Gleanings In Bee Culture 



Published by The A. I. Root Co., Medina, Ohio 



H. H. ROOT, Assistant Editor. 



A. I. ROOT, Editor Home Department 



E. R. ROOT, Editor. 

 Entered at the Postoflice, Medina, Ohio, as Second-class Matter 



A. L. BOYDEN, Advertising Manager. 

 J. T. CALVERT, Business Manager. 



VOL. XXXVII 



APRIL 15, 1909 



NO. 8 



Editorial 



By E. R. Root. 



A new foul-brood law has just been enacted in 

 South Daicota. This makes the twentieth State 

 to enact a law against bee diseases. Let the good 

 work go on. 



The instructions on how to avoid stings, by 

 E. D. Townsend, in this issue, page 249, should 

 be read by every reader of this journal. While 

 most old bee-keepers may feel fhat they don't 

 need them, yet we think they will get some hints 

 that will be useful. X'eterans can always learn 

 from each other by comparing notes. So in this 

 case. 



REPORTS VtRY ENCGURAGING. 



Reports from California, as to the probable 

 honey crop this year, are unusually encourag- 

 ing; in fact those from all over the country seem 

 to be exceedingly good But yet — but yet — 

 " there's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip." 

 Heretofore we have had seasons that were just as 

 promising, and yet just as we were on the eve of 

 laying our hands on the coveted prize (the honey 

 crop) we found it was not there. 



THE S(MM(NS UNCAPPING-MACHINE ON THE 

 ENGLISH MARKET. 



The Simmins uncapping-machine that uses 

 vertical V-shaped knives is now on the market 

 to take the British frame. Mr. Simmins is 

 working to get out models that will take the 

 Hoffman-Langstroth frames and the unspaced 

 Langstroth. He expected to send us a model 

 before this; but owing to some mechanical diffi- 

 culties, which he expects to overcome soon, he 

 was not able to deliver his machine as soon as ex- 

 l ected. We shall have a full set of illustrations 

 showing his new sysiem of uncapping 



GOOD WINTERING AND GOOD CLOVER PROSPECTS. 



Universally good wintering is reported. Re- 

 ports from all over the United States show that 

 bees have wintered remarkably well so far, ex- 

 cept in one locality in Wisconsin, where F. Wil- 

 cox, of Mauston, reports that bees are not in good 

 condition. He ihinks the trouble was so much 

 honey-dew last fall. The winter has been so 

 open all over the country that there has been a 

 large amount of brood-rearing, and the only 

 thing we have to fear is starvation. 



Reports have recently come in, showing that 

 the clovers generally are in splendid condi'ion — 

 never better. One of our neighbor bee-keepers 

 who says he has tramped over our vicinity con- 

 siderably says he has never seen more clovers at 

 this time of the year. 



SOME JOBBERS WOULD NOT BUY HONEY AT 

 FAIR PRICES." 



In the Bee-keepers' Re--vieiv for April, page 120, 

 appears an editorial with the above caption. We 

 can do no better than to copy the whole editorial, 

 as it takes up the matter very fairly to all parties: 



Mf. E. S. Miles, of Dunlap, la., complains quite bitterly of the 

 methods of some of the jobbers who advertise in the bee-journals 

 that they desire to buy honey. He says that they advertise sinn- 

 ply to get in touch with " suckers," and don't expect nor trv to 

 buy of any one well enouga posted to get a fair piice for his hon- 

 ey. He says thit one firm that carries a full-page advertisement 

 the year round in a leading journal replied very slightingly, al- 

 most insultingly, when he wrote in regard to selling them honey. 

 Other buyers, who advertise all of the time that they wish to buy 

 honey, replied that they did not care to buy at that time, or else 

 olfered prices below what might be realized if sold on commis- 

 sion. Mr. Miles is inclined to class some of these offers to buy 

 honey as he would the patent-medicine advertisements or the 

 mining schemes. He says that his experience in trying to sell to 

 jobbers is very similar to that of Harry Lathrop's, and he thinks it 

 is time that the editors of journals who print the advertisements 

 of these men should know of their methods of doing business. He 

 says that the Review has always shown a willingness to show up 

 all sides of a question, hence he has written to me. 



Naturally my sympathy is with the producer of honey. I wish 

 him to get a good price for his product — all that it is worth; but I 

 can not blame a dealer for buying honey just as cheaply as he 

 can, providing he does not misrepresent, and does it honestly. A 

 dealer in any kind of product is expected to buy it at as low a 

 price as he can, and sell it at as high a price as he can get. I 

 think it wrong to take advantage of a man's ignorance or of his 

 necessities; but when a man writes to a dealer and asks him how 

 much he will pay for his honey, I feel that the dealer has a per- 

 fect right to make him any kind of offer that he sees fit. If the 

 price is too low, then the producer ought not to sell. It is possi- 

 ble that I have not clearly caught the spirit of Bro. Miles' com- 

 plaint; but if I have, then I don't blame the jobber for offering a 

 low price. Instead, I blame the producer for accepting it. 



The trouble is, some of our friends do not see 

 that, if they were in the other fellow's shoes, they 

 would do just exactly as he does — buy as cheap 

 as possible. While they would not, perhaps, 

 misrepresent in order to catch " suckers," it is 

 only natural that every man, within reason and 

 common honesty, should look to his own inter- 

 est. If a producer, he will sell at the highest 

 price he can get. If he is a buyer he will make 

 general inquiry, secure samples here and there, 

 and then give his order to the producer quoting 

 lowest figure for a certain kind and grade of honey. 



Having said this much it is probably true that 

 some buyers use methods that are reprehensible. 

 We are always glad to investigate all cases of dis- 

 satisfaction arising with our advertisers. If the 

 advertiser above referred to uses our pages we 

 shall be glad to look into the matter if we can 

 have his name. 



MISBRANDING; THE PENALTY FOR SELLING UN- 

 DERWEIGHT PACKAGES OF FOOD STUFFS. 



The following Judgment, No. 38, of Food and 

 Drugs Act, under date of March 10, has been re- 

 ceived; and inasmuch as it applies to honey and 

 to all other food products we give it right here: 



In accordance with the provisions of section 4 of the food and 

 drugs act of June .^0, 1906, and of regulation 6 of the rules and 



