1902 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



641 



that Pike's Peak is within a few hours' 

 ride. For a first-class outing- I can not im- 

 ag-ine any thing- better than a trip to and 

 into the Rockies. 



A FEW POINTERS ABOUT SELLING HONEV ON 

 COMMISSION. 



Don't send a larg-e shipment of honey to 

 a new commission house — that is, new to 

 yourself — even if they are in a prominent 

 position in the "Honey Column" of some 

 bee journal. Sometimes a larg-e shipment 

 of one g^rade of hone.v, all to one place, will 

 swamp that particular market. In order 

 to g-et rid of it and move it off quick the 

 commission man will sell it at any price, 

 irrespective of quotations in the papers. It 

 is usually advisable to send a small lot 

 lirst, unless j'ou know the house and have 

 <lealt with it for 3'ears. Then try it a little 

 more; but don't — doypt — "bite " on the hig-h- 

 est quotations. Better take a conservative 

 figure from a reliable old house than to Xxy 

 to g-et a cent or even a quarter of a cent 

 more of a new and untried firm. 



If you get into a complicated deal with a 

 commission house, and can not get satisfac- 

 tor}^ returns, be sure to communicate to us 

 the facts. 



When you write to a house, sending- a 

 sample, and they write 3'ou in return that 

 they can g-et for you such and such a figure, 

 be sure to keep that letter. If your hone}'^ 

 should subsequentl}' be sold for a less fig-- 

 ure, you have proof of what you -were offer- 

 ed on the sample. In a general way we 

 may say, carefully preserve all correspond- 

 ence with a business house. If a firm is 

 not quoted in the bee papers, g-o to your 

 nearest bank and find out its financial 

 rating. 



Sometimes it is better to sell on commis- 

 sion than to make an outright sale. If the 

 house or person is not reliable, better sell 

 on commission. Better still, do not sell at 

 all. Take plenty of time to write before 

 shipping;, and do not forget to inquire of us, 

 as we may be able to save you half 3'our 

 salary. 



SELLING COMB HOXEV. 



It is very difficult to determine with any 

 degree of certainty just what the tendency 

 of the market will be for the next six 

 months; but one fact we should like to bring 

 before our readers, especially those of the 

 Eastern States. For several years there 

 has been a good demand during the months 

 of August, September, and October for No. 

 1 and F^ancy white honejs and prices have 

 ranged very good; in fact, we have paid the 

 highest prices at the very beginning of the 

 season simply because so many bee-keepers 

 delay getting their honey ready, and there 

 is not enough to supply the demand. Now, 

 we do not belieye in having every one rush 

 honey into the market at the very outset, 

 for this would have the eff^ect of lowering 

 prices; but we do say that a good many 

 bee-keepers who are situated so they can 

 put their honey on the market quickly have 



lost money in j'ears past by holding it at 

 too high a price, and until cold weather 

 came on. Care should be taken to use suf- 

 ficient time to see that the honey is in its 

 best possible shape when it goes to market. 

 You should also study the different market 

 reports; and if you care for our advice when 

 you are read}' to ship, if j-ou ship to a com- 

 mission house we shall be glad to give 3'ou 

 our opinion of the difterent markets, on re- 

 quest. AVe do not care to express an opin- 

 ion on individual buyers other than to state 

 what we know of their general standing; 

 but there are times when the markets of 

 some of the cities are so overloaded that it 

 would be folly to send there; and while this 

 market may have been a \&vy good one in 

 previous years, some other market may be 

 much better this 3'ear; and if we can assist 

 you in giving you such information we shall 

 be glad to do so. While we are buyers of 

 honej' ourselves, and, of course, like to pur- 

 chase it at as favorable prices as possible, 

 if we can not handle your honey we are 

 verj' glad to assist our subscribers in dis- 

 posing of their crop to advantage elsewhere. 



HOW TO BURN A BAD CASE OF FOUL BROOD. 



Once when treating a case of foul brood, 

 or, rather, burning it up, at an outj^ard, I 

 started a big blaze in a brush-heap near 

 b\'; but to make the blaze hotter I threw on 

 a quart of coal oil. Then I placed the 

 hive as near the fire as I could, picked out 

 the combs and the bees, and threw them 

 one bj' one into that raging flame. When 

 the bees flew up (for it was night) they 

 would go right into the fire, of course, and 

 that was the end of them. Then I took the 

 hive, held it up by means of a pitchfork, 

 and thoroughly scorched the walls inside 

 and out. Next in like manner I treated the 

 cover; but while the fire was raging I 

 could see the melted wax running down be- 

 tween the fiery embers to the ground. I 

 marked the spot, and when the brush-heap 

 burned down I raked the hot coals right 

 over that place, then pawed over the ground 

 with a rake and pitchfork. I made up mj' 

 mind that I would thoroughl}' disinfect the 

 ground; and the next morning I found the 

 live coals had been so hot that the clay was 

 turned red — in fact, it was turning into 

 common brick. I had no doubt the whole 

 thing had been disinfected, including- the 

 hive. 



I speak of this incident because foul 

 brood is showing up in many localities; 

 and while the boiler-furnace is the most 

 unique place I know of in which to burn up 

 combs, yet one can secure just about as 

 g-ood results by means of a bonfire provid- 

 ing he throws on some coal oil. The hives 

 and combs must be burned at uight, ivlien 

 the bees are all in the hive. I do not advise 

 burning bees as well as combs except in 

 ver}' bad cases, or when it is the only case 

 known in the bee-j'ard. There is always 

 danger, when shaking bees on to founda- 

 tion, that some of the bees, finding every 



