720 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



June 1 



While Mr. Root spoke from the standpoint of a bee-keeper, 

 yet he was surprised to learn mat the fruit-growers not only in- 

 dorsed every statement he made, but furnished a considerable 

 amount of additional data. 



He also explained how the fruit-grower can keep a few bees to 

 pollenate his trees without swarming, and at the same time se- 

 cure quite a little crop of honey. All this and more is set forth 

 in the booklet mentioned above. It belongs to our ten-cent li- 

 brary; bgt in case a bee-keeper is having trouble with his neigh- 

 bors these booklets will be furnished at a very liberal reduction; 

 namely, $1.50 per 100 by express or freight with other goods, or 

 $2.00 per 100 postpaid. Much of the evidence furnished is from 

 fruit-growers of experience and standing; and a few of these 

 booklets distributed in a neighborhood will do much good. 



SECOND-HAND FOUNDATION-MILLS. 



We have to offer the following second-hand foundation-mills 

 in good condition. We shall be pleased to hear from any one 

 interested. To such we can send a small sample of comb foun- 

 dation representing the kind of work produced by the particular 

 machine you inquire about. 



No. 079. — 6x2!4-inch hex. cell thin-super mill, in very good 

 condition. Price $12.00. 



No. 078. — 6x2/4-inch hex. cell thin-super mill, in good condi- 

 tion. Price $12.00. 



No. 086. — 6x2/-2-inch hex. cell extra-thin-super mill, in good 

 condition. Price $12.00. 



No. 075. — 2x9 hex., very old style, on frame with wood base; 

 in fair condition. Price $10.00. 



No. 085. — 2/4x6 hex. thin-super mill, in good condition. Price 

 $12.00. 



No. 086. — 2}4x6 hex. extra-thin-super mill in extra-good con- 

 dition. Price $15.00. 



No. 096. — 254x10 hex. light-brood mill; almost new; in fine 

 condition. Price $20.00. 



No. 097. — 2/4x10 hex. light-brood mill; in fine condition. 

 Price $18.00. 



No. 077. — 10x2-inch medium-brood round cell, old-style frame, 

 in good condition. Price $14.00. 



No. 092. — 6x2M-inch hex. cell extra-thin-super mill, in fine 

 condition. Price $15.00. 



No. 2275. — 6x254-inch hex. cell extra-thin-super mill, in good 

 condition. Price $13.00. 



Special Notices by A. 1. Root 



" AGE AND EXPERIENCE." 

 Huber suggested, after reading my Travels, on another page, 

 that I failed to mention that, when I reached Medina, I found my 

 steering apparatus badly broken in consequence of mnning at 

 break-neck speed over roads unfit for travel, notwithstanding my 

 " age and experience." He says I also neglected to say that 

 Ernest carried five passengers while I had none. 



THE NEW TESTAMENT IN SPANISH .^ND ENGLISH. 



After my t'ip to Cuba, my account of the help received in 

 learning th- Spinish langujge from the above little book caused 

 the sale of a great number of them. You not only learn the lan- 

 guage by the u-e of this book, but you are at the same time get- 

 ting a knowledge that is of luore importance than all the lan- 

 guag s on the face of the earth — namely, something about the 

 trip that we are all taking (or ought to be taking) from earth to 

 heaven Price 25 cts.; by mail, 35. 



THE ACME HANI) POTATO-PLANTER. 



As we are now out of the seed-potato business we offer about 

 four dozen Acme potato-planters at a big bargain to close out. 

 To those who are not familiar with them we will say 

 Plhat this machine makes the holes, and drops and covers 

 all at one operation. Once over the field does the 

 work when the ground is fitted. In the soft soil of 

 Northern Michigan, the great potato region, one expert 

 man or boy will plant two acres in a day. Up there the 

 ;ire nearly all planted with this little imple- 

 ment. A year ago we offered 

 them at 55 cents each, or three 

 : or more at 50 cents each, or one 

 dozen for $5.25. While they 

 last we will make you a price of 

 45 cents each, or three planters 

 for $1.20, or a crate of 12 for 

 $4.00. If you want them at the 

 above price you had better g.^t your order in befoie they are gone. 



'' GRAFT '' AND THE EXPRESS COMPANIES. 



