1881 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUliE. 



753 



two left on our hands. Suppose some of you put in 

 an advertisement of untested queens for the above 

 months. Sometimes we have quite a little call for 

 them in December. Of course, the better way is to 

 have them go directly from the producer to the con- 

 sumer. 



DISCOUNTS ON GOODS ORDERED DURING THE 

 MONTH OF NOVEMBER. 



As business is still quite dull, we will allow a dis- 

 count of 5 per cent as heretofore on all g-oods want- 

 ed for next season's use. Beeswax is now fully 10 

 cents cheaper than it was last spring:, or has been 

 for several springs past, and the probabilities are 

 that it will advance 10 cts. or more next spring. 

 Now, for orders for foundation till the 15th of this 

 month, we will allow a reduction of 10 per cent; and 

 besides this, the discount of 5 per cent above men- 

 tioned. We do this with the view of reducing the 

 quantity of wax we have in stock, and also to avoid 

 the great rush on foundation that comes as soon as 

 the season opens. This offer may be extended 

 through the whole of November, but we would not 

 dare to offer it now until I see how manj' of the 

 friends take up with the offer. In regard to pur- 

 chasing foundation now to use ne.xt season, see re- 

 marks on page 747. 



MAKING INQUIRIES OF YOUR POSTMASTER. 



Some of the friends have been very much displeas- 

 ed because we wrote to their postmaster when we 

 could not get any reply from them. Why, my 

 friends, what can we do? After writing to a man 

 three times, and no replj', our clerks have an estab- 

 lished custom of writing to his postmaster. A great 

 manj' times we find we have got the man's name 

 wrong; sometimes we are told he is absent, but will 

 return shortly. At another time he or his family 

 have been sick; but it seems to me it would be bet- 

 ter in all these latter cases to have somebody to 

 write a postal card for him, when sick or absent; 

 but if you don't do it, I do not see how you can ob- 

 ject to our writing to your postmaster. We in- 

 close an addressed postal card to the postmastei", 

 and all he has to do is to pencil briefly on the back 

 of it. Here is a sample of the replies we get from 

 postmasters: 



We have no such person in this city as C. C. Gole. 

 Mr. C. C. Dale formerly lived here, but is now at 

 Rousville, Pa. Respectfully yours. 



Oil City, Pa., Oct. 27, 1884. F. Bishop, P. M. 



FEEDERS FOR FEEDING DRY SUGAR; SOMETHING 



THAT PROMISES TO BE OF VALUE, FROM OUR 



ENGLISH COUSINS. 



The matter of dry -sugar feeding has been taken 

 up and dropped many times in years past, and some 

 of you may remember that I was once quite enthu- 

 siastic on the subject. In the Bridsli Bee Journal 

 for Oct. 1.5, we find something that seems to answer 

 the purpose nicely, and I do not remember that we 

 have had any thing just like it described before. 

 The implement looks very much like one of our 

 wide frames boarded up on the back side, and hav- 

 ing a movable side on the opposite. This movable 

 side is made to open as if it were liinged, by means 

 of a couple of wire nails at the lower edge. It 

 reaches within only 'i inch of the top-bar. This 

 leaves a place for bees to go in. When this lid is 

 opened, the feeder is (luickly and (■on\i'niently till- 

 ed with a grade of sugar that is a little damp or 

 moist. The inventor, Mr. Samuel Simmins, says 

 the two boards must be not more than one inch 

 apart, or the bees will build a comb inside. During 



cool weather the condensation on our enamel-cloth 

 sheets will furnish all the moisture needed. When 

 they can fly they bring water. We extract the fol- 

 lowing: 



For spring feeding, nbout the middle of March insert one 

 feeder full of Porto Kico at one fside of the brood-nest, and 

 crowd the bees on to it. when thev will be stimulated to such 

 an extent that brood-rearing will go on at a rapid pace, while 

 at the same time the bees will not be exci- ed to fly abroad so 

 much as with syrup feeding. Before one feeder is quite emp- 

 ty, insert ano'her on the opposite side; and when an empty 

 one is removed the bees should be shaken out, or it maybe 

 placed down at the entrance for them to run in. AVhen the 

 colony becomes very strong, probably two feeders will be 

 wanted full at the same time, but by then honey might be com- 

 ing in to some extent, and the bee-keeper must proceed ac- 

 cordingly. 



For nuclei, this process of drv-sugar feeding is all that can 

 be desired, saving much lime and anxiety. 



In autumn, for stimulating brood-rearing, proceed as in 

 spring; and when desirable to finish storing for winter, keep 

 at least two feeders well filled, first removing every comb not 

 really wanted. 



WHY IS IT? 



A GOOD many of the friends complain, that al- 

 though they advertise for honey, queens, and other 

 commodities, and ofter more than we do, people will 

 persist in sending to us; that they are afraid of 

 strangers, etc. I have no doubt this is so, and T 

 think 1 can explain the reason for it. But you will 

 have to excuse me for saying something that sounds 

 a little like boasting, only to bring out a great truth. 

 Bee-keepers offer their queens and honey to me at 

 a low figure because they have leai-ned by experi- 

 ence that the money is sure to come right straight 

 back. When they send to other people the money 

 does not come right off. I am sorry to say it, but 

 yet there are few large firms, even, who make a 

 practice of paying money right over at once for 

 whatever they purchase, especially when it is some- 

 thing shipped them. In our business this has not 

 been attended to as it ought to be. One of the hard- 

 est things I ever tried to do is to get the clerks, 

 shipping -clerk, the clerk who unloads the goods 

 and weighs them, book-keepers, and all who handle 

 goods that come to me, to bear in mind that those 

 who send wax, honey, queens, seeds, etc., are al- 

 most always in need of money, and therefore we 

 should use every possible expedition to get it right 

 back as soon as the goods reach us. It seems an 

 easy thing; but, you try it. Not only is it this dispo- 

 sitionnto let things lie around awhile that stands in 

 the way, but it is not always an easy thing to have 

 money in the bank in readiness; in fact, it costs 

 something to keep a little surplus capital ahead on 

 which you are all the time paying interest; but! 

 tell you, friends, there is nothing in this world 

 that advertises for one like letting people know, 

 that whatever they send you it will fetch the money 

 every time. It is money well invested, I tell you, to 

 keep a little surplus lying in the bank idle, it may 

 be, just to back up your good name. We have not 

 done as well as we might have done in this line; but 

 now when times are dull we are going to work with 

 energy and vehemence to advertise ourselves in 

 just this way. Sujipose, now, you start a friendly 

 opposition to us on this line. I assure you I shall 

 not be hurt a bit it a great lot of you come out ahead 

 and do better than I do. Many times the one who 

 sells vou i)r()ducc docs not care foi- his money right 

 off. in that case, of coinsc, it is subject to his or- 

 der; and 1 fiiKl that nothing i)lcascs a man more 

 than to have vou allow liiin interest under sucli 

 circumstances, when he did not expect it. It you 

 are ali-cady iia.\ ing interest on liorrowcil money, of 

 course yvix caii alford to allow it to tliose who leave 

 money in your hands. 



TAKING CAKE OF.YOUK GOOD NA.ME. 



~ THEifElire'a'good fnany"this fall who"flud it'hard 

 to meet billsMhey e,\pe<-ted to pay. Some have 

 been sick when tlu'ydid not calculate on being sick; 

 others have had disaster— hail, dnnight, etc., and 

 some have lost their horses and cattle. . Now, what- 

 ever happens, a man should be careful of his credit. 

 Everybody nowadays almost is quoted, and has 



