1550 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 15 



GLEANINGS PLANS 

 FOR 1907. 



We do not think it a good practice to outline our 

 plans in advance, for often circumstances arise which 

 hinder carrjing them out exactly as we have planned. 

 Nevertheless we want to biingto the attention of our 

 readers in a general way some things relative to 

 Gleanings for the coming year. 



Advertising. 



Beginning with the present issue we call your atten- 

 tion to the offer made on page 1546, under the heading 

 "A Square Deal." We have always taken extreme 

 care to admit none but reliable advertisers in our 

 paper, and we know this has been appreciated by our 

 readers. Going to the expense we do to see that none 

 but reliable parties are found in our advertising col- 

 umns, we want to ask our readers to mention Glean- 

 ings whenever writing, and to patronize our adver- 

 tisers whenever it is possible to do so. Just to-day a 

 prominent advertiser who has used Gleanings in 

 connection with a number of other papers, both maga- 

 zines and agricultural papers, remarked that, all 

 things considered, ^leanings in Bee Culture is 

 undoubtedly better than any other paper he uses. 



New Equipment. 



Mention has already been made of the new facilities 

 we have for printing this number being printed 

 entirely in our new press-room, and largely on our 

 new press. With these increased facilities it naturally 

 follows that we expect to make Gleanings verj; much 

 better typographically than ever before; and if you 

 have been pleased with Gleanings in the past in this 

 respect, we are sure you will be in the year to come. 



Earlier Mailing. 



It has been an annoyance to some subscribers, when 

 they have waited until the usual time for Gleanings, 

 not to receive it, and to have to send a postal-card 

 request for a certain issue. These late mailings have 

 been occasioned by the overcrowding of our old rooms, 

 and we hope that this number is the last one that will 

 come out so late. At the same time, it has been rather 

 pleasing to us to know that Gleanings is of so much 

 value that it is missed when it fails to reach a sub- 

 scriber promptly. 



The same applies to missing numbers. We can not, 

 of course, be sure that everv number mailed will reach 

 the party addressed, and yet we frequently have a card 

 from a subscriber saying that he had not missed a 

 number in many years. We are always glad to supply 

 missing numbers if the stock has not been exhausted 

 when the request reaches us. 



Sample Copies. 



During the past year many subscribers have given us 

 the names of one or two of their friends to whom they 

 wished sample copies sent, many times asking for a 

 certain issue containing an article in which their 

 friends would be interested. We are always glad to 

 send such samples on request if the remaining stock is 

 sufficient. Of many numbers through the early part 

 of the season we are no longer able to supply samples, 

 as the demand was unusual for these after the regular 

 numbers were sent out. When you want sample copies 

 sent to any of your friends, do not hesitate to give us 

 their names. We send any reasonable number with- 

 out charge. 



Circulation. 



We think it will be a matter of interest, to many of 

 our older readers especially, to know that the average 

 circulation for the past year has been a little over 

 30,000 per issue. The actual number on the mailing 

 list now is 26,428. The remaining numbers are used 

 for sample-copy requests, distribution at fairs, bee and 

 poultry shows bound volumes, etc. It has been only 

 by the cooperation of our subscribers that we have 

 been able to increase the circulation so much during 

 the last few years, and we appreciate very much the 

 pait that our subscribers have had in this work. 



Premium Offers. 



Very many times a subscriber desires to send in the 

 name of a bee-keeping friend for a six months' or a 

 yearly subscription when sending in his own. To 

 those who are interested in rates for this purpose, we 

 refer to our special offers on page 1551. 



Clubbing Offers. 



It is very much the fashion nowadays to send in 

 orders for all the papers desired by the family to one 

 publisher, securing thereby some of the best bargains. 

 It this issue you .will find our Gleanings clubbing 



offers on page 1552. If you do not see just what you 

 want on this page, you may make up your own clubs 

 from the list on page 1,S53. If not interested in either 

 of these, perhaps the premium offers on page 1551 will 

 appeal to you. 