In looking over one of the day-old-chicks catalog which gives 

 the amount of express charges to different points from New Wash- 

 ington, Ohio, it seemed to me the charges were excessive. For 

 instance, 25 chicks in a little pasteboard box weighing only 3 

 lbs. was not less than 50 cents anyivhere, even to the next sta- 

 tion. I presume they charge a little more because the chicks 

 must be delivered within three days. Even if this be true, it 

 seems to me the charge is double what it should be, or more than 

 that. Here is something from the Farmers' Guide oi April 18. It 

 is clipped from a two-column article: 



"By a recent opinion and order issued by the Indiana Railroad 

 Commission, express rates in the State are to be reduced on an 

 average of between 10 and 12 per cent. New schedules accord- 

 ing to this reduction will be adopted by the express companies 

 within the next thirty days. 



"The opinion handed down in this case is one of the most 

 elaborate ever issued by the Indiana Railroad Commission, li is 

 interesting in that it lays bare the history of the express compa- 

 nies from the time that they were first instituted up to the present 

 time. The commission reports that it was with considerable 

 difiiculty the investigation was carried on, as very little volun- 

 teer information could be secured. Therefore the facts had to be 

 dug up as best they could. Nevertheless, they seem to be quite 

 complete, and will, we think, give the public a new idea of what 

 a universal robbery and public hold-up game the entire express 

 business is." 



I should be glad to give the whole article, but a lack of space 

 forbids. In going over this matter in conversation with the 

 Reasoner Brothers, the great nurserymen in tropical plants, Mr. 

 Reasoner commended our editorials in regard to parcels post; and, 

 approaching his desk, he spoke something as follows: 



"The whole world knows that the charges of the express com- 

 panies are out of reason. But that is not all. There is a univer- 

 sal steal going on all over our land in order to get even more than 

 these outrageous prices. See here." 



He picked up a lot of papers strung on a wire, and resumed: 



"There has been so much overcharging that I send a printed 

 slip with every shipment, giving the correct amount of expressage, 

 and asking my customers to report at once to me if the agent 

 asked for a larger amount. And here is all this pile of complaints. 

 It would seem that almost every time there is an overcharge, and 

 most people consider it more trouble to readjust and collect than 

 the amount is worth, and so they let it go. Now, this discourages 

 purchasers, clogs our business, and is an outrage on society in 

 general." 



I hope the Guide and other periodicals will continue to expose 

 and hold up this outrage until we have parcels post in spite of all 

 the express companies with their wealth can do to stop it. 



THE WRIGHT BROTHERS AND THEIR FLYING-MACHINE 



I suppose most of the friends have kept posted in regard to the 

 Wright Brothers, for their exploits have been given in all the pa 

 persof the United States. The Wright Brothers themselves have 

 not seen fit to make any report of their doings; but if the report 

 ers are to be credited, who witnessed their flight (of course at a 

 distance), they have made a record of eight miles in lYi minutes, 

 which is a little over a mile a minute. They have also a ma- 

 chine that carries two people sitting up as one would in a buggy 

 or an automobile. Lastly they made a trip out over the ocean, 

 two miles and back; but their machine was finally disabled by 

 an accident, obliging them to lie off for a time for necessary re- 

 pairs; but as they have other machines here in Ohio, however, 

 we shall expect to hear from them further very soon. 



Later. — Since the above was dictated we find the following in 

 the Bangor, Me., Weekly Commercial: 



Thursday's experiments proved but a repetition of Wednesday's 

 achievements, when the dauntless aeronauts accomplished four 

 successful flights, two of them after sunset, covering three and a 

 half to four miles each time, and doing four miles down the coast 

 in two minutes and fifty seconds at an altitude of forty feet. The 

 aeronauts alighted each time, moreover, at the place of starting. 



Thursday's flights were satisfactory to the inventors, and both 

 the morning and afternoon were utilized. The inventors were 

 astir early, and had their airship ready and in operation at an hour 

 when it was impossible for the visitors to reach the immediate 

 neighborhood of Kill Devil from Manteo, a place where strangers 

 can be domiciled, a good dozen miles across the sound. Eveiy 

 thing favored the test. 



The inventors will continue their experiments there as long as 

 they can do so without being hampered by too many curious eyes. 

 The aeronauts are afraid some one may learn their secret, and 

 they are taking no chances in safeguarding the machine. They 

 keep it in a sheltered house behind a sand dune, near the life- 

 saving station, and they sleep close to it with a loaded rifle with- 

 in reach. When any person, such as a newspaper correspondent 

 or a photographer appears anywhere on the beach, the inventors 

 lose no time in covering the aeroplane and carrying it to their 

 house. Nevertheless, quite a number of visitors have arrived in 

 the vicinity, mostly magazine and newspaper writers, and pho- 

 tographers. 



