1881 



GLEAKINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



361 



whirl here in our ofiQce and out in the apiary. We 

 have got to introduce these, and risk the chances of 

 identifying them when your answer comes. 



While at Neighbor H.'s I saw a comb so lilled with 

 brood that there was scarcely room for a drop of 

 honey or a bit of pollen. Every cell was capped, and 

 the beautifully regular brown embossing, clear up 

 to the wood of the frame on all sides, was such a 

 sight that I begged the comb and brought it home. 

 It contains about 6,800 bees, and when they are 

 hatched out will be worth, at retail, about $4.00. It 

 was the work of a Holy-Land queen— one of those so 

 long, slim, and dark, that she looks, as H. says, like 

 a slate pencil. He thinks the sheet of fdn. had some 

 thing to do with it. It was made on our thick- 

 walled mill that we call Dunham, to distinguish it 

 from the work of the other mill, with light walls. I 

 never saw such a comb before, ajid I am inclined to 

 think the Holy-Land bees do excel, in number of eggs 

 laid, any thing we have had; but doubts are felt 

 about their wintering as well as others. 



HERBERT A. BIRCH. 



Ix the May and June No's of Gleanings, friend 

 Burch advertises— 



That we can write success upon our ( apiarian i banner is indi- 

 cated by the fact that even in this most disastrous winter, 

 every colony of our lai-ge apiary is in fine condition. 



Almost as soon as the above came out, a protest 

 was made against it by his neighbors. I wrote him 

 for an explanation; but, after some evasive replies, 

 the following came to hand: — 



Friexd Novice:— I have been so busy I could not possibly 

 write before, and even now I must be very brief. Last Septem- 

 ber we had about 27-5 colonies of bees; these were reduced, by 

 sale and uniting, to about 125 (can't give e.x.act figures). The 

 first week in April, 1881, these were all Hyintr, and in good con- 

 dition. Did not see them again until last of .\pril (apiary live 

 miles out. iiacked in chaft'i, when we found that about three- 

 fourths had starved; liives were tilled with hces; had sealed 

 bi-ood, and not an ounce of honey. We have nut misstated a 

 ■ single thing in ouradv's. They simply aimiil to show that our 

 bees weie hardy . We suppose that almost auv livintr thing 

 would die if kept without food long enough. iWe know bees 

 will now.) We can ohow a good many lettei-s that state that 

 bees procured of us have lived this last winter, while all others 

 have died. 



Now about orders ; We are doing our utmost to till them. 

 Despite the earnest remonstrances of friends, I am working 18 

 to 20 hours every clay, and can't well do more. If we had the 

 bees we liave bought and paid for, we could fill evei-j- order to- 

 day. We intend, so far as lies in our power, to make every 

 thing satisfactory with eveiy customer. Son-y that you should 

 think us ttt camlidates for •'Humbugs and Swindles." If we 

 wanted to swindle the jjeople. we would have taken the thou- 

 sands of dollars we have refused to take, and not have re- 

 turned the hundreds of dollars we have. Even Jamts Mohan 

 wished us to receive more ordei"s than we did. Now, m\ Irieutl, 

 do with us just as you think right. Whatever you wish to put 

 in Glea.stxgs will be all right, if you will give us space for a 

 reply in tlie same issue. Should like very much to have written 

 more, but can not now. H. A. Birch. 



South Haven, Mich., June 3, IRSl. 



Of course, a great many orders were received by 

 him for bees possessing such extraordinary quali- 

 ties; and as his prices were also lower than others, 

 as a general thing, quite a considerable sum of 

 money was sent him, as I gather from complaints. 

 Now, to fill orders with bees purchased after such 

 an advertisement, of course would not be honest ; 

 but the worst of it is, he seems not to have done 

 even this; and when he has been asked to return 

 the money, he refuses— or, at least, fails to do this. 

 I supposed he had been unfortunate, and have been 

 trying to help him to pull through; but I am sorry 

 that, for the present at least, I am compelled to sa.v 

 I can no more be responsible for Mr. Burch as I am 

 for the rest of my advertisers. One of his customers, 

 who had sent him over $300 for bees, finally made 

 him a visit. The conductor of the train, at this 

 friend's request, made examination of Mr. Burch's 

 apiary, and the card below is his report: 



De.\r Sir :— RefeiTing to the colonies of bees at Kibbles, thei'e 

 are only 9 left that show any life. Mr. B. is off through the 

 countrj' buying what he can. and perhaps will fill your order. 

