100 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Feb. 1. 



^r 5 PECIAb^NGT.1 c Es 



W^L^ L.^-l/-*'- BUSINE'SS MAN 



BY )| 

 AGER I 



CATALOG FOR 1900. 



As soon as this issue of Gleanings is off the press 

 we begin printing catalogs, and expect to have some 

 ready for distribution before the loth. We have 

 wrappers all addressed, and catalogs will be inclosed 

 in them, and mailed just as fast as we can make up 

 the catalogs. If you get tired waiting for yours to 

 come, send a request on a postal and it will be mailed. 

 If j'ou get an extra one, hand it to some one who 

 w^ould he interested. We hope to print and distribute 

 over 100,000 during the month of Februray. 



OHIO MAPLE SYRUP. 



Do you know that Ohio produces the finest maple 

 syrup to be had anywhere? Do you know that, ac- 

 cording to the pure-food laws of this State, every gal- 

 lon put up here must have the name of the producer 

 on the label, and there is a heavy fine for adultera- 

 tion ? The result is that Ohio maple syrup can be de- 

 pended on every time. Do you want' something fine 

 for buckwheat cakes this winter? something that will 

 please all of your family? then order some of our 

 maple syrup a£ once. In "one-gallon cans, 81.00; same 

 in lots of five onegal. cans at 90 cts. per gallon; ten 

 onegal. cans at 8.5 cts. per gal. 



BEESWAX WANTED. 



We will pay from this date, till further notice, 26 

 cents cash, 28 cents in trade, for average wax deliv- 

 ered here, and from 1 to 2 cents extra for choice to 

 fancy yellow. We are making up foundation now at 

 the rate of one to two tons a week, and it takes this 

 amount of wax to keep us going. If you have any to 

 spare, send it on, and be sure to place your name and 

 address in or on the shipment, so that we can identify 

 it. Also write to us, stating gross and net weight of 

 shipment, so that we mav be able to determine wheth- 

 er any has been lost on the way. If shipped in bags 

 they should be very strong, and double as well. If 

 shipped in barrels or boxes, be sure they are tight 

 and securelv nailed. 



Special Notices by A. I. Root. 



THE GIANT GIBARALTER ONION. 



By an omission this was not put among the novel- 

 ties. Price of seed, 15c per ounce; ^52. 00 per lb. 



WANTED, CRIMSON CLOVER, JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT, 

 AND HULLED SWEET CLOVER. 



If you have any of the above for sale, mail us sam- 

 ples and tell us what price you want for it. 



WISCONSIN FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 



Ever since my visit at Madison some years ago, at the 

 time of the Farmers' State In.stitute. I have looked over 

 with special interest the annual reports that somebody 

 has been so kind as to send me. For 1S99 it is a neatly 

 bound book of 265 pages, brimful of half-tones from 

 real life. When you are reading the reports of the pro- 

 ceedings you have the pleasure of seeing the speaker's 

 face in nice half-tone right at the head of the chapter. 

 Then you have halftones of the farmers' homes, dif- 

 ferent crops, buildings, etc.; and last, but not least, 

 there are some beautiful pictures of the farmers' wives 

 who took part in the proceedings. I should like to ask 

 if there are really more such fine-looking women in 

 Wisconsin, taking them just as they come, or did they 

 pick out their best? Not only butter-making but 

 housekeeping in general is di.scussed — cooking, and 

 even setting the farmer's table ; and then the excellent 

 talks that go along with these beautiful pictures — 

 why ! if these good people we get acquainted with in 

 this book had a chance to handle the affairs of State 

 and nation, our country would be in no danger; and 

 if these bright and intelligent women were allowed to 

 vote, the beer-brewers certainly would not run all our 

 public affairs. One young lady gave us a talk on green- 

 house work and growing plants at farmers' homes 

 Why ! that talk was just worth a big lot to me. She 

 had her pots and plants right on the stage, and went 

 through the whole operation of making cuttings, pot- 



ting plants, watering, and all the things that are so 

 difficult to learn from books alone. L,ong live Wi.scon- 

 sin ! The book is sent to Wisconsin people for 10 cts. 

 paper, or 25 cts, bound in cloth ; outside of the State, 

 25 cts. paper, or 40 cts. bound in cloth. Address 

 Geo. McKerrow, Agricultural College, Madison, Wis. 



