914 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE December, 1917 



K;fM«ir QUEEN - REARING TROUBLES L^forffi 



the beeldeep- rim i r^ total loss of 



ers of the Unit- <^ome of the %easotis 'why ^een- $155.92. If the 



ed States and breeders all over the Country were season had been 



Canada hayis. ^^^^/^ ^^ p^i q^j^^^ Promptly ^^^^ favorable 



been gTeatly in- ^ / there would have 



terested in the Continued from last issue, page 836. been more bees 



possibilities o f to shake, and 



■eombless packag-^s. Beekeei^ers in the that would have increased the profits to a 



North have used them in building up weak certain extent. Also, owing to a bad 



colonies, making increase, and have even spring the sugar-bill was probably twice 



g-one so far as to consider tte possibilities as much as it would have been in a more 



of sulphuring their bees in the fall and re- favorable year. The item of team and 



placing them Avith one-pound or two-pound trucking expense may seem a little high, 



packages in the spring. Judging from th'^ but is correct. The dost of cages and 



way the queen-breeders and otlileir beeke?p- packages is low, as they are made in the 



ers in the South have been flooded with company's own factory. The advertising 



ordea's, they have evidently found it profit- bill is not excessive. The bees and queens 



able. These queen-breeders and beekeep- purchased -wiere to satisfy custoraere whose 



ers in the South, and even a few in some orders could not be filled at once. Very 



localities further north, seeing all this busi- little profit was made there. The $1500 



noss, have gon\& to selling bees in tlie same item of " Avages and board for h?lp " will 



eager way that the northern men have probably be increased next year. The 



been buying them. They look at a pack- $580 was refunded on orders that could not 



age of beies at a dollar or a dollar and be refillexl. The interest charge of $240.00 



twenty-five cents per pound, and have vi- is 8 per cent on a $3000 investment. De- 



sions of what their bank account will be pneiciation and maintainanoe is figured at 



after they have been in thje business for 10 per cent. The item of incidental ex- 



a year or two. "The Penn Company, at penses, $200, includes stationery, stamps, 



Penn, IVIississippi, have been in this busi- snickers, veils, etc. 



ness for several years, and believe they have Jt is admitted that tliis was a very hard 



the experience and business ability to make year as to weather conditions and the 



it profitable if any one can. As to whether amount of feeding that had to be done, 



they did or did not succeed in the business There was a great deal of complaint from 



may be shown by this statement of their jiurchasers of bees concerning delays in 



bee and queen business for the last season. shipment and losses in transit. The de- 

 lavs in shipment were due not so much to 



RFCEIPTS * 



4945 queens sold and shipped'bv mail. . . $2733.69 ovo'booking as to poor breeding Conditions. 



1617 queens sent out in packages 1131.90 The fact IS that a gT8iat many bees in the 



1638 packages and nuclei sold 2644.40 South dwindled and actually died of star- 



44 colonies sold ^34.09 ^..^^j^^,^ ^^^^ spring. Tliose breeders who did 



$6944.08 ]iroduce any bees at all had to force their 



DisBUKSEMENTs. ]-,qqs artificially with sugar. As to the losses 



Sugar used in feeding colonies and nuclei $1500.00 |,., tran.sit, and poor condition on arrival, 



Team and truck expense, including cost • u \li • n i i 



of gasoline, oil, repair bills, etc 600.00 especially this year, there have been a num- 



Cost cages for queens and packages 400.00 boi' of Suggested explanations such as tb? 



Advertising in journals 210.00 age of the bces, uneven weather conditions, 



Bees and queens bought from other sources i -i j l, • -u-u- i ;i u^ 



to supply in above sales 1050.00 '?^-^ <^-^'<'it<^'^ by exccssive robbing while be- 



Wages and board for help in operating. . . 1500.00 ing shaken, and the bees being raised on 

 Losses in transit 580.00 suo-ar. The weather undoubtedly had some- 

 Office help charged against this part of ... . -. •,, •. rp| u fi y „ 



business to operate 300.00 luui., to (lo w un a. iJii oiu u'.t! f-\ 



Bees bought in colonies to offset sale of 44 jilanation is hardly plausible: for when a 



'"oionies 220.00 eolonv is deprived of piacticallv all its 



Interest on investment 240.00 t ■ e ^ • xi "j.i • 



Depreciation and maintainancc 300.00 working force, and again the same thing re- 

 Incidental expenses, etc 200.00 peated in ten days or two we?ks, the latter 



"$7ioo~oo drawing can have but few old bees in it. 



Robbers will account for some of the 



Total loss on operation and sales $ 155.92 i -r, ^ m i ^i j_ i i m 



Joss. Jt may be jDossible that beies, while 



In the first i:)laG?, the statement shows able to live on sugar when mature, lack 



sales amounting to $6944.08, and a total vitality when fed on sugar in the larval 



operating and overhead expense of $7100.00. stagie. 



