844 



ULJiA^i^GS IN BEk CULTUltK. 



Nov. 



hives, no matter whether they were fUled walls and 

 double covers, or chaff or Simplicity hives, I should 

 always use these shade-boards; and I wouldn't have 

 any other substitute lor shade, bothering- me in my 

 apiarj'. We never have any wind that will blow 

 Sections of bee-hives apart after the bees have 

 glued them, even without the use of the weights, 

 which, of course, would tend to hold them tog-ether 

 while in use for the purpose of holding- on the 

 shade-board. Several have suggested hooks and 

 keys and other traps for holding on these covers; 

 but there is nothing so good, so quickly manipu- 

 lated, and so cheap, as the stones. It is simply a 

 pleasure to handle them ; and if I had a student or 

 bee-keeper working for me who objected to han- 

 dling these stones, I should know at once that he 

 lacked the qualifications which would fit him for a 

 successful honey-producer. 



PRICE OF HONEY. 



1 notice what you say in the last issue about the 

 price of honey, and that you think 8 or 9 cents 

 should be about the stopping-point for extracted 

 honey for 1887. I carried over 3000 lbs. of clover 

 and basswood from 1885, '6, and have sold that and 

 this year's crop for 10 cents a pound, and am tiulte 

 sure that my amount on hand will not last me till 

 January 1st, at the rate orders are now coming in. 

 Bright amber honej', which is a mixture of bass- 

 wood and fall tlowers. we sell for 8 cents, and it is 

 going rapidly. This houey is nearly all sold to bee- 

 keepers who are wise enough to keep their local 

 demand supplied; but, mind you, it is rich, ripe 

 honey; and when we have any other it goes off by 

 the barrel to wholesale dealers, who, no doubt, sell 

 it off for mechanical purposes. Now, friend Root, 

 let me ask you to consider what was the price of 

 honey last year, and how does that price compare 

 with your proposed 8 and 9 cents, even for ordinary 

 extracted honey, as it is found on the market? 

 Will you please figure the per cent difference in 

 price, and see bow it accords with the fact that 

 there is less than one-fourth of a crop the country 

 over? you remember how they used to churn 

 your humble servant for declaring that honey 

 could never become a staple nor any thing like it. 

 Now, suppose that sugar, wheat, potatoes, or even 

 oysters, were only one-fourth of a crop this year; 

 what would be the result of that? Such is the case 

 with potatoes throughout Michigan and adjoining 

 States, and they are bringing a dollar instead of 35 

 cents a bushel. I think two stores in our place 

 have some comb honey, which they offer for 20 

 cents a pound, and they hardly sell any at all. I 

 presume people are eating as many potatoes as 

 ever. Houey is not, and never will be, any thing 

 like a staple commodity; and the moment the price 

 is run up, consumers at large give it the go-by. 

 We are getting 30 cents for our comb, all from large 

 cities, where it is purchased by a class who never 

 stop for price, because they never earn the money 

 they possess. James Heddon. 



Dowagiac, Mich., Nov. 3, 1887. 



Friend H., it bus occurred to me that one 

 reason that has been given for the election 

 of officers when the convention is only half 

 through, is, that there are more present. 

 The first day the attendance is often small, 

 and the same toward the close; and, of 

 course, when the election of officers takes 

 place we want everybody to have a fair 

 chance. This is especially the case in de- 



termining the locality of the next conven- 

 tion.— If you think, friend Heddon, it is a 

 pleasure to handle stones, I am afraid we 

 shall have to agree to disagree on this mat- 

 ter. If I have got to use them. I think 

 I would have them made of cast iron, 

 with a good convenient handle. Just imag- 

 ine a big flat - iron standing on top of 

 every bee-hive, to make the shade-board be- 

 have itself during a wind ! — In regard to the 

 prices of honey, I think I shall have to let 

 friend Muth talk to you. He scolded me 

 because I was anxious to see the price run 

 up, and you are taking me to task because 

 we don't offer more. I suppose you know, 

 however, that demand and supply must reg- 

 ulate what we pay ; and I would by no 

 means dare buy all of the nice honey that 

 has been offered us at 9 and 10 cents. I am 

 very glad, however, to know that you are 

 getting 10 cents : but if you mean that this 

 includes a package, holding, say, 50 or 60 

 lbs., you are selling even cheaper than we 

 do. "Potatoes bring with us from 75 to 80 

 cents, and it does me good to see those who 

 have secured a good crop, get a good nice 

 price for them. When I want to buy, I 

 really enjoy paying 80 or 90 cents for nice 

 ones. 



THE GIVEN PRESS AND THE BING- 

 HAM SMOKER. 



FRIEND TAYLOR STANDS UP IN THEIR DEFENSE. 



R. ROOT:— I notice you are still asking for 

 the experience of those who have used the 

 Given press, with regard to the advantages 

 of that machine for making foundation; 

 and though I seldom voluntarily undertake 

 to write, 1 feel that the two last numbers of your 

 journal contain some statements with regard to the 

 press, and the character of its production, that 

 should not go unchallenged. I refer to the remarks 

 of yourself, Mr. Dadant, and Mr. Good; and I must 

 say, after using the press for five years, and mak- 

 ing with it all the foundation required by my own 

 apiaries, now consisting of 600 colonies, besides 

 considerable quantities for sale, that you all, so far 

 as the disadvantages you charge against the press 

 are concerned, are entirely wrong. 



I am the more surprised at Mr. Good's statements, 

 because he has had some experience with the ma- 

 chine. With me, putting foundation upon wires by 

 hand is not at all to be compared with the press 

 method, either in speed, neatness, or the staying 

 qualities of the foundation. For sections, I very 

 much prefer foundation made on the Given press. 

 I tested it in a small way by the side of that made 

 by one of the most prominent manufacturers in the 

 country. Fourteen sections were filled with each 

 kind of foundation, the two kinds being of equal 

 weight ; and the sections, being carefully marked, 

 were put in a Heddon case (no separators), alter- 

 nately throughout, and placed on a hive containing 

 bees. At the end of the season every section was 

 filled and capped. There was a marked difference 

 in the appearance of the two kinds, in point 

 of plumpness; and on being removed from the 

 case, and weighed, those filled with Given founda- 

 tion were found to weigh 13 lbs. and 5 oz., and the 

 others 13'.i lbs.— a difference of about 8 per cent in 

 favor of the Given. 



