THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



147 



without the destruction of the 

 greater portion of tlieui b}' the 

 moths. 



I usually lay aside for storing, 

 those combs in which brood has 

 been raised but once or twice, and 

 hang them up in m^' garret or in a 

 large closet. The combs hung in 

 the garret came through the better 

 of the two, although a portion of 

 them were always badly eaten, 

 while those in the comb-closet were 

 almost totall}^ destroyed ever}' time, 

 although I repeatedly sulphured 

 the closet. 



Discouraged by these results, 

 and resolving in the future, to take 

 less care with m}' combs, I threw 

 them into the drawer of an old fold- 

 ing-bed, shut it up, and troubled 

 m3^self no more about them. In 

 the following spring, wishing to 

 provide a number of frames with 

 foundation, I found, to my great as- 

 tonishment, that not a single comb 

 wasinjured and I could use them all. 



In searching for the cause, I found 

 a large fat spider, with a lot of 

 young, that had spun its network 

 into every nook and corner, and 

 here and there were the remains of 

 several moths. Since this impor- 

 tant discovery, I have hung my 

 combs in the closet as formerly, but 

 before closing I get a number of 

 spiders, eggs also when I can, and 

 put them in with the combs. 



From the time I commenced us- 

 ing spiders I have not had, to my 

 great pleasure, a single moth-eaten 

 comb ; and I entreat all my col- 

 leagues to try this simple method 

 of ridding themselves of the moths. 



JVeiu York City. 



HINTS CONCERNING 

 NEEDED REFORMS. 



By J. VV. Tefft. 



"When I commenced beekeeping 

 it was with the intention of mak- 

 ing a success of it, and rendering 

 it remunerative. This, however, 

 I find to be quite a difficult task, 

 as the hone}^ market has been so 

 injured by the beekeepers who, 

 ignoring the first great principles 

 of business, rush all of their honey 

 into the hands of commission mer- 

 chants, thereby depreciating the 

 prices and ruining the markets. 



Why it is that the beekeepers 

 are so blind in this matter is in- 

 comprehensible. If the}' should 

 ask their supply dealers to sell 

 them goods on the same plan, they 

 would be laughed at in return for 

 their ignorance of the fundamental 

 principles of business ; and yet we 

 go on willingly submitting to this 

 evil, almost fearing to breathe one 

 word against it. 



Apiculture is no longer a small 

 business represented by a few box- 

 hive beekeepers, but has developed 

 into an important industry, and 

 one that should demand more study 

 and consideration than it is at 

 present favored with. 



No industry or vocation, more 

 than beekeeping, calls for the ac- 

 tive emplo}'ment of so many nec- 

 essary qualifications, and, therefore, 

 no other business appears to be 

 so hazardous for the investment 

 of capital. Every large apiary 

 should have at its head, as mana- 

 ger, a man of knowledge, experi- 

 ence and decision : one who is keen 