Bound Volumes. 



At this season of the year many are making inquiry 

 with reference to the price oi a bound volume of 

 Gleanings. We furnish complete bound volumes 

 for 1906 at $1.50 each, postage 50 cts. If you return 

 complete 1906 volumes to this office, we will furnish 

 you a bound volume in exchange for 50 cts., postage 

 50 cts. extra. A sheet giving prices of former volumes 

 will be furnished on application. 



Illustrations. 



During the past season, and earlier, we have secured 

 a large number of very interesting photographs relat- 

 ing to some phase of bee culture from all parts of this 

 and other countries; and, while a large number of these 

 have been shown during tne past year, we have at this 

 time many more which will appear during the coming 

 year, in many cases with descriptive articles, so that 

 Gleanings will be fully illustrated as usual. 



Photo Contests. 



The interest in these has been such that we are 

 warranted in announcing a contest for 1907, which will 

 be found in the January 1st issue. This will probably 

 be divided into several classes, similar to the ones an- 

 nounced during the past year. 



Contributors. 



In addition to the regular department editors, whose 

 names are well known, and are found on page 1546, we 

 have a large number of well-known correspondents 

 who will send in contributions from time to time. 

 Among these we mention A ana Botsford Comstock, 

 Dr. Edward F. Bigelow, Allen Latham, E. W. Alex- 

 ander, E. F. At water, J. E. Chambers, M. A. Gill, C. 

 A. Hatch, W. K. Morrison. Dr. D. E. Lyon, Sam'l 

 Simmins, L- Stachelhausen, E. D. Townsend,Wm. M 

 Whitney, and a host of others, many of them as well 

 known as the foregoing writers. 



Honey Market. 



Plans are under way for materially changing the 

 form in which quotations of the Tarious honey markets 

 appear in Gleanings, and by which we hope to ren- 

 der our subscribers a still more valuable service. We 

 shall appreciate it very much if we can have brief let- 

 ters from our subscribers, telling just what they would 

 like to see in the way of reports on the honey market. 



Reports of the Honey Crop. 



Criticism was recently noticed of the honey-crop 

 reports found in Gleanings the past year, which is 

 mentioned editorially in this issue. We believe that, 

 in spite of some omissions or inaccuracies, no other 

 paper of any class has ever given such reliable reports 

 of the actual crop in this country as has Gleanings, 

 and yet we expect the coming season to be able to re- 

 port the crop still earlier and better than ever before, 

 and we ask the cooperation of our subscribers in this 

 also. Suggestions early in the season as to the form 

 in which refjorts should be given will be appreciated, 

 whether it is desired to have reports from a large 

 number of individuals in same issue of the paper or 

 whether a general survey of the crop conditions by 

 States would be sufficient. 



Service Department. 



It frequently happens that, with our correspondents 

 in various large cities of the United States, we can 

 render valuable service to some subscriber in a distant 

 part of the country. For instance, a few months ago 

 a subscriber made a shipment of honey to a well- 

 known buyer in one of the large cities of the East. On 

 arrival the car was refused, having been damaged in 

 transit. The shipper was at least two thousand miles 

 away from the car, and charges would be accumulating 

 rapidly on the same; besides, the honey was leaking 

 badly and needed attention. He wired us, asking us 

 to look after his interests We were able to do this 

 without difficulty, and the following is a report we re- 

 ceived from him a few days later: ' • We wish to assure 

 you that we appreciate fully your prompt action in 

 this matter. Somehow, we were glad you were near 

 at hand when we were advised of the wrecked condi- 

 tion of the car of honey. We felt that there was some 

 one near that we could depend upon, and we are not 

 disappointed. That was the best of it all. Thank you 

 ag^ain." 



When we can be of service to you in any way in any 

 part of the country where we have offices or facilities 

 for helping you, we shall be glad to have vou call on us. 



