42 



GLEANINGS IN J3EE CULTURE. 



Jax. 



mated again with black drones, we should have hy- 

 brid drones and quarter-blood Italians, as the pro- 

 geny of such a queen. Such a hybrid queen does no 

 harm in an apiarj' unless she is allowed to raise 

 queens, as in natural swarming. Then we may 

 have any admixture.] 



FILLING COMBS WITH SYRUP FOR FEEDING. 



Do you know of any plan of filling empty combs 

 with honey, so that they can be used as feeders? 



E. L. WOODSIDE. 



Baltimore, Md., Nov. 30, 1880. 



[Yes, sir; pour the syrup so as to fall a foot or 

 more, from a sprinkler, and you can fill a comb 

 completely. The plan is old, and has been mostly 

 dropped, because of the trouble and daubing it 

 usually entails, and the danger of inciting robbing.] 



A CHEAPER MANDREL FOR FOOT- 

 POWER SAWS. 



GREAT many have been asking, for 

 some time baclv, if we could not fur- 

 nish a cheaper mandrel for those who 

 wished to use home-made foot-power saws 

 like the one (or similar) described by friend 

 Hutchinson on page 385, Vol. VI., and by 

 friend Carpenter, page IBS, May Xo. for 

 1879. It is true, our friend G. A. T^., on page 

 366, Vol. A'lII., did give a very ingenious 

 plan by which a wooden mandrel might be 

 made ; but not all have skill to make even 

 this. Some of the friends wished us to make 

 them ; but if one were going into the busi- 

 ness of making mandrels, it would be better 

 to make a durable steel one. 



"Well, just in the nick of time, as it were, 

 our friend below comes up, bringing a very 

 pretty mandrel, or, at least, sending us a 

 sample by express, which amounts to the 

 same thing. We at once ordered a couple of 

 dozen, and are looking for them daily. Here 

 is what he says of it, with a picture made 

 from it by our engraver. 



DE WORTH SAW-MANDREL. 



I shipped sample saw-mandrel to-day by express, 

 as postage costs nearly as much. The mandrel Is 

 subject to your alterations, if there is any. Your 

 price list says, 10 inches long; but as I dispense with 

 the journals, I make them only 7 in. long, and there 

 is no need of their being over 6 inches long; but I 

 can make you mandrels the same as sample for 

 $2.00; but I would want an order for more than a 

 dozen or so, as I would have to buy several tools 

 that I could not get along without. Now, then, if 

 you will give me a chance, I will get to work. I am 

 trying to build myself up with bees, and I don't 

 spare any time in doing so. I have 1" hives, and 

 will get 10 more this week. 



DIRECTIONS FOR USING FOOT - POWER SAW - MAN- 

 DREL. 



See that both boxes are level, and then tighten set- 

 screw only until there is no shake in the mandrel. 

 Apply a little oil, and j'ou will find it will work fine- 



ly. Please notify me when you try it; and if it 

 comes in good order. Wm. DeWorth. 



Bordentown, N. J., Nov. 8, 1880. 



To see how the mandrel would work, when 

 sent out to our A B C class, I used it to till 

 the first order we got for one of the wooden 

 ones spoken of. Ilere is the result: — 



I received the goods several days ago. When I 

 got the bill 1 was much surprised to find myself 

 charged $2.60 for a wooden mandrel (which I or- 

 dered), but when goods came I was as much sur- 

 prised to find a better one than I expected. Thanks 

 for you discretion in sending it. I put up a saw yes- 

 terday, and it "works like a top." 



Greenville, Gn , Dec. 13, 1880. F. M. Ledbetter. 



You see, I have given our friend who 

 made the mandrel, a free advertisement; 

 and I am willing to give you all one when I 

 find any thing that I tliin'k will ])rove a pub- 

 lic boon. Is not this rightV If I discourage 

 patents. I certainly ought to do something 

 else to encourage invention. Xow, here is 

 another point. I am going to make a pub- 

 lic test of your good nature,— or call it, if you 

 choose, liberality. I told "•right out,'' just 

 what these mandrels are going to cost me, 

 and what I am going to sell them for. It is 

 generally accepted, in all kinds of business, 

 that it won't do to let customers know what 

 goods cost. Why won't it doV AVell, be- 

 cause we are all so prone to selfishness, I 

 sui)pose. Xow for the test : if you know 

 those mandrels cost me only $2.00 each in 

 two-dozen lots, are you willing to pay me 

 $2.75 for themy I am pretty sure a great 

 many of vou will say 50c profit would be a 

 plenty. Well, I wrote the same thing to 

 friend De Worth, but he thought it hardly 

 enough, and suggested, if I am correct, thait 

 we should retail them for $8.00. I split the 

 difference, and called it, in ray editorial no- 

 tice last month, $2.75. As a reason for ma- 

 king the profit 75c instead of 50, 1 would 

 suggest, that the freight is to be paid on 

 them from friend D. to myself ; that I have 

 to invest cash to the amount of $48.00 each 

 time I order, to lie still, perhaps, several 

 months, besides the i)robability that some- 

 thing later may at any time supersede any 

 such goods, and necessitate selling them at 

 cost, or not at all. If I tell you what all my 

 goods cost, and what I sell them for, are you 

 sure you will not feel less friendly toward 

 me than you do now, and that I shall never 

 look confused and embarrassed when I own 

 up that I charge you $2.75 for an article that 

 costs me only $2.00 or perhaps a little more. 

 When the matter comes right out before you 

 all, I confess I rather wish it was put at only 

 $2.50 ; but friend I), does not wish me to sell 

 them so low, and I do not feel right to de- 

 cide the matter without his permission. Do 

 you not catch a glimpse of what a millenni- 

 um we should have in business matters if 

 there were no longer any necessity for hav- 

 ing any thing to be concealed V 



We suggested only one change in the man- 

 drel sent us, and that was, that the coHar 

 that holds the saws be made so as to be one 

 piece with the pulley, except a small divid- 

 ing groove. If Avanted by mail, the price 

 will be 58 cents more ; the price to be $2.75, 

 unless friend D. consents to have it $2.50. 



