



42dYEAR. 



CHICAGO, ILL, DEC, 25, 1902, 



No. 52. 



^ Editorial Comments. 



A Merry Christinas we wish to all the readers of the 

 American Bee Journal, and many of them ere they shall be 

 called to leave this world. 



The Index to Volume XLII appear in this number. 

 We trust it may prove of value to all who have preserved 

 each week's copy as it has come. 



By the way, if any subscriber finds he has failed to re- 

 ceive any copy that is due him, we will be glad to send it 

 again if we are asked for it, and if we still have any of them 

 on hand. Better ask at once if any missing copies are 

 wanted. 



Forced Swarms — Questions About Them. — There 

 seems quite a general agreement that in at least most local- 

 ities the anticipation of natural by forced swarms is a boon, 

 but there is not entire agreement as to theminutia;. Indeed, 

 it is quite possible that there can be no general agreement, 

 because difference of localities, seasons, or conditions make 

 an entire agreement as to the details of management impos- 

 sible. Among the questions to be settled are the following: 



Shall forced swarms be made before or after queen-cells 

 are started ? Shall a frame of brood be left with the forced 

 swarm, or shall it be left with neither brood nor honey ? If 

 brood is left, how long shall it be left, or shall it be left per- 

 manently ? What is best to give the forced swarm, drawn 

 combs, frames filled with foundation, large starters, small 

 starters, or what ? Is there more or less likelihood of forced 

 than of natural swarms deserting ? And that may be only 

 a small part of the questions arising in actual practice, and 

 to which answers will be expected from those who have had 

 experience. 



Bottled Honey Growing in Popularity. — Editor Root 

 has the following paragraph in a recent number of Glean- 

 ings in Bee-Culture, on the growing subject of putting up 

 and selling honey in bottles : 



" If you, my dear reader, happen to live in a locality 

 where there is no bottled honey except that which comes 

 from some packing-house, unknown or of doubtful reputa- 

 tion, just try putting out some neat bottled goods of your 

 own, bearing your own label, and see what a nice trade you 

 will have. Your own good reputation, with a personal ex- 

 planation from yourself, will make the goods move off like 

 hot-cakes. But you must make one trip around among the 

 consumers, explaining that it is your honey ; how you put 

 it up, and that you guarantee it to be absolutely pure." 



But we do not advise putting up honey in glass bot- 

 tles or jars to be sold by the bee-keeper direct to the con- 

 sumer. Such should only be sold to consumers through the 

 grocery trade. There is many a town or small city where a 

 live, wide-awake bee-keeper could do well if he would keep 



the grocery trade well supplied with pure honey in glass 

 jars holding '4 or one pound each. He could first dispose 

 of his own crop of honey, and then afterwards buy honey, 

 so long as he got it from a dealer who would guarantee its 

 purity. 



But some one may say, " Honey is too high in price 

 now. I can't afford to buy and sell again." And yet you 

 were the chap that was kicking a while ago, because honey 

 was selling too cheap. Yes, and you wanted to organize a 

 honey exchange so as to boost up the price of honey ! Oh, 

 you had your own crop of honey to sell then, did you ? Ah, 

 we see. 



But when honey, like any thing else, is higher in price 

 in the market, you must ask wor^ .when you sell it. Of 

 course, some people will object to paying a cent or two more 

 on a pound, but such are very few indeed, A few words of 

 explanation usually satisfies them, if you are a truthful and 

 honest man. If you are any other kind, you hadn't better 

 try to sell honey, or anything else, for that matter. 



Amending the National Constitution— Mr. Geo. W. 

 Brodbeck, one of the leading bee-keepers of California, 

 wrote us as follows, Dec. 8 : 



The American Bee Journal of Dec. 4lh is j ust at hand. I 

 note in the report of the Denver Convention several proposi- 

 tions to amend the Constitution of the National Bee-Keep-, 

 ers' Association. I, too, fully recognize the existing defects, 

 but until the Constitution is amended so as to permit time 

 for full and free discussion, pro and con, in our bee-papers, 

 I desire to enter vay protest against any action by vote pre- 

 sentation without due notice. We who reside in the North, 

 South, East and West, and are not so fortunate as to be 

 present at these annual sessions, desire to be heard. I be- 

 lieve in the recognition of the rights of every individual 

 member present or absent, and no other method will ever 

 incite a hearty co-operation of the membership at large. I 

 firmly believe there are great possibilities in store for this 

 organization in its proper and consistent management. 



Los Angeles Co., Calif. Geo. W. Brodbeck. 



There is considerable in what Mr. Brodbeck says, but it 

 is too late now to help any this time, we fear. Still, the 

 proposed changes are not serious, and if adopted the Asso- 

 ciation could still go forward and be as successful as it is 

 now. We are willing to trust to the majority in this as well 

 as in other matters affecting the welfare of the Association. 



Benefits of Co-Operation — In discussing this matter 

 in the Bee-Keepers' Review, E. A. Daggitt claims that the 

 farmers produce wealth but fail to get their proper share of 

 it, the lion's share being absorbed by those who distribute 

 the product of the farmer, while he gets only what others 

 are willing he should have. He gives the following strik- 

 ing illustration : 



In this part of the New Jersey peach section we have 

 raised and shipped millions of baskets of peaches, yet most 

 of the growers have been left poor. Why is this? Let us see. 

 Baskets have cost from 2'; cts. to 4'- cts. each. When the 

 most peaches were shipped the prices ranged from 3 to 3^4 

 cts. Freight was 9 cts. a basket; cartage 4 cts. ; commis- 



