THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



139» 



sold rapidly at fancy prices, and nothing 

 better was needed. Houses sprang up 

 like magic, and fortune seemed to smile. 

 But from some causes, probably a Bemo- 

 oratic House, or unbalanced Congress, the 

 producers began to clamor, and down 

 went the honey -jarring business. 



If parties who have been, or are now, in 

 the jarring-honey trade, have it in their 

 power to prostitute fancy comb-honey, 

 either in boxes or small frames, and so 

 have their revenge, it is not unlikely that 

 it will be done. 



There is but one way for the producers 

 to prevent it, and that way is potent and 

 all powerful, and of like interest to the 

 producer of extracted, as well as comb- 

 honey. Namely, to raise tlieir own start- 

 ing comb, and encourage others to do the 

 same. It can be raised with bee labor for 

 less money, and on long time paper, and 

 without forwarding money to any parties, 

 however irresponsible, accompanying the 

 order. Let no man fail to inform his 

 neighbor of the danger and expense at- 

 tending the taking of this charming bait, 

 except for the mere cavity of the hive, 

 and for brood purposes and extractor only ; 

 for such purposes, such foundation may 

 pay, but I have my doubts even for that. 

 If the foundations are to be sold for 

 frames and boxes of certain sizes in 

 measurement, why not sell the foundation 

 by the foot, so parties wishing to pur- 

 chase, can know the expense before wri- 

 ting so many letters and paying so much 

 postage ? 



The only clue given in the card as to 

 expense, is that there is material enough 

 in the foundations to lengthen out the cells 

 and cap them over. Now that is very 

 fine. How glad the poor overworked 

 worker bees will be; no wax to make, 

 nothing to do but preach, doctor, make 

 laws; be the happy middle man, and 

 make money. " How skillfully he builds 

 his sell, how skillfully he spreads his 

 wax." 



Suppose one pound of foundation to 

 furnish cell-room for twenty pounds of 

 honey, (which is not far from the usual 

 rate), and a Langstroth hive will hold sixty 

 pounds of honey, we now have the 

 amount of foundation necessary for the 

 work, and it weighs three pounds and 

 cost net three dollars and sixty cen's. 

 The net profit on extracted honey would 

 be about three cents per pound, if sold at 

 ten cents, which is a fair price by the 

 barrel. By this calculation it will be 

 seen that one hundred and twenty pounds 

 of honey could be given the bees for do- 

 ing the same work — that is for filling the 

 hive with combs. Now what is the result ? 

 Three pounds of comb would consume 

 sixty pounds of honey, and there would 

 be sixty pounds left — which would be just 

 enough to fill the combs in the hive with 

 honey, and the colony would be in the 



best possible condition for winter. Do' 

 figures lief 



I am very glad if comb foundations, 

 suitable for breeding purposes and ex- 

 tractor, can be made cheaper than the 

 bees can make them, and if so, it is reason- 

 able to presume a large market awaits^ 

 their production ; but for comb honey to be 

 sold to consumers, I am decidedly opposed. 

 Men who buy comb-honey, very fine to 

 look upon, will not fail to find that ap- 

 pearances are often deceptive; and es- 

 pecially will this be true of comb made of 

 beeswax. 



If comb honey is thrown on the mar- 

 ket, as above represented, the consumer, 

 who is an epicure, not only in looks, but in 

 fact, will not allow his palate to be im- 

 posed upon by his eyes the second time. 

 He will neither buy the fancy comb or 

 jar honey at all. He will prefer to melt 

 his own sugar, and buy his own molasses^ 

 Sind pocket the difl'erence. The matter of 

 cheapness will be a great desideratum 

 at this time of low prices. 



It is an unsolved problem whether such 

 combs, as are advertised, can be used to 

 compete with bee labor, with hon^y at its 

 present price. Let us have the price per 

 foot, so that we can decide for ourselves 

 and take the responsibility. 



The bee business has, like other indus- 

 tries, its draw-backs, but it is not likely 

 to be abandoned by those having a choice 

 location and experience, even should 

 prices continue to decline. 



T. F. Bingham. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Eccentric. 



"Well, well; if there isn't Eccentric, 

 sure as the world! We tliought he had 

 gone to the Black Hills, or California, or 

 some golden country;" we hear in im- 

 agination, as the above heading greets the 

 reader's gaze. Really, it has been a long 

 time since we sent you greeting, dear old 

 Bee Journal; but it was not because of 

 any lack of interest in your welfare. 

 Many times during the past season, had 

 we intended to sit down and tell you 

 of wliat we were doing; but the press 

 of business has prevented. But to-day 

 (March 17th, Centennial year,) we have 

 f-harpciu'il up one of " Faber's Best," and 

 as the raging storm from the great North 

 West renders out-door labor not particu- 

 larly inviting, have concluded to pencil a 

 few thoughts for your pages. 



The winter, thus far, has been very 

 mild, with little snow; so little, in fact, 

 that a sleigh ride has been a luxury in- 

 deed. But we have had rain in great 

 abundance, and winds without end, al- 

 most; and to-day the fast-falling snow is 

 driven across the prairies with a fearful 

 velocity. Only a few days since the bees 

 were flying freely and gathering pollen; 



