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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Oct. 29, 1903. 



paper is not a philanthropic institution. Nor is it usually published 

 just for tun. We think most of the bee-paper publishers would like 

 to make a fair profit out of their papers, just the same as the bee- 

 keepers would like to make a little money out of their bees and honey. 

 We believe this is a subject that none of the existing honey-pro- 

 ducers' associations has considered very much. We commend it to 

 them as a fair and legitimate proposition. There may as well be co- 

 operation between the bee-papers and such organizations as anywhere 

 else. Why not? The Aajerican Bee Journal does not take a back seat 

 for any apiarian publication in its advocacy of co-operative honey- 

 producers' associations, and in doing all it can to help them succeed. 

 But it ought not to be expected to help them to get business and make 

 money unless they are willing to pay their way the same as other 

 firms who do business through advertising. 



Honey Prices Demopalized. 



A prominent bee-keeper, not over 100 miles from Chicago, wrote 

 us as follows, Oct. 19 : 



" I am going to try to get the bee-keepers in this locality to 

 organize an association. Prices have been fearfully demoralized here 

 this season, some bee-keepers rushing their comb honey off, even at 10 

 cents, when, it they had kept cool, and had done a little thinking, 

 they could have had 14 to 15 cents for it. I have sold a good deal at 

 $3.75 a case, and made a sale of 35 cases to a firm in Chicago at 14 cents 

 f. o. b. here. If I'm successful in getting the bee-keepers together, I 

 shall try to get them to join the Chicago-Northwestern A-sociation. 

 Also, big money has been lost to them by not having the American 

 Bee Journal to read." 



All of which shows that it pays bee-keepers to have membership 

 in an association, and also to subscribe for, and read regulariy,at least 

 one of the leading bee-papers. The difference between 10 cents and 

 14 cents a pound on say 500 pounds of honey, would pay membership 

 dues and subscription for a good many years. Why is it so many bee- 

 keepers can't see this? 



It is not only foolish to sell comb honey at 10 cents a pound, but 

 it is also ruinous to any market to do so. We know an Illinois bee- 

 keeper who sold his entire crop of comb honey at 14}^ cents a pound, 

 delivered on the cars at his station. And his crop was over 15,000 

 pounds, too. 



It pays to keep informed on the honey markets, and also to develop 

 your own market, if possible, and keep it supplied from year to year. 



( 



Miscellaneous Items 





Rev. M. Mahin, of Henry Co., Ind., wrote us Oct. 22, that he 

 was that day celebrating his 79th birthday anniversary, and the 60th 

 of his ordination as a deacon in the Methodist Episcopal Church. On 

 Oct. 3l6t he and his wife will celebrate the 60th anniversary of their 

 marriage. And may they live yet many more years, and all of them 

 filled with good health and abounding happiness. 



Mr. A. 1. Root's Convention Talk, on " Reminiscences of 

 Bee-Keeping and Bee-Keepers in the Early Days," which appears in 

 this issue, will be read with great interest and profit by all. Next 

 week, J. S. Harbison, the pioneer bee-keeper of California, will con- 

 tinue on the same subject. These two talks, with a short one by Mr. 

 Corey, occupied the principal part of the second evening session of 

 the Los Angeles convention. They were listened to with rapt atten- 

 tion. We considered it the best session of the whole meeting. While 

 it was mainly historical, it was something that likely could not have 

 been had in any other way, especially the talks by Mr. Harbison and 

 Mr. Corey. 



Mr. Thos. Wm. Cowan, editor of the British Bee Journal, 

 than whom there is no better known nor more highly respected bee- 

 keeper in all the world, wrote us as follows, Oct. (i, 1903, from his 

 home in England: 



Dear Mr. York: — On my return to London I found the Ameri- 

 can Bee Journal of Aug. 13, last, with my portrait, and the few kind 

 remarks you make. I think it a very good reproduction of the like- 

 ness, and thank you; also for your remarks. It is certainly pleasant 

 to find that we have so many friends in different parts of the world. 

 Since we have been in Europe it has been a constant visiting, and we 

 have not yet got through all those visits we have to make. Of course, 



some of the pleasantest have been with bee-keepers, both here and on 

 the continent of Europe. It was quite touching to find so many who 

 came long distances to see me again, and to Hod that an absence of 



nearly five years had only made the bond of friendship stronger 



I hope you and Mrs. York are quite well. 1 am sorry that I was 

 not able to attend the Conference at Los Augeles, and hope you had a 

 pleasant time there. Yours faithfully, 



Thos. Wm. Cowan. 



