tion of more promptness in the future. 

 if it can be helped. We know that some 

 have to work almost day and night to 

 keep up with their orders— for all rush 

 in orders at the same time, and all want 

 them filled in a great hurry. During 

 the 3 or 4 years that we were in the 

 " supply " business it was the rule here 

 that all letters must be attended to and 

 acknowledged the same day, and, in 

 nearly all cases, the goods were shipped 

 the same day, or at most within a day 

 or two, except orders for special sizes 

 or makes, something not kept in stock, 

 or articles which had to be made to or- 

 der. In such cases, as we were at the 

 mercy of manufacturers, we could only 

 wait and send postal cards asking them 

 to " hurry up," etc. In some cases we 

 know they were " worked almost to 

 death," as some of them expressed it to 

 us, to keep up with their orders and 

 please their patrons. 



Queen-breeders this, as well as last 

 year, have had a hard time to keep up 

 with their orders. The weather was 

 such that after rearing queens they 

 could not be fertilized, or were lost on 

 their " marriage flight," and so delays 

 and disappointments were the result. 



We must all exercise much patience 

 with one another, for it is so hard to ap- 

 preciate the circumstances in which 

 others are placed, when we are not wit- 

 nessing them. 



In some cases delays are caused by 

 the " dealer " not having sufficient cap- 

 ital to carry a stock, or facilities for 

 manufacturing on a large scale when 

 the rush comes. 



Mr. Meade is rather hard on some 

 " dealers," and we happen to know a 

 few of such who have no business qual- 

 ities, and could not carry on any kind 

 of business with credit to themselves 

 or pleasure to their customers. We 

 - have refused to advertise for such, and 

 have thereby saved bee-keepers from 

 losses and annoyances. 



The plan suggested by Mr. Meade is 

 impracticable; it has one feature to 

 recommend it, however. It would give 

 bee-keepers the assurance that when 



343 



they sent their money to a dealer he 

 would be a responsible party, and they 

 would be sure of getting what they or- 

 dered or have their money refunded. 

 With so many small dealers (which are 

 daily increasing), the plan could not be 

 carried out. Sometimes these are more 

 responsible and conscientious than 

 older and larger ones. 



Then, again, buyers are not all hon- 

 est and conscientious. We know by 

 experience some are unreasonable and 

 unjust ; though the great majority of 

 them are the opposite to this, we are 

 happy to say. 



The only remedy that is available, we 

 think, is for bee-keepers to send their 

 orders to those they know to be prompt 

 'and reliable dealers. It is quite certain 

 that bee papers cannot always deter- 

 mine the business capacity or responsi- 

 bility of their advertisers, no matter 

 how much care and watchfulness they 

 may exercise. — Ed.] 



Dunkirk, N. if., June 16, 1880. 

 Bees have wintered well in this sec- 

 tion of country. I had mine packed 

 with dry leaves, out of the woods. I 

 lost none out of 22 colonies. The spring 

 has been rather unfavorable for honey 

 gathering, up to this time, but to-day 

 bees have done well. White clover in 

 full bloom. The basswood trees hang 

 very full of flower-buds. I had 7 swarms 

 come out to-day. Wm. Bolling. 



Princeton, Wis., June 22, 1880. 

 Last week a part of one of our 

 swarms went to a tree, and I took the 

 Bailey Swarm Catcher and held it under 

 the bees, and shook them off into it ; I 

 let them settle and then took them to 

 the hive. We have been using this 

 Swarm Catcher this summer with much 

 satisfaction. My son, a lad 17 years of 

 age, has hived several swarms with it. 

 It is easily adjusted to the hive— the ex- 

 tension standard keeping it in any 

 desired position. We adjust that and 

 the sliding door in the morning and set 

 the swarm catcher near the hive. When 

 the swarm begins to issue from the 

 hive, I set the swarm catcher close to 

 the mouth of the hive, use the two 

 cloths to stop all cracks about the 

 entrance of the hive, and the bees are 

 captured. When the swarm is in, shut 

 the sliding door, and set the swarm 

 catcher to one side until you are ready 



