1891 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



(J3 



said about 20 cents' wortli of cabbage seed, on 

 another page. Tliere are between 8(X) and 900 

 people employed in this one building. They 

 have the same Grinnell system of sprinklers 

 we have. The rooms are wanned by steam, as 

 ours are, and lighted by KXX) incandescent lamps. 

 Surplus seeds are stacked, tons upon tons, in 

 bags piled up in neat square tidy piles. I won- 

 dered whether rats and mice ever found a har- 

 lioring-place in this immense institution. My 

 kecni olfactories did not advise me of the prox- 

 imity of any of these mischievous rodents. 



Ferry's specialty is, as you may know, fur- 

 nishing the groceries and country stores of the 

 United States, and perhaps the world, with 

 garden-seeds. In order to do this the boxes are 

 sent out on commission, and called in before 

 Jan. 1. Our visit was just in the nick of time. 

 Their plan of giving their customeis the best 

 seeds is something like the one I have indicat- 

 ed elsewhere. Old seeds are not (lUvays infe- 

 rior. But they protect their reputation by a 

 careful t<^sting, winter and summer. I was 

 pleased to notice how they manage to keep 

 tlieir seed-cases clean and bright, after taking 

 their chances in transportation, and lieing kept 

 during spring and summer in the average show 

 window of the village store. Their boxes and 

 cases are all dovetailed, like the Dovetailed 

 hive. The bottoms are put on with a 

 nailing-machine, or with screws. These lat- 

 ter are also driven liome with macliinery. 

 All nails and screws are sunk below the sur- 

 face of the wood: then when the box comes 

 back it can be run thrungh a suitable plan- 

 er or sandpapering - machine, and made new 

 all over quicker than you could wash it all 

 oflf with bru.sh and soapsuds. New labels are 

 then put on: new seeds (or old ones that stood 

 satisfactorily the test) are theu put in new 

 packets, and the cases tilled up with such an 

 assortment as the great world demands, and 

 sent otf to do duty. Now, do not find fault, or 

 complain of .sending seeds out on commission. 

 If they did not do their business honestly and 

 well. th(!y would never have built up such an 

 immense institution. If nearly KMX) are em- 

 ployed in this building, how many people do 

 you supijose D. M. Ferry & Co. keep at work 

 during the .summer time? Here we have illus- 

 trated the wonderful way in which nice work 

 and accurate work can be done at a compara- 

 tively small expense. Those girls could never 

 acquire that wonderful swiftness did they not 

 put up thousands upon thousands of packages: 

 neither could the other enormous machinery of 

 such a business be used with so little expense 

 in any other way. I should like to tell you 

 more, but space forbids. ju,st at this time. 



6a^ QaEg3Fi0]\[.B@^, 



With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees. 



Question' 170. Do you thhi}; hee-kecpen< }uiv<t 

 secured (itiii advaiiUKje from the Government 

 Expcri^ncnt Stuttini :' 2. /.*>• it desirable to 

 nuikc (in\i effort to 'nidnccthe (jovernment to do 

 any t}iln<i more for our indu-sti-y f 



No. 



Ohio. N. W. 



1. Yes; every little helps. 

 Vermont. N. W. 



H. R. BoAIJDMAX. 



Yes. 



A. E. Manum. 



1. Very little. 3 

 beeswax. 

 Illinois. N. W. 



Remove the custom duty on 

 Dad ANT Sc Sox. 



No, not as a general thing. 3. The Lord helps 

 those who help themselves. 

 Illinois. N. W. C. Mks. L. Hakkison. 



1. Perhaps a little. 2. I think the advantages 

 are not enough to make the effort desirable. 

 New York. C. G. M. Doolitti-e. 



I don't know what they have done or what 

 they will be likelv to do. 

 Wisconsin. S. W. E. France. 



I do not know of any important advantage 

 gained. 2. Not until we clearly see some ad- 

 vantage ahead which the government could 

 readily secure for us. 



Ohio. N. W. E. E. Hasty. 



I should suppose very litth;. Only one or two 

 stations are doing any thing with bees, and two 

 seasons are too few to secure any important 

 results. Yes, every State should woi'k to aid 

 bee-keepers. 



Michigan. C. A. J. Cook. 



No. 3. Yes, I think it is. In Canada their 

 societies have aid from government, and hoiti- 

 cultural societies are helped by our State. Ex- 

 periuKMit stations are of immense value in other 

 departments — why not in lx>e-keepiiig? 



Illinois. N. ' C. C. Miller. 



Yes: the experiments to test whether bees 

 will puncture sound grapes was a good move in 

 the right dii'ection. and ought to remove much 

 prejudice. 3. Most certainly, get the govern- 

 ment to do all it will for us. There is not much 

 danger of our getting too much. 



Wisconsin. S. W. S. I. Freeroiix. 



Prof. Cook lias been much more valuable to 

 our specialty than the experimental station, 

 but it was 'a good "backer." 3. Yes. if the 

 work can l)e put in tirst-class hands. A thor- 

 ough, practical, and scientific bee-keeper should 

 hav(! charge of such work. 



Ohio. N. W. A. B. Masox. 



Yes. The government analysis- of honey 

 shows us that some of the best chemists are not 

 able to recognize pure honey. 3. If you have 

 any surplus energy you want to work off. here 

 is a chance. You will probably earn more than 

 vou get. 



New York. C. P. H. Elwood. 



I think not. 3. The less the government has 

 to do with our industry, the better off we are. 

 The more we induce, the more lies we stir up. 

 Smart professors and clerks imagine wonderful 

 things wlien bees are mentioned to them, and 

 something funny must tie said aliout the "busy 

 bee." The government is doing very well by 

 us now. Let us let well enough alone. 



New York. E. Ramrler. 



I have not seen any yet: have you? 3. I 

 think likely, if it were done in the right way, 

 but I doubt'whether it can be. The first thing 

 the government will do will be to plac(^ it in the 

 hands of somebody who does not know any 

 thing about practical apiculture, and who, 

 either through favoritism or ignorance, will 

 place it in the hands of one just as ignorant as 

 he is. That is all it will ever amount to, I guess. 



Michigan. S. W. James Heddox. 



Perhaps: as. for instance, from the report of 

 experiments on bees vs. grapes. The position 

 gives authority, in the minds of many people, 

 , to statements which, coming from a more care- 

 ful experimenter in another position, would not 

 have so much weight. They have also received 



