May 1, 1912 



choice white comb honey, while there Is an abun- 

 dant supply of extracted still on hand, with prices 

 declining right along tlie line. With another good 

 crop this coining season, extracted honey, we dare 

 say, will see lower prices, while comb honey (that 

 Is, the better eradesi will certainly command good 

 prices, and find ready sale— especially so if the 

 producers will take care in grading and packing. 



MlLDRETH ik SEGELKEN. 



New York, April 18. 



Read it over once, and then read it again. 

 After that, paste it in your honey-house or 

 in your hat. 



STow, then, if you have decided that you 

 are going to produce eo/nh honey the com- 

 ing season, do not make the awful mistake 

 of trying to get along without separators or 

 putting the honey in cheap or poorly cob- 

 bled-up home made shipping-cases that are 

 either too large or too small. If we are ever 

 to restore the comb-honey business to where 

 it was, the sections must be carefully and 

 honestly graded, scraped clean of propolis, 

 and arrive at destination in good order. 

 You can make a quick sale and at the top 

 notch if you will follow these directions — 

 particularly in the matter of grading and 

 packing. 



LIVING ON HONEY AND WATER. 



One of our subscribers, E. L. Seehrist, 

 Clarksburg, California, sends us the follow- 

 ing clipping from one of the California pa- 

 pers: 



PLACER COUNTY MAN ENGAGES IN FAST ON AC- 

 COUNT OF ILLNESS. 



For thirty-eight days A. Thommen, a well-known 

 rancher living near this city, has been fasting, and 

 from present indications he will continue fasting 

 for many days to come. Mr. Thommen does not 

 seem any the worse for his experience — in fact, there 

 are some who think he is improving in health. He 

 states that he is Increasing in weight. A few days 

 ago lie was In the city, and while at Clegg's store 

 lifted a sack, weighing 140 pounds, and carried It to 

 his wagon. 



Mr. Thommen, during his fast, has partaken only 

 of water and two ounces of honey a day. He under- 

 took his fasting because of certain stomach trou- 

 bles. 



Auburn, Cal., Dec. 14. 



This is the first time that we have ever 

 heard of one living on honey alone, and we 

 shall be very much interested in the out- 

 come of the experiment. We doubt very 

 seriously whether there is any other food 

 than honey, which, taken in so small an 

 amount as two ounces in twenty-four hours, 

 would give so much strength. 



A FREE BULLETIN ON SWEET CLOVER. 



Do not forget to send for Bulletin 485, on 

 sweet clover mentioned on another page. It 

 can be obtained free by addressing the Sec- 

 retary of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. 

 We hope every one of our subscribers will 

 ask for it at once. A. I. Root has just read 

 it, and he is so enthusiastic over it that he 

 will have considerabje to say about it in 

 forthcoming issties of (Jleanings. In the 

 mean time get a copy for yourself and for 

 your neighbor. 



We understand that the Secretary will 

 send copies to as many addresses as may be 



261 



sent in. Send the names of your road su- 

 pervisors, and your representative and sen- 

 ator in the State legislature, and write them, 

 saying that you are having a copy of a 

 sweet-clover bulletin sent to them. Request 

 them to read it through so that they can see 

 that sweet clover is not a noxious weed; 

 that its propagation should be encouraged 

 instead of being discouraged the way it now 

 is by law, that requires the road supervisors 

 to treat it as a weed and cut it down. 



WINTER AND SPRING LOSSES TO DATE. 



In our last issue we estimated that, where 

 losses had occurred, the mortality would be 

 about 50 per cent. At this writing, April 

 25, we fear it will go even higher. Along 

 about the last of March, warm and even hot 

 weather came on, and the bees began breed- 

 ing strong. This was followed by cold and 

 chilly weather, bringing on severe spring 

 dwindling. The bees, in their effort to save 

 their brood, chilled and died, so that we are 

 hearing of patches of brood chilled to death, 

 and the bees gone. In some locahties where 

 the losses reached 50 per cent^ the mortality 

 will be nearer 75. 



There is going to be a most extraordinary 

 demand for bees. In the extreme North the 

 losses will not be heavy. South of the Ohio 

 River bees have wintered fairly well. We 

 shall be glad to publish free a list of those 

 who have bees for sale in order to help out 

 those who have suffered severe winter losses. 

 It may be that there are some beekeepers 

 who know where they can get colonies in box 

 hives. If you are one of them, we advise you 

 to secure an option on them, and then write 

 us what you will sell them for. Ordinarily, 

 bees in box hives are not worth more than 

 $2.00 or $2.50. When freight or express are 

 added, as well as the labor of transferring, 

 $2.00 or $2 50 is about all the purchaser can 

 stand. 



WINTER LOSSES NOT UNIVERSAL. 



Do not understand from what we have 

 said that losses are going to be universal, for 

 they are not. Throughout Canada, North- 

 ern New York, Northern Michigan, Minne- 

 sota, Northern Wisconsin, and the New Eng- 

 land States, the losses will not be heavy. 

 The region between the Great Lakes and 

 the Ohio River is where the principal losses 

 have occurred. There are many beekeepers 

 in the Southern States who doubtless will 

 be able to do their brethren of the North the 

 good turn of putting them on track of bees 

 in box hives. We happen to know of two 

 beekeepers now — Mr. F. R. Cavanagh, of 

 Hebron, Ind., and .T. I^. Byer, of Mt. .loy, 

 Ont.. who are in the market for cheap bees. 

 While Mr. Byer has not lost in wintering, 

 he wishes to "keep more bees." 



In the same way we shall be glad to pub- 

 lish a list of those who desire to get bees. 

 Gleanings will do all it can to help its sub- 

 scribers. Indications are still favorable for 

 a good honey year, providing a drouth does 

 not come on in Ma v. 



