1908 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



743 



present, showing that the brood was very likely 

 either starved, chilled, or possibly poisoned. We 

 can not always be sure, judging simply from a 

 single piece of brood-comb, and it is quite im- 

 portant that we receive by the stime mail a de- 

 scription of the trouble as well. We should 

 know the number of colonies affected, whether it 

 was ever noticed before, whether there are other 

 diseased colonies in apiaries near by, etc. 



In sending the sample, select as characteristic 

 a piece as possible, four or five inches square. 

 Wrap it in paraffined paper and pack it securely 

 in a wooden or tin box. (Do not use a cigar-box, 

 as the odor of the tobacco almost entirely con- 

 ceals any possible odor of the brood.) Be sure to 

 ha-'ve your O'-ivn name and address n^vritien plainly 

 on the outside of the box; for when there are several 

 samples received at once there is no way of iden- 

 tifying them unless the name is given. 



CUTTING ALFALFA BEFORE IT IS RIPE; THE ACTION 

 OF THE IDAHO BEE-KEEPERS. 



The Idaho bee-keepers have hit on a very ex- 

 cellent way of helping the bee industry. They 

 propose to inaugarate a campaign of education 

 to induce alfalfa farmers to let their crop stand 

 until it is in full bloom before cutting. It is 

 quite probable they will be successful, as they 

 have both science and practical experience in their 

 favor. It is not a difficult matter to show that 

 cutting alfalfa before it is ripe is poor business. 

 By letting the crop stand for a few days longer 

 they will get 20 to 25 per cent more of cured hay, 

 and at the same time secure fully as good a fodder. 



It is very true the early-cut alfalfa hay has a 

 larger percentage of protein than the late-cut; but 

 the latter contains quite enough protein to suit 

 the most exacting feeder of farm animals. The 

 early-cut alfalfa, on the other hand, is deficient 

 in carbo-hydrates — very essential constituents of 

 all foods, either for animals or men. As a mat- 

 ter of fact, the carbo-hydrates and protein in 

 normal alfalfa hay are so perfectly balanced that 

 there exists no special need of increasing the pro- 

 portion of either. 



It has been shown that we can make further 

 improvement in the culture of alfalfa by allow- 

 ing it to grow to its maximum before cutting; 

 and then, when it is still in the cock, "sweating" 

 it by covering with a piece of cotton cloth to 

 protect the process of fermentation from the sun. 

 In this manner the very highest grade of hay is 

 produced. 



The Idaho bee-keepers may also try to get the 

 alfalfa farmers to mix a reasonable quantity of 

 sweet clover with their crop. Even so great an 

 authority as Joseph E. Wing recommends this 

 course, as the animals like such a mixture, and it 

 is probable the crop is actually increased thereby. 

 The United States Department of Agriculture 

 could do yeomen service along the lines here in- 

 dicated. 



There is one excellent rule for mowing alfalfa 

 so as to get it to grow vigorously immediately 

 after it is cut. It is this: Wait until the buds 

 have started at the base of the stem before cut- 

 ting. If this rule is observed the plants start to 

 grow almost immediately after mowing. If the 

 cutting of alfalfa is delayed too long after the 

 appearance of the buds, the hay will be woody 



and unsatisfactory. If cut too soon, alfalfa will 

 be checked in its growth, and it will be long in 

 yielding a second crop. w. k. m. 



A WORD OF CAUTION FOR THOSE WHO HAVE 

 HONEY FOR SALE. 



Bee-keepers will soon be marketing their hon- 

 ey. At this time it seems proper to reiterate our 

 annual caution to be careful ivhere one ships. If 

 the honey is sold outright he should be sure that 

 the party to whom it is consigned is responsible. 

 Let him go to his bank and have it look him up. 

 If he can get no information he should require 

 cash in advance or ship by freight C. O. D. — 

 that is, send a bill of lading to some bank where 

 the customer is located, requesting it to collect 

 the cash before the goods are turned over. 



Some argue that, if a house is not responsible, 

 it is safe to send the honey on commission be- 

 cause the consignee can be arrested and jailed if 

 he does not make returns; but if he is dishonest 

 there is nothing to prevent him from making 

 very meager returns, leaving the burden of proof 

 on the producer to show that they are not en- 

 tirely adequate for the quality of the goods. To 

 do this requires the aid of an attorney and due 

 process of law; and on small shipments the com- 

 mission man knows it will cost more than the 

 amount involved. 



As a rule, bee-keepers should deal with only 

 reliable commission men — particularly those who 

 furnish regular quotations for the bee journals; 

 and in every case where possible one should sell 

 outright. If the goods are fancy or No. 1, and 

 the house is reliable, a cash sale can usually be 

 effected, for the business is getting to be done 

 more and more on a cash basis. 



In case one has a lot of off-grade honey — dark 

 or otherwise inferior goods — it may be necessary 

 to sell on commission. Such lots are usually 

 disposed of in that way, for no house will buy 

 outright a shipment of that kind when it does 

 not know what it is, much less how much it 

 will bring in the market. 



As we said before in these columns, all dark or 

 inferior-flavored honey should be taken out with 

 the extractor. Nothing but the very best table 

 honey should be marketed in sections, and even 

 then all No. 2 should be sold around home. 



It is well for the novice to understand that old 

 producers who deal on the square — that is, sell 

 their honey for just ^vhat it is — and offer only 

 first-class goods, have no difficulty in making 

 cash sales and at good prices — usually above the 

 market. The dealer has come to knoiv them for 

 their square dealing, and he has no hesitation in 

 entering into a cash deal, and not infrequently 

 wires his acceptance of the quotation. In the 

 case of some producers the honey is sold before 

 it is actually off the hives. 



THE HONEY SEASON AND PROSPECTS. 



Reports from most localities in the clover belt 

 co«*inue to be very favorable. As a sample of 

 what is coming in we make a few quotations: 



Illinois. — "Bees in this section are gathering 

 honey by the barrel from white clover." 



Indiana. — "We have a big crop of white clo- 

 ver, and I think there is a fine honey prospect." 



Kentucky. — " Bees are booming just now, with 

 fine prospects for white honey." 



