The peculiarity of this "same way" 

 referred to above, is that the farmer 

 receives that kind of cash that leaves 

 no loop hole open through which he can 

 be cheated out of his pay. The 30 day 

 system called "cash" in commerce, 

 may be a necessity and a safe way for 

 commercial men to deal with each other, 

 as they have reporters, and many other 

 means of determining the responsibility 

 of those with whom they deal, but the 

 producer of grain, vegetables or honey, 

 nave little or no knowledge of com- 

 mercial men, hence the necessity for 

 selling their products C. O. D. (come 

 omediately down). Honey producers 

 are about the only producers of imper- 

 ishable crops who have to sell their 

 year's accumulations upon the com- 

 mercial system of 30, 60 and 90 days 

 credit. My judgment is that by a regu- 

 lar concerted action, the bee-keepers 

 may be able to help this matter some, 

 when the time comes that this business 

 ceases to be so excessively profitable 

 that accessions in such vast numbers 

 will be among the things that were, 

 and we can know from time to time 

 who are the honey producers of America. 



Dowagiac, Mich., Dec. 10.1879. 



From The Bee- Keeper. 



Honey Season of 1879 in Denmark. 



J. S. WOOD, 

 Vice President of Danish Bee Association. 



Were rain and flowers all that are 

 requisite to ensure a good honey har- 

 vest, we in Denmark could have boasted 

 of such in the past season ; but, fortu- 

 nately, the genial warmth of sun is 

 necessary, otherwise there is no honey 

 secreted in any plant, not even the busy 

 ant is able to obtain its food as honey- 

 dew on the leaves. 



As compared with the last 12 to 15 

 years, this season, taken in general, has 

 been the poorest honey season in Den- 

 mark. During the early part of the 

 season there was every prospect of its 

 being what might be called an average 

 one, but as time wore on even the most 

 sanguine began to despair. Swarming 

 period arrived, though late, with no im- 

 provement, and it was soon evident 

 that if there was to come a trifle to the 

 bee-keeper's profit, it would be before 

 the heather bloomed, and thus only few 

 would be the reapers, these being the 

 users of frame hives, which, on the 

 heaths, are in the minority. Previous 

 to the heather coming in flower it was 

 whispered in many places that even 

 old colonies were dying of sheer starva- 

 tion, swarms were already at the starva- 



tion point in the middle of June, and 

 many died a little later. This was one 

 grief, but a worse followed. The par- 

 ent colony of many of these swarms 

 also were lost owing to the young queens 

 not being able to fly out and mate ; 

 others when out were lost in their wed- 

 ding Might, being overtaken by heavy 

 storms, and becoming prey for the 

 birds. The continual moist weather 

 was uncommonly favorable for the 

 .forthcoming of midges or gnats; in 

 some districts the number of these were 

 so enormous that they appeared as 

 small clouds, and, in some instances, 

 appeared in columns of 70 feet high, 

 and of a considerable diameter, plainly 

 to be seen at the respectable distance 

 of a thousand feet or so; and where 

 midges are in abundance there we find 

 our welcome summer visitor, the swal- 

 low. That our favorite bee fell a prey 

 to them there was no doubt, and how 

 could a mother-swallow refuse or re- 

 frain from securing such a fat, dainty 

 morsel for her young as a young queen, 

 for example, that happened to be en- 

 joying her honeymoon ? That many 

 were lost in this way was certain, and 

 the loss thus by storm and birds has 

 been double, I might say, the number 

 of young bees hatched; and the result is 

 that apiaries usually giving an average 

 of 50 to 60 lbs. of honey per colony this 

 year have not given a pound ; but, on 

 the contrary, required the aid of about 

 150 lbs. of candy for every 20 colonies 

 to carry them barely over the winter 

 months. In the heather districts the 

 result has been a little more favorable, 

 as the weather cleared up a little at the 

 time the heather bloomed, giving a 

 result in many cases of 20 to 30 lbs. per 

 colony, and in exceptional cases higher. 

 The general expectations were that 

 honey would rise in price, but such is 

 not discernible, owing partly to the sur- 

 plus of last year, which in many cases 

 has been kept in stock, the cold weather 

 during the summer being very favor- 

 able to its keeping so well without fer- 

 mentation taking place. 



There is not the slightest doubt but 

 that the past season will have not only 

 thinned the number of bees, but also, 

 I may say, decimated the colonies by 

 loss of queens alone. The result, of 

 course, will be in spring a heavy falling- 

 off in the ranks of bee-keepers who by 

 last year's good results were expecting 

 to advance, but by this year's work will 

 have come to the conclusion that the 

 keeping of bees is not always sunshine 

 with profit. The more hardened say, 

 "Make the best of it," but above all 

 winter well for the coming year. 



Nyborg, Denmark. 



