116 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



colonies iu the above way last spring, 

 arid it was a success. Just at night- 

 fall I consider the best time for feed-, 

 ing, as it will not detain the bees 

 from the field, and when fed in the 

 middle of the day the bees will stay 

 inside the hive. About half a pound 

 is all that should be fed at a time. 



The following rule I used in mak- 

 ing food. For five pounds granu- 

 lated sugar use one quart of warm 

 water, stirring slowly while it melts 

 over a slow fire. When cool it will 

 be ready for use. , 



The bees need constant care in feed- 

 ing time as well as later on. 



Troy, Vt 



i m - «i ■ i» ^- 



Honesty Is the Best Policy. 



BY S. P. RODDY. 



It is encouraging indeed to see that 

 the American Bee-Keeper is the 

 first journal to courageously denounce 

 dishonesty and wrongdoing. Unfair 

 dealing has done more to discourage 

 the inexperienced and retard the in- 

 dustry of bee culture than all the un- 

 successful seasons put together. When 

 we have a bee journal as outspoken 

 in regard to truth and honesty, and 

 to the interest of the people whose in- 

 dustry it advocates, as the Farm 

 Journal, then will apiculture thrive. 



Many of our new bee journals, it 

 seems, are little more than high col- 

 ored exaggerated advertising sheets. 

 They give us a " Crash in Prices ;" 

 "Leather Colored Queens;" "Bees 

 for Business," etc. All have the 

 " best strain," as they claim, and all 

 have the cheapest. In the White 

 Mountain Apiarist a few months ago 

 the Punics were lauded so highly and 

 the demand seemed to be so great that 

 none could be got at less than $40 to 



$100 each, unless ordered the previ- 

 ous year. That 75 to 100 per day 

 was all the apiary could furnish. 



Of glowing, exaggerated ads. we 

 are disposed to grow suspicious, since 

 they convey to the practical mind 

 one of two things: either that the 

 goods are inferior and will uot sell 

 upon their own merits, or that the 

 firm advertising does not retain cus- 

 tom beyond the first order. In bee 

 business, as in all else, " Honesty is 

 the best policy." Advertise merely 

 what you have. Give your price, and 

 when you sell goods make it a point 

 never to fall short of your advertis- 

 ing, but rather do a little better, and 

 be assured your goods will merit trade 

 in the future. 



By the strict observance of this 

 method we feel grateful and thank- 

 ful, too, in stating that we now enjoy 

 the patronage of many customers 

 whom we furnished with queens six- 

 teen years ago. Even the inexperi- 

 enced will be swindled but once by 

 the same shark. But, even this, as 

 before stated, has discouraged many 

 beginners of limited means. The 

 presses, however, have a power for 

 good and evil, and it is hoped that 

 honesty and fair dealing will ever be 

 demanded by journals devoted to bee 

 culture. Then there will be an in- 

 ducement for those to begin and a 

 reason to continue. When we are 

 sure that the press is ever advocating 

 our interest by the standard of hon- 

 esty and fair dealing to all, when we 

 are certain that there is no risk in 

 buying or selling, then we will not 

 hesitate to order what we need nor 

 fear to fail in the future. Then, too, 

 will our favorite industry, Apicul- 

 ture, keep pace with the times. 



Mt. St. Marys, Md. 



