1902 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



101 



Wmfi^^'^ 



The index for 1^02 will be sent only to 

 those who call for it. It will be ready to 

 send out by Jan. 1, 1903. We wish to de- 

 termine how many actually value the index; 

 so if you want one, be sure to drop us a 

 postal. 



How to tell whether old combs are foul- 

 broody or not is explained by Mr. France 

 in this issue, on page 1016. This is an im- 

 portant and valuable piece of information, 

 and we had better paste it in our hats. 



Gleanings will be in the future what it 

 has been in the past j'ears. We do not 

 think it best to say what we shall do, but 

 point with pride at the record of progress 

 and improvement. We have the largest 

 subscription-list that we have had in all 

 our history, and it is still growing at a 

 healthy, stead}^ rate. We thank our friends, 

 one and all, for their kind patronage, and 

 shall try to give them their money's worth. 



Early this fall we had nearly a thousand 

 colonies of bees scattered in the home and 

 out yards. Five hundred of these were sent 

 to Cuba in October, so that now, after 

 doubling up, there are about 300 left. Of 

 this number 260 are wintered out-doors, 

 and the rest are in the basement under the 

 machine shop. The bees were put in about 

 two weeks ago, and the indications are 

 that they will come through as successfully 

 as those of past years. We still believe in 

 the doctrine of a large amount of ventila- 

 tion for indoor bees, and that's what these 

 bees are getting. 



NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF HONKY-PRO- 

 DUCERS FOR THE CONTROL OF PRICES. 



When, two or three issues ago, I men- 

 tioned that the subject of commercial or- 

 ganization among bee-keepers was being 

 talked of by my brother-editors, and signi- 

 fied my willingness to co-operate and help 

 along any feasible plan that might offer 

 some show of success, I did not dream that 

 any one would construe such an endorse- 

 ment as based on selfish motives. Quite 

 indirectly I learn that it is being whisper- 

 ed that the Root Co. want " a finger in the 

 pie so that they can squeeze the little fry, 

 and d itate pi ices and monopoltze the busi- 

 ness." 



The fact was, I took very little interest in 

 the matter until I was asked by Bro. Hutch- 

 inson if I could not lend a hand through 

 Gleanings in helping along a good thing. 

 I promised to do so as soon as I could get 

 time to look up what had been written. I 

 did so, and gave my endorsement on p. 938, 

 Nov. 1. The plan that I intended to favor 

 was an organization made up of bee-keep- 

 ers — one that should be entirely separated 

 and distinct from any bee-paper or manu- 

 facturer of supplies, and such an organiza- 

 tion I would favor. The Roots have too 

 much business on hand already to think of 

 trying to get a "finger in the pie " of some 

 new business entailing more care and larg- 

 er responsibilities. It seems almost silly 

 to make a disclaimer of this kind; and yet 

 because opposition is developing with the 

 false idea that the Roots would try to run 

 the whole thing, it seems necessary to say 

 that our friends are laboring under a seri- 

 ous delusion. I can assure them that such 

 interest as we can take in the proposed or- 

 ganization will be only to encourage it 

 throug-h these columns, and possibly take 

 individual membership the same as any 

 bee-keeper mig-ht do. 



Let the good work go on, and the Root 

 Co. will allow the free use of its columns 

 for the promotion of any good organization 

 along the lines proposed. 



THF, COMING ELECTION. 



The election of a General Manager and 

 three Directors of the National Bee-kee{)ers' 

 Association will take place within a few 

 days. The offices are important; and if ever 

 there was a time when the office should 

 seek the man, and not the man the office, it 

 is in the election now upon us. Wise, com- 

 petent, cool-headed men of experience — 

 men who can allay factionalism and main- 

 tain the splendid record already made, 

 should be selected. Whatever the outcome 

 of the ballots, let us be broad enough to 

 stand by the new officers, no matter wheth- 

 er they be of our choice and vote or not. 

 Let us continue to make the Association a 

 power for good and a terror to our arch en- 

 emy the adulterator. Let us forget old 

 strifes, and begin 190.? with "malice to- 

 ward none and charity for all " in the men- 

 bership. 



REPORT OF THE CHICAGO-NORTHWFSTERN 

 BEE-KEEPERS' CONVENTION, HELD IN CHI- 

 CAGO, DEC. 3-5 ; AN INFORMAL PROGRAM 

 CONSISTING OF A OUESTION-BOX ; FOUL 

 BROOD BY N. E. FRANCE ; CO-OPERATION. 



In any business it is a good plan for the 

 different men engag-ed in it to get together 

 for the purpose of talking over items of 

 especial interest, in order to become better 

 acquainted. This seems to be very true in 

 the bee business, and can be best carried 

 out, I believe, in a convention where a 

 question - box is the principal program. 

 Each one feels that he is helping the other, 

 and certainly all feel that thej' are helped. 



Such a convention was the one held at 

 Chicago, in December. I enjoyed every bit 

 of it, and, like other "foreigners," was 

 made to feel welcome and at home by those 



