GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



price below the beekeeper's selling price so 

 as to make his legitimate profit. Thus the 

 beekeeper, by making his wholesale and re- 

 tail prices the same, has cut his wholesale 

 still lower. Besides, there is no surer way 

 of getting on a merchant's blacklist. 



The plan I follow is this: I go to some 

 of my home merchants with whom I am 

 well acquainted, and whom I know to be 

 shrewd, ' honest business men. I consult 

 with them as to prices, find what they con- 

 .•Dider a fair retail margin, which is gener- 

 ally from fifteen to twenty per cent. We 

 agree on a w^holesale and retail price, and 

 both sell at the same price. For example, 

 I carry a ten-pound pail as one of my lead- 

 ers. 1 wholesale it to the merchant at 

 eighty cents, and sell to any and all whole- 

 salers at that price unless in job-lot quan- 

 tities of several Intndred, wben a small 

 additional margin is allowed. The mer- 

 chant retails it at one dollar. I retail it at 

 ibe same, whether it is bought at my apiary 

 or delivered to the customer's door, and I 

 never peddle among the merchant's custom- 

 ers. It would be business suicide, so far as 

 that mercliant's patronage is concerned. I 

 simply give the merchant a square deal, and 

 invariably he returns it. I guarantee my 

 goods to the merchant, and request him to 

 guarantee them to the customer. I put up 

 nothing but the best, and back it up with 

 a " money back if not satisfied " proposi- 

 tion, and*^ protect the retailer by standing 

 good for any goods returned. During the 

 last three years 1 have had only two or 

 three pails sent back. In dealing with a 



Tlie bees had built six combs of brood and two of 

 honey. Query : Had these bees been accustomed to 



an eisfht-frame hive? 



business man a pleasant, courteous, busi- 

 ness-like manner, coupled with honest deal- 

 ing and fair treatment, Avill gain you a 

 friend and hold a customer. 

 Glendale, Ariz. 



ANOTHER FRESH -AIR COLONY 



BY ION A FOWTiS 



We learned the other day of a very 

 progressive colony of bees that have evi- 

 dently been influenced by the fresh-air 

 agitation, for they have taken up their 

 abode outdoors with the apparent intention 

 of staying all winter. We took a 28-mile 

 drive to hunt them up. We found them 

 located near the river on a farm between 

 Wakeman and Birmingham. They were 

 suspended at the end of a long limb hang- 



ing out over a very steep bank so that we 

 had a rather exciting time getting their 

 picture. 



At first all we saAv was a large cluster of 

 bees; but by smoking them back we finally 

 exposed the combs to \'iew and found they 

 had built two good cornbs of honey and 

 six of brood, the combs being arranged ex- 

 actly parallel to each other, and very nicely 

 spaced. 



Oberlin, Ohio, Sept. 18. 



A PRECAUTION WHICH IS GENERALLY OVERLOOKED 



BY B. KEEP 



It is surprising that the simplest thing is 

 overlooked so often. The best conditions 

 for wintering are so varied and so much in 

 dispute that no trustworthy rule can be es- 



tablished. One pei*son claims best results 

 l)y packing so warmly, regardless of ex- 

 l)ense, as to have no trouble ^vith condensed 

 moisture; another puts his faith in upward 



