250 



hives especially for the system, and 

 we can amuse ourselves finding ways 

 and means to obtain them. Also we 

 can use our superabundance of idle 

 time in putting them together, in 

 populating them, and in the multi- 

 farious manipulations connected 

 therewith. Hooray, "Blaw hot and 

 blaw coold." (M.) 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



[November, 



"Things are seldom what they 

 seem; 



Skimmed milk masquerades as 

 cream," 

 also "shaky," "flaky" lumber is called 

 first quality, and sloppy workman- 

 ship is called "of the best." The 

 miserable stuff regularly sent out by 

 some manufacturers pretending to 

 use the best material and work is only 

 equaled by the excuses (and that is 

 all), which they oflfer to complainants. 

 The writer has just been overhauling 

 seventy-five hives ordered, delivered, 

 charged and paid for as the "best 

 grade of material and 'best grade of 

 work." Perhaps it was the "best" 

 those manufacturers knew of, but 

 compared with really first-class goods 

 the first mentioned would rank with 

 the rankest. Mbch of the "first qual- 

 ity" pine was checked and "flaked" 

 like weather-worn hemlock. Many 

 edges were iust as the boards had 

 come from the sawmill. In not a few 

 c^ses ends were from a sixteenth to 

 an eighteenth wider or narrower than 

 the eides, presumably to let out the 

 "wind" of manufacturers' advertise- 

 ments and self-sanctification. The 

 worst of these hives have never been 

 used, they were cast aside until time 

 could be found to complete their 

 manufacture. Really high-grade goods 

 at honest prices are the cheapest, but 

 when one pays for the "high grade" 

 and gets something way below, one 

 feels like also sending the vendor 

 "way below." 



It will soon be time to lay in your 

 supplies for the coming season, and 

 much nf your future profit will de- 

 pend on what, how and where you 

 buy. Do not be in a hurry to decide. 

 Be careful not to saddle yourself with 

 unnecessarjr implements, nor go to 

 the other extreme and do without 

 really helpful appliances, the lack of 

 which will increase the labor of car- 

 ing for your bees. If j'-ou are not 



sure of what you should buy and where 

 you sliould buy it, compare notes with 

 other bee men, and you may then be 

 better able to decide. 



Do not be afraid to spend money 

 for permanent appliances if they will 

 lessen the labor item, but satisfy your- 

 self that they really will, don't take 

 the supply man's say-so. He may be 

 sincere, but he is selling them. 

 Sharpen the teeth of the old saw, 

 "Penny Wise and Pound Foolish," 

 and cogitate thereon. (M.) 



COLORADO STATE CONVEN- 

 TION. 



The 28th annual convention of the 

 Colorado State Bee-Keepers' Associa- 

 tion will convene in Denver, Novem- 

 ber 19 — 21, at the Chamber of Com- 

 merce building. 



A good time is expected. The pro- 

 gramme cannot be published at this 

 time, but it will be arranged later. 



We expect to have some practical 

 demionstrations with bees in a wire 

 cage, such as shook swarming and 

 treating of foul brood, etc. There 

 will be a section contest also, which 

 will prove interesting. 



Everybody is invited to attend and 

 help make the meeting a profitable 

 and enjoyable one. 



S. Francis, 

 Sec. Colorado State B. K. Ass'n. 



THE BEE. 



Dr. Watts was right. The bee is 

 really a most industrious insect. A 

 plodding statistician has found out 

 that each pound of honey secreted in- 

 volves the necessity of the bee visiting 

 218,750 flowers. This in itself is no 

 mean labour. That the bee is not glut- 

 tonous and does not consume more 

 that it earns is conclusiveK' proved by 

 the fact that 164,000.000 pounds of 

 honey are annually sold throughout the 

 world for the delectation and comfort 

 of the human race. The United States 

 stands at the head of the list of honey- 

 producers, with sixty-one million 

 pounds, and Germany comes m-xt with 

 forty million. England's production is 

 so small that the statistician has not 

 taken any notice of it; but, somehow 

 or other, the best from all other coun- 

 tries finds its way to the London 

 market. — British Newspaper. 



