FKBKUAKY 1, 1915 



123 



cost 10 or even 20 cents per mile to run 

 tlieiu over country roads; and I had seen 

 them stuck in mud or sand that I know my 

 car woukl go through with a smile. 1 finally 

 learned of a man some miles away who had 

 several used machines for sale. 



He was overjoyed to see me (look out for 

 the glad hand wlien you talk with auto 

 dealere). He showed me a couple of old 

 ears I did not want, and then the one I 

 bought. Said he, " In that car is the best 

 engine 1 ever lan," which I think was the 

 truth; but some other statements he made 

 1 know were lies. 



" How much? " said I. 



" Well, seeing you are a friend and came 

 :iway over here, 1 will sell to you for $275." 



" Well," I replied, " seeing as how I am a 

 friend of yours, I won't pay it. What time 

 does the fii-st train leave for home? " 



In the course of the conversation he asked 

 me what I thought the machine was worth. 

 I took $250 from my pocket, and, handing 

 the cash to him, said, " If you will give me 

 $10 and the Ford it is a trade." His wife 

 slipped the bills into her pocket, and I knew 

 that I would never see them again, and 

 probably lie would not. 



'' Shall I go home on the train or by 

 road ? " I asked. 



" It is a shame ; but as trade is dull at 

 tliis time of the year, and I want money, I 

 gaiess I had better take you home." 



I know to a gallon how much gasoline I 

 have used, and how much of the best oil, 

 and can form a fairly correct idea how 

 much wear and tear on tires has taken place. 

 Then you speak of depreciation. According 

 to your scale it would not take long to 

 an-ive at a point where there would be none. 

 I believe my old car has reached it; but I 

 hope you will understand she is a long, long 

 way from the scrap-heap. I would not sell 

 her to-day for $240. You say repairs will 

 run from $50 to $100 per year. A beekeep- 

 er has no business inside a garage door 

 unless he wants to be robbed. If he does 

 not know liow or cannot learn how to do 

 his own repairs, he'd better buy a wheel- 

 harrow. 



Of course, one may be careless or drive 

 recklessly, and have an expensive accident. 

 1 had one. I was driving to an outyard that 

 I was getting in shape for winter, when I 

 met a farmer with twenty cows. My ma- 

 cliine hit one Holstein a glancing blow on 

 the starboard hind quarter — result, one 

 broken glass in wind-shield, $3.50; one 

 broken glass in headlight, 35 cts. ; one bent 

 mud-guard, ten minutes' work; one angry 

 farmer, and one surprised cow. I had been 

 driving quite slowly; but had I been going 

 35 miles per hour it is quite possible the cow 

 would have been more surprised. 



See the pleasure one can get from an 

 auto. For instance, suppose Mathilde and 

 I wisli to take a little ride of 100 miles and 

 call on beekeeping acquaintances. 'Thilde 

 and I get in with full expectation of going 

 there and coming back; but if we knew it 

 would cost ten cents per mile, or $10, would 

 we go? No, sir; we'd put the $10 at com- 

 pound interest, sit in the hammock, and coo. 



I never had much experience in driving 

 tliose heavy big-tired cars; but I am willing 

 to concede it may cost 10 cts. per mile to run 

 them. I can not see how one can run up 

 such an expense driving a light-running 

 auto unless he goes joy riding. 



Birmingham, Mich., Nov. 7. 



[Our figures as explained in the editorial 

 referred to were for the average automobile 

 costing about $1000, and Ave had reference 

 especially to our own 1000-pound truck. 

 We stated that the depreciation and tire ex- 

 pense on a Ford, at about $500, would not 

 run over half, or perhaps five cents a mile, 

 including every thing. We are quite pre- 

 pared to believe that the expense in running 

 a second-hand Ford bought for $240 would 

 not be over half the latter figure, and so, 

 apparently, we agree quite well after all. 



We do not wish to be understood as pro- 

 claiming that every time the truck is run 

 five miles it costs us 50 cents. We simply 

 mean that, on the average for a car of this 

 capacity, the expense, counting interest on 

 the investment, depreciation, etc., is apt to 

 be not far from 10 cts. a mile. — Ed.] 



WHY I FAILED IN BEEKEEPING FOR A DOZEN YEARS 



BY WALTER JACK 



" I have no hard-luck story to tell, but I 

 know that I might have succeeded much 

 better had I studied the literature of the 

 business," was the remark of a farmer who 

 had an apiary. This farmer gave me a few 

 interesting facts concerning why he fell 



down in the business, and I will repeat them 

 here. 



" I see no reason why every farmer cannot 

 keep a few colonies and produce the family 

 honey supply; but when the fanner who 

 thinks he can make easy money by engag- 



