18 17. 



YHE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



617 



Boards of Agriculture, agricultural journals, horticultural socie- 

 ties, dairymen's associations, live stock breeders' societies, and all 

 other kindred organizations, and will continue in session for from 

 two to four weeks, during which time a number of national agri- 

 cultural societies also will hold their annual conventions there. 

 The Congress will be distinctively educational along the line of 

 advanced agriculture, and has received the hearty cooperation of 

 Secretary Wilson of the Department of Agriculture, of the great 

 agricultural journals, and of the most eminent representatives of 

 all branches of the agricultural world. The foremost thinkers in all 

 lines of agricultural work will publicly advance their ideas at this 

 Congress, and demonstrate to the world that many of the brightest 

 minds and men of unquestioned genius are consecrated to the 

 work of improving the conditions of agriculture and solving its 

 profound scientific and commercial problems. 



Snioker-Fiiel— 'I'n is'!9 iiixl Maner-SIiavings.— 



Editor Root, of Gleanings, has tried about everything at all possi- 

 ble to be used as smoker-fuel, and finally sums up his experience 

 in this line as follows : 



For years we have been using and recommending planer-shav- 

 ings for smoker-fuel. For a long period of time Mr. Bingham has 

 recommended stovewood split up into short lengths. Mr. Hutch- 

 inson, in a recent number of his journal, says it makes a good fuel, 

 but it burns out the smoker cup too fast, and rather recommends 

 planer-shavings, or fuel of thai sort. At our basswood yard, hav- 

 ing gotten nearly out of the excelsior sawdust (a fuel that is some- 

 thing like planer-shavings in its results), I made an attempt to 

 piece out the fuel by breaking up, into lengths of four or five 

 inches, dead limbs or twigs from the basswood trees. A little ex- 

 celsior fuel was liijhted, and the cup filled up with broken twigs. 

 It was very evident that, while the smoke was not as dense, it was 

 much more lasting, and, except with the very crossest colonies, it 

 gave very satisfactory results; and I am inclined now to believe 

 that a combination of planer-shavings and soft, dry wood would 

 be more satisfactory, generally, than either alone. 



I>faliug' Milli 4'oiiiiiiiM!si4>u iVIon. — There are two 

 sides to this question— the dealer's and the shipper's. This time 

 we want to " stir up" the latter. The thing that occasioned this 

 editorial, was the complaint that we recently received from a bee- 

 keeper who shipt about 40 pounds of comb honey to a Cleveland 

 commission firm. 



After waiting a month or so, and hearing nothing, the shipper 

 wrote us, desiring to know whether or not that particular firm 

 were all right. We immediately informed the firm of the receipt 

 of the inquiry, and intimated that we did not like to receive such 

 letters. 



They wrote us at once, enclosing two letters and the check for 

 the honey, all of which had been sent to the shipper some time be- 

 fore and returned to them, with the remark stampt on the en- 

 velopes, ■ No such office in State named." You see, the honey 

 shipper had failed to give his correct post-office address, or gave 

 only the freight office from which he shipt the honey. 



In this case you will see how easy it was to blame the dealers 

 tor not reporting on the honey, when they had done their part 

 promptly and to the best of their ability, even getting 12'.; cents 

 per pound for the honey. 



At least one thing can be learned from the above: Alvtmjs give 

 your correct and/n?' address — post office, county and State — when 

 writing or shipping. There is altogether too much of such inex- 

 cusable carelessness lying around loose these days. And conse- 

 quently quite often the " kicking " administered to the other fel- 

 low is really deserved by the kicker himself. 



itiarketing' the Honey Crop is a kind of perennial 

 subject among bee-keepers. Just now it is a very live one. surely. 

 We feel that too much cannot be learned regarding it. That is the 

 reason we are pleastd to give anything and everything that may 

 be found of value on the subject. Much of final sucess in bee-keep- 

 ing depends upon how well the honey crop is sold. And it begins 

 to look as if the producer would have to be pretty much his own 

 salesman, if he is to realize the most possible out of his honey. 



Mr. L. W. Lighty. of Adams Co., Fa., in an article written for 

 the Country Gentleman, has this to say about his experience along 

 the line of marketing honey: 



Don't rush your honey off to the commission merchant, unless 

 you are sure he has sale for it. or you are prepared to sacrifice it. 

