1900 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



291 



Which is the Most 



Hopeful Field? 



THIS is an age of specialtj'. Concentration of aim, 

 energy, capital, and purpose accomplishes more 

 than does a scattering of them in various direc- 

 tions. In this respect, bee-keeping is no excep- 

 tion. We have had many discussions as to what v^ould 

 best mix v^ith bee-keeping ; and the decision has al- 

 ways been, so»ie more bees. Many a bee-keeper fails 

 from keeping too few bees. Bees in limited numbers 

 will probably always be kept by a large number of 

 persons, and this is entirely right and proper, the 

 same as a bee-keeping specialist may keep a few 

 fowls, or plant a garden, if he really cares for that 

 kind of work ; but, as the years go by, more and more 

 will the great bulk of honey be produced by men who 

 follow bee-keeping as a business. This being the case, 

 the question arises : In which direction is commercial 

 bee-keeping susceptible of the greatest improvement? 

 Where is light most needed? Which is the most hope- 

 ful field ? 



I think that the time was once when bee-keepers in 

 Northern States would have unhesitatinglj' said : The 

 ■wintering of bees. Perhaps some of them will say so 

 now — and they may tell the truth too. However, we 

 are doing so much better in this direction than we 

 did years ago, as to leave it an open question whether 

 wintering should be placed at the head or further 

 down in the li.-.t. 



The idea of planting specially for honey has prac- 

 tically been abandoned. It has been found much 

 easier for Mohamet to go to the mountain than to 

 bring the mountain to Mohamet. 



Our hives, supers, extractors, comb foundation, 

 smokers, and other implements, together with the 

 methods for their manipulation, are probably not per- 

 fection; but if the bees will only bring in the nectar, 



these things enable us to handle it to pretty good 

 advantage. 



The devising of some plan whereby bees may al- 

 ways find nectar in paying quantities will probably 

 never be accomplished; but we have had many re- 

 ports of some strain of bees laying up a fair surplus 

 while some other strain had to be fed. Here is food 

 for thought. Improvement of our stock may not be 

 the most hopeful field at present, but it certainly will 

 yield abundant fruit if rightly tilled. 



Our methods of putting up honey for market, and 

 our systems of marketing, are great improvements 

 upon those of the past, but they are decidedly behind 

 the times as compared with the ways that some prod- 

 ucts are put upon the market. We need system, uni- 

 formity, co-operation, and business-like methods. 

 Too many of us, when we have produced a crop of 

 honey, think our work is done. It is only half done. 



I have now mentioned a few of the fields in which I 

 believe that we as bee-keepers may labor with fair 

 prospects of receiving our just rewards. Which one 

 ought to arouse our brightest hopes, I am unable to 

 decide; and to the one who will, before May 15th, 

 send me the best article on this subject, giving rea- 

 sons why some particular field offers the greatest in- 

 ducements, I will pay $5.00 cash. To the writer of 

 each article, aside from the prize article, that is ac- 

 cepted I will send the Review one year and one of 

 the Superior Stock queens. 



If you would like to read the articles that will be 

 written on this subject, subscribe for the Review. It 

 is 11.00 a year; but to each subscriber for 1900 I will 

 send 12 back numbers free. For f2,00 I will send the 

 back numbers, the Review for 1900, and a queen of the 

 Superior Stock. 



W. Z. HUTCHINSON, Flint, Mich. 



IMPBOVEIVIENT OF STOCK 



is becoming one of the foremost considera- 

 tions with the progressive bee-keeper — a 

 consideration that, in fact, can not be over- 

 looked if one would attain any consider- 

 able degree of success. Remember, I do 

 not base the claim of superiority of my 

 strain of Italians simply upon their gold- 

 en color, but upon their real worth to the 

 hone3'-producer. Price of untested war- 

 ranted queens, in season, $1.00 each. 



Send for particulars, with " How to Build 

 a House Apiary," as devised and perfected 

 by the late B. Taylor. Free. 



Jewell Taylor, Forestville, Minn. ^ 



Money-order Office, Spring Valley. ^ 



Last year, as 

 the condi- 

 tions were 



^^^^^"^^^^^"^""^"^^^^^^"""■^ most favor- 

 able, I reared a large lot of queens from one of Doo- 

 little's VERY BEST mothers. Only the best cells and 

 virgins were used. I requeened a lot of my double- 

 story ten-frame colonies with part of them. They are 

 now running over with bees, though the season has 

 been unfavorable. Prices of these queens are, tested, 

 81.50; select tested, 82.00; also untested, $1.00 ; dozen, 

 $9.00. Send card for my circular. H. Lathrop writes ; 

 " I have bought queens from different breeders, and 

 never got any that were better than those I got of 

 you." J. B. CASE, Port Orange, Fla. 



CHOICE HONEY QUEENS. 



1900. Establislied 1872. 



ITALIAN QUEENS. 



My bees are good honey-gatherers; work well on 

 Red Clover. Healthy and beautiful. One untested 

 queen, 65cts.; 2 for $1.25; 1 warranted, 80 cts.; 2 for 

 $1.50; 1 tested, $1.25; 1 select tested, $2.00. Satisfaction 

 guaranteed or money refunded. Queens sent in sea- 

 son. C. M. HICKS, Hi cksville, Wash. Co.. Md. 



' REMOVED ! 



EARLY W. H. Laws has removed his entire 



^^^— ^— ^— queen-rearing apiaries to Round 



Q UEENS. Rock, Texas, where he will be better 



-^ fitted than ever to fill orders for the 



LAWS strain of FAULTLESS .5-BANDED bees the 

 coming season. BREEDING QUEENS always on 

 hand. Price $2.50 each. I am also breeding the 

 leather-colored stock from imported mothers. Test- 

 ed queens, either strain, $1.00; 6 for $5.00; untested, 

 75c: 6 for $-1.00. Queens ready in season. 



W. H. LAWS. Round Rock. Texas. 



We are Headquarters The Best m 

 for the Albino Bee. ^"^ ^"^"^ 



If you are looking for the bee that will 

 gather the most honey, and the gentlest 

 of all bees in handling, buy the Albino. 

 I al.so furnish the Italian, but ordersstand 

 50 to 1 in favor of the Albino. I manufac- 

 ture and furnish supplies. Address 

 S. Valentine, Hagerstown, Md. 



EGGS FOR HATCHING, Birred Plymouth Rock, 75 

 cts. per 13; Pekin Duck, 75 cts. per 11. 

 C. J. BALDRIDGE, Kendaia, Seneca Co., N. Y. 



