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Enlered at the Post-Office at Chicago as Second-Class Mail-Matter. 

 Published TTeekly at $1.00 a. Tear by George "W. fork & Co., 334 UearbornlSt. 



aBORQE W. YORK, Editor. 



CHICAGO, ILL., APRIL 20, 1905. 



VoL XLV.— No. 16. 



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(Sbttortal Hotes 

 anb (Eommcnts 



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Great " Farm Journal" and Manufactured (?) Comb Honey 



Several of our subscribers have sent us the following paragraph, 

 as having appeared in the April issue of the Farm Journal, published 

 in Philadelphia, Pa : 



" Beekeeping is pleasant and profitable work, and real honey is 

 hard to get in these days. Not only is the ' honey ' manufactured, 

 but the wax-cells as well are imitated ; so that even though you buy 

 your honey in the ' comb,' you are as likely to get glucose as not. 

 Therefore, fragrant honey, the real product of the bees, will always 

 find a good market, and my women readers might be able to sell it 

 through the Woman's Exchanges." 



We wrote to the editor of the Farm Journal, as Manager of The 

 Honey-Producers' League, as soon as we learned of the appearance 

 of the above paragraph. We called his attention to the misrepresen- 

 tation of honey that he was helping to perpetuate, and also explained 

 to him the origin of the false story about comb honey being manu- 

 factured. In reply to our letter he wrote us as follows : 



Deiir Sir : — I am in receipt of your esteemed favor of the 25th. 

 Yes, our good lady made a little mistake, I fear. Of course, the Farm 

 Journal will make everything right. W. A. 



It seems the paragraph quoted above appeared in a department 

 called " Heart Problems," which is conducted by a lady who writes 

 under the name of "Aunt Harriet." We feel sure from the above re- 

 ply of the Farm .Journal that proper correction will be made in the 

 May number. 



Make or Buy Hives— Which? 



A member of the American Bee Journal family thinks it is a mis- 

 take for the American Bee Journal to advise beginners to buy rather 

 than to make their own hives, he having found out by actual trial that 

 he can do better to make them. His view, no doubt being entirely 

 honest, deserves respectful consideration. 



It is probably safe to say that the great majority of bee-keepers 

 buy rather than make. They would not do so unless they thought 

 they could do so at a saving. But there remains the possibility that 

 some of them may be mistaken ; possibly misled by what our friend 

 counts the ill-considered advice of this Journal. The testimony of 

 one who has merely gone upon the advice of others does not count for 

 much in this case. But among those who prefer to buy are not a few 

 who have had experience — and large experience — in both making and 

 buying; some of them veterans who made their own hives before 

 there were factories from which they could obtain them ready-made. 

 Their testimony certainly is of value. 



Yet in spite of all this, here comes a man who is exceptionally 

 skillful in the use of tools, who makes his hives in time which would 

 be spent at the corner grocery, so that really nothing need be counted 

 for his time; he will do better to make his hives. 



Now suppose ten beginners stand up in a row and propouou lo 

 the American Bee Journal this question, " Shall we make or buy;" 



And suppose the .Journal answers, " Make." According to what has 

 been said, it is morally certain that nine out of the ten — more likely 

 ten out of the ten — will be misled by that answer. They will find that 

 their hives will cost them more than if they had bought them ready to 

 nail together ; and, what is a good deal worse, they will find that they 

 are much less satisfactory than when made in quantity, with every 

 advantage of special machinery and the most exact measurements. So 

 if the Journal is an honest Journal, it will advise, " Buy." If one of 

 the ten happens to be like the exceptional case mentioned, there is 

 little doubt that he will find out very soon that he is an exception, 

 and will act accordingly. 



All of this is aside from the question as to whether prices charged 

 by manufacturers are too high or not. Those who make hives in large 

 quantities certainly can afford to sell them at lower prices than if made 

 on a small scale. If they do not offer them at fair prices, competition 

 should bring quotations down to the proper level. 



The Honey-Producers' League 



The membership dues are coming in very nicely when it is remem- 

 bered that The Honey-Producers' League is only about one month old, 

 and has just been announced to bee-keepers through the bee-papers. 

 Since the first report on page 260, the Manager has received the fol- 

 lowing : 



GusDittmer $22 



J. A. Green 10 



C. A. Hatch 10 



Robt. A. Holekamp 6 



J. C. Davis 5 



John Nebel& Son Supply Co. IS 



Walter S. Pouder 24 



J. B. Mason 12 



A. Mottaz 2 



W. T. Falconer Mfg. Co. . . . 30 



Alvin Long 1 



Doolittle it Clark 3 



C. J. Thies 1 



Sadie A. Butts 1 



W. B. Moore 5 



A. D. Hopps 2 



W. C. Soott 1 



E. D. Townsend 15 



Wm. A. Selser 10 



.$ 178 

 Reported before 1045 



Total $1223 



From now on the membership should grow very fast, as the ob- 

 jects of the League are such that they should commend it to all who 

 either produce honey or are at all interested in it as dealers. Bee- 

 keepers must do their own advertising, or else it will not be done. 

 They will need to pay for it, too, else it will not be paid for. But by 

 all combining, as proposed by the League, the expense will not come 

 heavy on any particular bee-keeper. " In union there is strength." 

 " Co-operation " is the thing desired in The Honey-Producers' League. 

 If you want to see your own best success, then become a member as 

 directed on page 259. 



Qo Slowly On Increase 



You will then go more surely. M. 

 Review: " Remember, if you never 

 never have much decrease.^' 



A. Gill says in the Bee-Keepers' 

 make much increase, you will 



How Many Colonies In One Place 



The editor of the Bee-Keepers' Review says: 



The general experience, from all over the country, is that the yield 

 of almost any locality may be lessened by the bringing in of too many 

 colonies; but just how many colonies it is profitable for one man to 

 keep in one apiary has never been settled, and never will be settled, as 

 localities, seasons and methods differ. My advice or plan would be to 

 keep on increasiag an apiary until the profits were lessened by the 