 When you are ready to sell, write to one or more reliable (be sure 



they are so) commission merchants, and ask if they have an outlet 

 for your goods; then be governed by the replies. Better still, 

 look after your home trade. 



By a little push you can sell plenty of honey right to your 

 neighbors I took honey along this summer when I sold raspber- 

 ries and strawberries, and sold as much as CO pounds in half a day, 

 at 167s cents per pound. I sold some on every trip. I advertise 

 the fact well, that 1 have both comb and extracted honey for sale, 

 and thus far I have found no difticulty in selling every season from 

 soil to 1,.500 pounds to the home trade. I make it a rule to sell only 

 a first-class article, and I often get more for my honey than the 

 general run of honey in the stores is retailing for. If I have dark 

 or mixt honey. I send it to the commission merchant and take 

 what it brings, rather than spoil my home market. 



Sometimes the local merchant will sell quite a quantity for you, 

 if you take goods in trade for the honey. 1 have had experience 

 on both sides of this transaction, and it can be made a success if 

 the merchant is a hustler and not a blockhead, as is sometimes the 

 case. All this is. of course, some trouble and work ; but by man- 

 aging it as described. I realize nearly twice as much for my honey 

 as I would if I sent it all to the city market, that is already over- 

 flooded with the product, and has to find an outlet in country 

 towns and the country. 



I also find the same practice holds good with small fruit. 

 Freight, commission and heavy competition cut up the profits. 

 Avoid them as much as possible. 



Tl?e Weekly Budget 



Mr. C. Tiieilmann, of Wabasha Co., Minn., writing Sept. 17, 

 said: " We had a little frost this morning. No harm done. Bees 

 have nearly enough for winter stores." 



Mb. M. H. Mendblson, of California, is reported in Gleanings 

 as having taken, up to the middle of July, from his 900 colonies, .50 

 tons of honey, with a prospect of VI or 15 tons more from the bean- 

 fields. A honey crop of over 100,000 pounds— nothing very small 

 about that. 



Maktin Brockman— recently a commission man of Cincin- 

 nati—caused Byron Walker the loss of S70 last year. Martin is 

 now spending a four years' term at the Ohio penitentiary— a so- 

 journ suggested by fradulent use of the mails. So reports Glean- 

 ings. Good for Ohio. Illinois sends her thieving commission men 

 to the State legislature. But we believe Ohio's way is the best for 

 all concerned. 



Returns from Advertising are mentioned thus by two of 

 our advertisers: 



No. 1.—" Let me say that the American Bee Journal gives 

 good results as an advertising medium. " 



No. 2. — " We are getting good returns from this American Bee 

 Journal advertisement." 



No comment is required on those two testimonials that come 

 without any solicitation. "A hint to the wise," etc. 



Mr. G. K. Hubbard, of Riverside Co., Calif., wrote us Sept. 9, 

 as follows: 



■' I think a half crop of honey, compared with the large crop of 

 this region two years ago, will be a fair estimate for this county. 

 Possibly it might go three-fifths. Prices are so low that we hope 

 the "good times coming" will help all around— honey-producers 

 as well as wheat raisers." 



Mr. Hubbard reports that his wife, who has been almost an in- 

 valid, is "considerably better." Glad to hear it. 



Dr. Jesse Oren— one of the Bee Journal's earliest contribu- 

 tors—died Aug. 20. at Laporte City. Iowa, in his 73rd year, Dr, 

 Oren was an extensive bee-keeper for years— he was the first to 

 get the Italian bee into Iowa, we believe, an 1 always felt it quite 

 an honor. He was a great sufferer in latter years, and spent the 

 winters in the milder clime of Florida. We remember him as an 

 attendant at the World's Fair convention, in 19S:3. which was the 

 last time we saw him. He was agreat admirer of the Bee Journal, 

 and, as before mentioned, was a frequent correspondent in its 

 earlier volumes. Those who helpt to place bee-keeping in the 

 United States on a permanent foundation, are rapidly joining the 

 great majority • on the other shore." They did their work well, 

 and deserve to be held in grateful remembrance for their noble 

 and enduring work. 



