143 



GLEAN INLJS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Feb. 1 



Suppose one has had two poor seasons 

 with no surplus, as was the case with very 

 many last season; has it not happened over 

 and over again that one good year will more 

 than make up for the two poor ones? Do 

 not give up the bees yet; or at least before 

 you do. figure up what you have got from 

 them, and then consider whether it pays to 

 " let 'em go galager." 



Just recently we learned of a college stu- 

 dent who, with a few bees, is paying his way 

 through college. During the summer he 

 works the bees for all there is in them; then 

 during the fall and winter when they require 

 very little attention, he, with the money ear n- 

 ed, is getting a college education. This is 

 not an isolated case, by any means. 



THE APPALACBIAN FOREST RESERVE. 



An effort will be made at the present ses- 

 sion of Congress to secure legislation which 

 will give the Department of Agriculture the 

 necessary powers to acquire a ^ ast tract of 

 country around the tops of the mountains in 

 the Appalachian chain. The object of the 

 government is very largely to save the forests 

 which now grow on the slopes, but which 

 are in danger of being totally destroyed by 

 the lumber butchers. 



The government would also conserve and 

 control the water, either for supplying cities 

 or for power, and at the same time save the 

 mineral resources for the benefit of the whole 

 people. 



The Appalachian is a beautiful mountain 

 country, a sort of playground similar to the 

 Adirondack region of JNew York. In a few 

 years the whole reserve would become a per- 

 fect summer resort if properly cared for, as 

 it would be. 



It is a hard- wood region, many of the trees 

 (such as sour wood) being prominent bee- 

 keepers' trees. Much of the underbrush is 

 composed of sheep-laurels and rhododen- 

 drons, which are excellent neotar-yielders; 

 in fact, the whole territory is a natural bee 

 country, so that the bee-men have a particu- 

 lar reason for wishing the government to ac- 

 quire the land. If conducted as a forest re- 

 serve, bee-keepers would be allowed to place 

 their apiaries there without charge, and yet 

 overstocking would not be allowed. As a 

 matter of fact, it would constitute a bee- 

 keepers' preserve. Instead of dett-riorating 

 in tne hands of Uncle Sam, its value for bees 

 would in all likelihood increase. 



The territory involved would make a fair- 

 sized State as regards size and resources; but 

 it will really do the whole United States 

 more good to set it aside as a forest, because 

 the factories in the valleys must have lumber 

 at reasonable prices or their industries will 

 cease to exist. With a forest reserve, almost 

 their entire supply of lumber is assured for 

 ages to come. Much of the water power can 

 be utilized for electricity, and other uses of 

 the reserve will appear from time to time. 

 The idea now is to prevent land-grabbing 

 and the rapid and total destruction of valu- 

 able beautiful forests with which nature has 



adorned and enriched the country. You are 

 requested to write to your Senators and 

 Representatives to support the measure when 

 it comes up. w. k. m. 



THE PARCELS-POST STRUGGLE. 



Here is what President Roosevelt had to 

 say with regard to the proposal to establish 

 a parcels-post service in the United States: 



I commend to the Congress the consideration of the 

 Postmaster General's recommendation for an exten- 

 sion of the parcel post, especially on the rural routes. 

 There are now 38.215 rural routes serving nearly 

 15 000 000 peoplp who do not have the advantages of 

 the inhabitants of cities in obtaining their supplies. 

 These recommendations have been drawn up to bene^ 

 fit the farmer and the country store-keeper. Otoer- 

 wi>.e I should not favor them, for I believe it is a good 

 policy for our government to do every thing possible 

 to aid the small town and the country district. It is 

 desirable that the country merchant be not crushed 

 out. 



In spite of the kindly sentiments express- 

 ed in the foregoing paragraph, a tremendous 

 agitation has been devt-loped against this 

 modest effort to make life more pleasant for 

 the farming population. Offices are being 

 maintained- in the principal cities of the 

 country to combat parcels post. It will be 

 remembered, however, that an equally fierce 

 agitation was maintained against free rural 

 delivery; but in the end the farmers won. 

 They can win parcels post too if they will 

 only make up their minds to have it. 



All sorts of wild and unreasonable state- 

 ments are being printed, and the mails flood- 

 ed with them, inflaming against the Post- 

 master-General's idea. One of the stock ar- 

 guments is that parcels post does not pay in 

 Europe, when as a matter of fact it pays 

 handsomely, and the people like it so much 

 they could not possibly be induced to change 

 it. In the British Islands the postoffice pays 

 a handsome sum every year in net profits, 

 which goes into the imperial treasury to help 

 pay the expenses of the army and navy. 



As to the argument that parcels post will 

 injure the small merchant, there is assuredly 

 nothing in it, because in Europe this individ- 

 ual makes great use of parcels post. He not 

 only sends goods to local customers, but he 

 receives considerable quantities by the same 

 means. Valuable goods such as silks, jewel- 

 ry, drugs, etc., are often sent by the parcels 

 post from the wholesaler to the retailer. 



Back of all this agitation are the express 

 companies who know the parcels post is a 

 great success in Europe, and they have suc- 

 c<>eded in frightening the country merchant 

 till he is in a condition to join hands with 

 his old enemies the express companies. 



The farmers can have parcels post if they 

 will all write their congressmen to the effect 

 that they want parcels post, and want it 

 soon. For the women folks the arrangement 

 proposed by the President would be a won- 

 derful convenience; for by using the telephone 

 they can order goods from town and have 

 them delivered at the door on the same day. 



Get your husband or brother to write a 

 letter to your Representative at Washington, 

 insisting on a parcels post at an early date. 

 Don't delay. vr. k. m. 



