evei-y thing, and found so few 

 varieties that are really good, I can readily see how 

 serious losses and vexatious might come because 

 of these bad habits that our seedsmen have fallen 

 into. I have really taken the matter quite to heart, 

 and have ardently desired to see a reform inaugu- 

 rated. I have not blamed seedsmen, at least none 

 in particular, for the evil has grown so gradually, 

 and apparently in such an innocent manner, that 

 the blame can be attached to no one alone. Fur- 

 thermore, I had come to think, with many seedsmen, 

 that a short condensed list would carry no weight, 

 and bring but few customers. I hope, Mr. Root, 

 that you will not hesitate to tell us the results as 

 nearly as you may be able. If others know as well 

 as I know that you have not only selected the best 

 varieties, but have bought your seeds of the most 

 reliable growers, they would not hesitate to order 

 of you. You might have bought seeds that would 

 not have cost you half the money, nor that much, 

 indeed, in the case of many articles; but you have 

 selected the best, and I earnestly hope that you 

 will be rewarded; bvit I really fear that your re- 

 ward will be almost wholly that which comes from 

 having a good conscience, which every man ought 

 to have, but he is entitled to something more also, 

 if he is diligent. 



One thing further I should be glad to see done; but 

 if it is done at all it must be done in a convention of 

 seedsmen. That is, to reform the nomenclature of 

 vegetables. At present every one has his own way 

 of writing names. One writes Early Wakefleld, 

 another puts in the Jersey, and another prefixes 

 Very. An old English pea is cal'ed, by some, Early 

 Philadelphia, while others, like Landreth and Hen- 

 derson, prefix their own names. Thus it gets out 

 under a dozen or more aliases. So on through the 

 list, almost every thing having several names. If 

 this does any one any good, I am u nable to see how ; 

 and I am not ignorant of the arguments in favor of 

 it. That it does harm, there can be no doubt; for it 

 is a stumblingblock in the way of thousands who 

 buy seeds. Suppose that some one concludes to 

 give you, an order, but fails to find in your list 

 what he wants. It is altogether probable that it is 

 there, but under another name, or, what is still 

 worse, the same name is often used for entirely 

 different things; and even the most careful may 

 thus get deceived in buying. Fruit-growers have 

 had the same trouble, but they have brought about 

 a reform, and seedsmen ought to do the same. I can 

 not believe that things are so disjointed in this 

 world that it pays to perpetuate a wrong. Every 

 seedsman who aids in keeping up this Babel of 

 names is doing his customers an injustice, and 1 do 

 not believe that such a course is consistent, nor in 

 accord with business principles. It surely Is not 

 honest for a seedsman to prefix his name to a thing, 

 or rename it in any way, and then send it out at a 

 high price as something new, when every seedsman 

 has It; and I do not believe that such a course pays 

 in the long run. It is, however, done frequently, 

 and a large share of the surplus names come in that 

 way. I do not object to an improved sort being 