Of course, Mr. Cowan did not intend that his cordial letter should 

 be given to the public, but we are sure our readers will be glad to see 

 it, and Mr. Cowan will not chide us. He belongs to the universal 

 beedora, but more especially to English and American bee-keepers. He 

 has been " one of us '" for the past five years, when living in Califor- 

 nia, where, from what we have heard and read, he and his good wife 

 simply captured the hearts of the people who came to know them best. 



It was very unfortunate for the Los Angeles convention that Mr. 

 Cowan could not have deferred his return to England until after that 

 event. He would have contributed so much to the value and interest 

 of the meeting could he have been present. 



Beeswa.x in the U. S. and Texas. — We have received the 

 following correction, which we are glad to publish : 



College Station, Tex., Oct. 13, 1903. 



Editor American Bee Journal:— My attention has been called 

 to the comment by Mr. Hasty, on page 650 of the American Bee Jour- 

 nal of Oct. 8, regarding the pounds of wax produced per colony in 

 Texas and the United Slates. I would say that the figures were taken 

 from the Twelfth United States Census. You will find them on page 

 CCXXXIV, Vol. 5. It is evident that a decimal point has been 

 omitted, and that the figures should read .43 per colony for the United 

 States, and .41 pounds per colony for Texas, etc. it, of course, does 

 not change the relative yield, which was the point I wished to bring 

 out. I prepared the article somewhat hurriedly, and consequently did 

 not n.itice this rather ludicrous error. 



Kindly make this explanation in your Journal, and oblige. 

 Very truly yours, E. Dwight Sanderson. 



titate Entomologist. 



The Illinois State Convention, as announced on another 

 page, is to be held at Springfield, Nov. 17 and 18. There ought to be 

 a large attendance. Several important matters will come up for dis- 

 cussion and settlement. Now that the State Legislature has granted 

 a fair appropriation to be expended in the interest of bee-keeping in 

 Illinois, the Association should be so wise in its use that when called 

 upon it can make a good report, and thus show the next session of 

 the Legislature that the Association deserves at least a renewal of the 

 appropriation, if not an increase. 



Let many of the bee-keepers of Illinois be present at the com- 

 ing convention. If nothing prevents, we expect to be there, and do 

 what we can to help make it the best meeting of the Illinois Slate Bee- 

 Keepers' Association ever held. Why not every bee-keeper in the 

 State plan to be present, so far as possible? Let there be a general 

 rally of the bee-folks at Springfield, Nov. 17 and IS. 



Walter S. Pouder, one of our regular adverstisers, and an 

 honorable bee-supply dealer in Indianapolis, wrote us Oct. 16: 



" This has been the best year for supplies that I have ever known. 

 I would not be surprised if next year would be a still better one." 



If Mr. Pouder's prophecy should prove true, it might not be a 

 bad idea for dealers to lay in a good stock of supplies in good time for 

 the rush. We know how it is to be unuable to get goods from the 

 manufacturers in such a time. Nothing could be more aggravating 

 to a dealer. 



Permit another suggestion: Dealers should keep their advertise- 

 ments constantly before the bee-keepers. It is a mistake to drop them • 

 out for a part of the year. It gives the impression that those who 

 discontinue their advertisements have gone out of the business. 

 And, there are always some bee-keepers who buy their supplies dur- 

 ing the winter. Such are more likely to patronize the dealer who 

 keeps his advertisement appearing constantly. 



A California Mountain Fire. — W. A. Pryal, of Alameda 

 Co., Calif., sends us ihe following newspaper clipping, dated Oct. 17, 

 at Ventura: 



A devastating mountain fire swept over the foothills of the Ojai 

 Valley to-day. It is now raging along the mountain tops. The 

 fiames destroyed farm dwellings, irrigation systems, pumping plants, 

 fruit-trees, bees, feed and limber. 



All the Nurdhoff stores were closed to-day to all the men to go to 

 the foothills and fight Ihe roaring blaze. Every able firefighter was 

 brought into service. The confiagration soon spread in many direc- 

 tions, and the forces were divided. 



The fire started near the Casa de Piedra school. It seems that 