WAX BEANS AND BEANS IN GENERAL FOR 1900. 



Some of the friends have no doubt thought it pretty 

 hard that there should be such a margin between the 

 paying price and the selling price of staple garden 

 seeds. Perhaps a little incident will illustrate this. 

 Eugene Davis, the originator of the Davis wax bean, 

 wrote me some time in the fall that he had about a 

 dozen bushels of Davis wax beans for seed that I 

 might have for S2.50 per bushel. I told him to send 

 them along at once, and you may remember I adver- 

 tised them at 84 25 per bushel, which you no doubt 

 think is a pretty good margin ; but we found only one 

 customer at this price among our gardening friends. 

 He took, I believe, two bushels. But Vaughn, of Chi- 

 cago, told me at once that he would take the whole lot 

 at ^.25 ; but if I sold out entirely at S-1.25 I should have 

 none left to retail, so I let Vaughn have about half of 

 them. Now, it would be folly to sell the remaining 

 half at 84 25 at retail when I was offered 84.25 for the 

 lot ; besides, it would be an injustice to seedsmen to 

 offer them at this price when t/iey are asking from 

 86 50 to 8". 00. You often do a neighbor harm by under- 

 selling him, especially where you are at the same time 

 a good deal below the geheral market ; therefore 

 I have put what I have left at 81. .50 a peck. Of 

 course I told friend Davis that, although the beans at 

 82. .50 was a fair and square bargain, yet since I found 

 they were worth a good deal more I would divide with 

 him the larger price I received. He expressed some 

 surprise, it is true ; but I tell you, friends, that is the 

 (CO)' to do business. Now, when goods you have in 

 stock advance in price as above, it is all very clear sail- 

 ing ; but suppose they go the other way, as they often 

 do. Another thing, it is not certain that I shall sell all 

 of my beans at 81.50 per peck. I could sell them now, 

 but the greater part of our customers will wait till 

 planting time. Of course, we urge them to buy sooner, 

 Isut past experience shows that a great many will wait 

 until it is even late for planting, then send in their 

 money, and want the beans "rushed." How many 

 shall I .save for such people? No one can tell. If I 

 save too many, or carry them over to another season, I 

 may not get even the 82. .50 I first paid friend Davis. A 

 good many times I have had a chance to sell out my 

 whole .stock of certain seeds at a good profit : but a 

 seedsman who really looks out for the best interests of 

 his customers must keep a stock, and thus have more 

 or less goods left over ; and many kinds of seeds, after 

 the season is over, are of little or no use whatever. 

 Now, can j'ou not see that, in order to have the very 

 best fresh seeds constantly in stock, to be shipped the 

 minute you receive the order, there must be a good 

 round margin to cover unavoidable losses? 



A SUGGESTION IN REGARD TO CLOSETS. 



I want to .say yes to all you said in regard to water- 

 closets. How strange no more attention is given to 

 such ! While we all can not have them warmed, yet I 

 took the idea long ago to pad the seats with old woolen 

 cloth, tacking it on after being cut into shape. No one 

 knows the pleasure, in a cold time, of sitting on woolen 

 instead of a cold board. I feel quite sure more colds 

 come from closet exposure than all others combined. 

 Many times they are open so the wind comes in on all 

 sides and below, and the awful disease consumption 

 finds a starting-point. E. P. Churchill. 



Hallowell, Me., Jan. 15. 



CONVENTION NOTICES. 



CALIFORNIA BEE-KEEPERS' CONVENTION. 



The tenth annual convention of the California State 

 Bee-keepers' Association will be held in the Chamber 

 of Commerce, at I,os Angeles, on Feb. 21 and 22, 1900. 

 Convention will be called to orderat \M) p. m , on Feb. 

 21. At this time the railroads will sell round-trip tick- 

 ets to everybody, for one and one-third fare, on ac- 

 count of the Industrial, Mining, and Citrus Exposi- 

 tion, which will be held in L,os Angeles. Tickets good 

 for ten days. Let everj' bee-keeper bring some hive, 

 tool, or experience which he has found valuable, and 

 we will have a good convention. 



R. Wilkin, Pres. 



J. F. M'INTYRE, Sec. 



