444 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



.Sept. 



weeks, Imrning every thing up, and one would 

 naturally suppose bees are doing no good. From the 

 15th of May to the 13th of July they did remarkably 

 well for this section, raising brood in abundance, 

 and storing considerable honey in the broodncst. 

 But to-day their storehouse is as barren as the des- 

 ert; have no pjllen either. The only h'pes T have 

 arc in feeding them until it commences to rain. If 

 it don't rain very soon they can not gather any 

 stores for winter; and hence, feeding is the only 

 salvation. AV. C. Havely. 



Falls City, Nebr., July ^'5, 1881. 



H. A. BURCH & CO 



KHIKNI) HEDDON S REVIEW OF THE M.VTTEJl. 



fRIEND ROOT: -As one who has no ill will 

 against any one, and a lively interest in uni- 

 — ■ versal justice, 1 wish to remonstrate against 

 the practice of vicarious financial atonement, as 

 proposed by you in case Mr. Burch should fail to 

 satisfy those who have sent him money for bee- 

 keepers' supplies. Because Mr. B. advertised with 

 you, is that any reason why you should become re- 

 sponsible for his good luck, good .iudgment, good 

 management, good health, or good intentions, any 

 or all of which, the whereof might cause Mr. B. to 

 fail? You have given a list of some of those who 

 complain of loss. Before you can consistently pay 

 these men, you must first have positive proof re- 

 garding the transaction. ]f a man ordered bees 

 last April, and Mr. B. ships them this fall, there is 

 certainly a loss, which might amount to as much, or 

 more, than all the money sent. How much are you 

 going to pay in such cases? How d) you determine 

 that the purchaser ever patronized or even looked 

 into your Gleanings? How do j'ouknow but that he 

 saw Mr. B.'s ad. in some other paper? Are you not 

 a little reckless in proposing such a performance? 

 If you continue to make such proposals, had j'ounot 

 better carcfuUn consult a reporter who liiinca the 

 standing of each one who proposes to advertise, be- 

 fore you accept the advertisement? Would it not 

 be still better, when an ad. is proffered, to get (un- 

 known to the dealer) a report of bis stability, and 

 insert It with the ad., and then let us take our 

 chances? We then know as much about the matter 

 as you do, or can. I hardly think that many of 

 these complainants would desire your interests sac- 

 rificed to theirs, in a matter in whose financial in- 

 terests you play so minor a part. I am sure I would 

 not ha"\'e the stain on my memory of taking a cent 

 from you. Your agreeing to become responsible, 

 makes no difference as to the justice in the matter. 

 In my opinion, martyrdom never paid a dividend, on 

 the investment to any of the parties concerned. 

 Never! 



In regard to this failure of Mr. Burch, numerous 

 parties have written to me to find out what I kuow 

 about the firm, stating that they saw my " recom- 

 mend" in his circular, and knowing I Jived in an ad- 

 joining county. Will you give me space to say to 

 such inquirers, that in the fall of 1880 I visited Mr. 

 B.'s apiary, and found not only system and order, 

 but as fine-looking and active bees as I ever saw 

 anywhere. These cclonies had been carefully fed 

 during that season, under the skillful management 

 of Mr. King, of South Haven, as directed by Mr. 

 Burch. I never visited an apiary which was more 

 universally "(/ircr-bfOifkfZ." I made these remarks 



to Mr. B., and during the winter he asked me if I 

 was willing to state this truth to the public through 

 his circular? Notwithstanding he was selling full 

 colonies at loss price than I could afford to (thus 

 making my recommend of his bees work against my 

 own interest), I could not crawl into so small a place 

 as to refuse my signature to a fuc-t, and gave it. I 

 recommended the bees only. 



In regard to the financial standing of Mr. B., I 

 know nothing. I make it a point to trust men with 

 great caution till I do. What business of trust I 

 have over had with Mr. B., has always been fully 

 and promptly discharged. I ne\er heard of his fail- 

 ure to fill orders received till within the last sixty 

 days. I know no more of the jcisok why he fails to 

 ship, than any other man. I do not even know who 

 "Co." is. From my aequiintance with Mr. B , 1 am 

 inclined to think he intends to ship his orders to the 

 best of his ability. I think his mistake has been in 

 overestimating his ability to supply, or underesti- 

 mating the demand at the prices he ([uotcd bees— 

 probably both. 



Such stock as Mr. B. advertised was worth mc re, 

 and cost more, than the price he put upon them. 

 Eager to avail themselves of a good bargain, orders 

 and money came in,/ar in rjccexs of Mr. B.'s ability 

 to supply, after the winter had reduced his fine large 

 apiary to fifteen surviving colonies, which, 1 am 

 credibly informed, was the case. I want to say here, 

 that those who have had no experience have but a 

 faint idea of the amount ot cash, cost, and labor, in- 

 volved in a season's dealing in supplies. AVithout 

 great rati ion, as well as gccd judgment, one is 

 very apt to far overestimate his ability to fill all 

 these odd-sized and coniplicafed orders with prompt- 

 ness. To do so requires ni) MiKill capital. The man 

 who expects to use his remittance money to carry 

 stock with, will run a short race in the business, and 

 wind up covered with blame. ]f tact is required to 

 successfully produce honey, the cssrnrc of it is 

 demanded to successfully "supply producers, and 

 give satisfaction to the reasonable," to say noth- 

 ing of the growls of that cbiss who are totally bereft 

 of that grandest of all God's gifts. I think there 

 are few men among our ranks who will willfully bc- 

 traj' the confidence of him who sends his money 

 confidingly to a stranger. AVhen one that pl.ices all 

 the power in you, can you but do cnrij thiuu within 

 the bounds of reason and justice to satisfy him? In 

 my judgment, more failures and consequent losses 

 aiise from too much hope and too little caution, than 

 from all other sources. Hope may be called mental 

 ease; cautinn, mental energy. 



We all sincerely hope that the next 30 days will put 

 a brighter look upon the face of this first failure in 

 the ranks of reputable dealers in our goods. How- 

 ever luiable any of us may have been to do so in the 

 past, let us all strive to do exact justice to each 

 other in the future. James Hh-Udon. 



Dowagiac, Mich., Aug. 5, 18S1. 



Many thanks, friend II., for so kindly tak- 

 ing iny part. 1 do not propose, as I have 

 already said, making good the losses of my 

 advertisers l)y delays in shipping, etc., but! 

 do propose to payback tlie money any one 

 may lose l)y sending it to some one who 

 makes no returns for the money sent. In 

 doing this, I only try to do as t wonltl be 

 done by. If I go into the store of some one 

 I know and rely upon, and some person in 

 that store takes my money and returns me 



