MAY 15, 1915 



much, it seems certain that aster honey in 

 this case was not bad for wintering. The 

 lioney was gathered during very warm 

 weather, and bees were packed early in 

 October. That may liave helped. 



Is there a possibility that different kinds 

 of aster vary in the matter of quality of 



honey? Although much of the larger kind 

 with blue blossoms, growing in low lands, 

 was i)rosent, yet no bees touched them. 

 They swarmed on the smaller blue variety 

 growing on the ui)lands. I don't know why 

 such difference between here and Ohio and 

 other places. Can any one enlighten us? 



BEE VALUES AND SOME QUESTIONS 



BY FRED E. WHITE 



I have been asked " What is the value of 

 a hive of bees?" so frequently that it has 

 become desirable to have a ready answer; 

 and to tliat end I have been figuring as 

 follows: Local values are — bees, $3.00 to 

 $5.00 (swarms or in boxes) ; ten-frame L. 

 hive with full sheets of foundation, $4.20 

 (medium brood, 12^4 cents per sheet). 



This combination might prove satisfac- 

 tory for the summer months, and so might 

 the price ($8.50 roughly) ; but what about 

 early spring wlien folks generally feel the 

 lure of the .land, and are searching for 

 "ways and means"? 



At this time, as I understand it, a hive 

 must be complete, and that would mean 

 adding to the above figiire the value of the 

 drawn comb, which would be about $5.00 

 extra, and the price of the 35 or 40 lbs. of 

 honev left in the hive for winter feed, say 

 $6.00 (honey retails here at ITVo to 20 cts. 

 per lb.). 



There is yet another item that should be 

 recorded ; viz., the winter losses. These 

 should be averaged, and the results added. 

 These figures bring the total up to about 

 $20.00. 



I do not think one would make many 

 sales at this price, as the old box hive at 

 $5.00 looks more attractive. 



1. Wherein can these figures be reduced? 



2. How early in spring can bees be satis- 

 factorily transferred to foundation? 



3. Tf swarming is discouraged and divid- 



ing practiced, can one sell bees in early 

 spring without combs? 



4. What does your experience in selling 

 bees by weight suggest in tliis connection? 



5. Wliat is the accepted value of a frame 

 of Langstroth worker comb? 



6. Is a honey-flow necessary to make bees 

 draw out foundation? 



Bees at $5.00 in the spring and winter, 

 feed at $6.00, as above, does not look like 

 good business, especially in view of possible 

 winter losses; but, unfortunately ( ?) bees 

 are not to be had in large quantities here, 

 and so it would not pay to destroy them in 

 the fall and sell the honey. Perhaps the 

 better way would be to winter them on 

 sugar syrup. 



North Vancouver, B. C. 



[2, 6. It is almost impossible to give a 

 definite time, owing to changeable weather. 

 Usually not until fairly settled warm weath- 

 er can be expected. If the bees are fed 

 syrup a honey-flow is not a necessity. 



3, 4. Selling bees by the pound before 

 June 1 is a pretty expensive proposition, 

 as we know by experience. 



1, 5. It seems to us that most of your 

 figures are pretty high. In the spring there 

 would not be 30 to 40 pounds of honey in 

 the combs, ordinarily. Again, it is possible 

 to buy drawn combs, frames and all, for 25 

 to 35 cts. apiece. If $3.00, say, were added, 

 the cost of the frames and full sheets of 

 foundation should be deducted from the 

 cost of the hive in the first place. — Ed.] 



COST OF RUNNING AN AUTOMOBILE 



BY HARRIS T. KILLE 



According to the experience of U. T. Cox, 

 given in the March 6th issue of the Rural 

 Nev}-Yorker, the editor's estimate of 10 

 cents a mile as the cost of running an auto 

 truck is none too liigh. Mr. Cox used an 

 auto truck with a rated capacity of 1500 

 lbs. He lived seven miles from market, and 

 used it for liauling fruit. ConcerninL; tlie 

 cost he writes as follows: " The truck cost 



$750, and has made about 750 trips or more 

 the past tlu-ee years. It is about worn out, 

 tliough it would have lasted much longer 

 with better care, and had been used on good 

 roads, so it has cost about $1.00 per load 

 in wear and tear of the macliine, and oper- 

 ating expenses and repairs in that time 

 cost about 75 cents more, or $1.75 per round 

 trip." Tlie round trip in this case was 14 