 That he has not got them of his own, I am assured, it. B. P. 



Kalamazoo, Mich., May 4, 1881. 



Friend Burch doubtless can help the matter some 

 by explanations; but the best explanation he can 

 make is to return all the money sent him, at once, 

 and to make a full, frank, public confession of his 

 sin against God and his fellow-men, whatever it is. 

 If he will do this, we will all help him, in every way 

 in our power, to get on his feet again. Friend B.,in 

 the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, whom you pro- 

 fess to love and serve, I call upon you to confess 

 your fault, make restitution as far as lies in your 

 power, and stop blaming or speaking unkindly of 

 those who have been so much your friends as to 

 send you their money. 



CITY MARKETS. 



There is an entire absence of tiansactions of comb honey this 

 montli. there being no icinsuni|itive demand; dealers are 

 awaiting the new crop. There ha^ been a little speculative de- 

 mand tui- extracted on account of the anticipated advance in 

 prices, based upon the great losses in bees. Extracted, white 

 clover, sold He. We look for bright opening of the markets on 

 the receipt of new 1-lb. sections. 



Beeswax inactive; prices nominally 20 to 25c. 



Cleveland, O., June 21, 1881. -\. C. Kendel. 



Honey and wax remain about the same as last quoted. The 

 market is fully supplied, and there is a slight downward ten- 

 dency in prices" of honey . 



Beeswax remains firm . Alfred H. Newmas. 



Chicago, III., June 21, 1881. 



No change in the market of honey . Demand slow, and prices 

 nominal . 



Beeswax is quoted at 18g22c on arrival. 



AVith an abundance of white clover, and apparently favorable 

 we.ither, my bees did not collect hai-dly anj- honey last week . 

 No houev coming in now. Ch.is. F. Mvth. 



Cincinnati, () , June 21. 1881. 



■r:EILiDE3I>I3C03\ri3Si 



For Private Lines. Ours excel all oth- 

 ers for lines within their compass. Pat- 

 ented 1878 and 1881. Latest, Jjcst. Dura- 

 ble and reliable. ^^Illustrated Circu- 

 lars and Testimonials free. 

 7 HOLCOMBE & CO., Mallet Creek, O. 



Op' BLACK QUEENS for sale at 25 eta. each, 



Af3 postage paid. 



7 JAMES A. GREEN, Dayton, 111. 



ITALIAN AND ALBINO QUEENS ! 



Untested queens, bred from Imported and Home- 

 bred mothers, 90 cts.; per doz., $9.00, this month. 

 Albino queens, untested, $1.00 each. 

 7 J. M. C. T.\YLOR, Lewistown, Fred'k Co., Md. 



Before Purchasing 



any Italian or Cyprian bees, send for our 30th annu- 

 al price list. Full colonies. Nuclei and Queens, at 

 greatly reduced prices. Also headquarters for Api- 

 arian supplies in New England. 



WM. W. CAliy & SON (formerly Wm. W. Cary), 

 3tfinq Colerain, Franklin Co., Mass. 



At Kansas City, Mo., 



I breed pure Italian bees for sale. I warrant my 

 "Dollar" queens to be mated by pure yellow drones, 

 and guarantee safe arrival and perfect satisfaction. 



Tested Queens, $3 00 



" Dollar •'^ '• 1 00 



ItvUl have no Cyprian queens for sale after July l.'>. 

 Bees, per lb., same prices as Dollar queens. 

 Please address all letters plainly to 

 6tfd E. M. HAYHUKST. P. O. Box 113L 



THE 



British Bee Journal. 



The British Bee Journal is now mailed to our ad- 

 dress in packages, each month. In order to dispose 

 of them, we offer them at present at $1.00 per year, 

 postage paid, beginning Jan. 1881. Will guarantee 

 safe arrival of every Ni>. 



A. I. ROOT, Medina, Ohio. 



