THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



191 



over the entire globe, theiv being but 

 few civilized countries where the Bee- 

 Keeper does not go. 



We have endeavored to give our 

 readers comprehensible and impartial 

 views of the different important sub- 

 jects we have beeu presenting, and if 

 in any way we have failed, you have 

 had our honest efforts at least. During 

 the coming year we shall endeavor to 

 make our columns even more enter- 

 taining and instructive than in the 

 past, for we hope to improve by ex- 

 perience. 



We wish all our many friends a 

 Merry Christmas and a Happy, very 

 happy and successful New Year. 



Up to the 1 7th of last month we 

 have never had a finer fall than the 

 one just passed. There were few days 

 when it was so cold as to make extra 

 wraps necessary, and there was not 

 more than a week or ten days of rainy 

 weather since the first of Sept. On 

 Nov. 17th the weather changed very 

 suddenly, and on the 18th there was 

 nearly a foot of snow, and at the time 

 this is being written the snow is still 

 falling, and it is quite cold Huge 

 icicles are hanging from the roofs of 

 our buildings and the chaff hives in 

 the bee yard are buried in snow. No 

 doubt the sudden coming of fierce old 

 winter has caught many of our friends 

 " napping," and many good colonies of 

 bees will perish by not being properly 

 prepared for winter, as doubtless all 

 have not yet finished feeding. In such 

 cases candy should be fed. 



There is one thing to which we have 

 often been on the point of referring, 

 and that is the proneness of some of 

 our customers to complain of shortages 

 on shipments of some parts of hives or 



other furniture, before examining all 

 the packages, when on examination, 

 the parts which were supposed to be 

 lost or left out are found, but not un- 

 til they have written us their com- 

 plaint and we in turn had, in many 

 cases, shipped extra parts by express 

 at a heavy expense, to replace the 

 supposed deficiencies In almost nine 

 cases in every ten the goods were 

 shipped exactly as ordered. We hope 

 our friends will not be too hasty in 

 making such complaints, but will look 

 their goods over thoroughly before 

 writing. 



As stated at different times, we 

 notify subscribers by a blue pencil 

 mark on one of the paragraphs at the 

 head of the editorial columns when 

 their subscription expires, and if no 

 notice is taken we continue sending 

 the magazine for six months after- 

 ward, and then mail a special notice 

 to those from whom we have heard 

 nothing, and unless ordered to do oth- 

 erwise we will then stop sending. We 

 do not wish to force anyone to take 

 the Bee-Keeper longer than they 

 wish to, but if not ordered stopped we 

 expect to receive pay for the extra six 

 months that it is sent. 



Are you going to the North Ameri- 

 can Bee-Keepers' Convention at 

 Albany, December 8th to 11th? 

 There ought to be a large attendance. 

 Reduced railroad fare can be obtained 

 on all trunk lines by purchasing full 

 fare tickets going, and getting with 

 the ticket a certificate from the rail- 

 road agent filled in on one side. At 

 Albany the secretary will fill out the 

 other side for you, and by presenting 

 it to the ticket agent at Albany when 

 you purchase your return ticket you 

 will be required to pay only one-third 

 regular fare. 



