July 6, 1899. 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



425 



How long- do you think it would take to get bee-supplies 

 from Chicago to Dubuque. Iowa ? I may need a great many 

 next year. I know how long it takes to get anything else. 

 as I have a great deal of stuff to come and go by freight and 

 express. Subscriber. 



We think that we need only answer the question in the 

 last paragraph above. If tlie bee-supply dealer in Chicago 

 has the desired goods in stock, it ought not to take much 

 longer for an order for bee-supplies to be filled from Chi- 

 cago than for any other kind of goods. But sometimes it 

 happens that dealers or branch offices run out of stock, and 

 have then to wait until a new supply comes from the fac- 

 tory. This may cause delay in some cases. 



But, ordinarily, we think our advertisers mean to be 

 prompt in caring for their business. Still, this season we 

 have had the most complaint against certain queen-breed- 

 ers. It seems that at least one of them not only did not 

 send queens, but was terribly slow in returning money. 

 Now, it seems to us that if queens cannot be sent promptly 

 when ordered, the customer should be notified, and if he 

 cannot wait, then return his money so he can order else- 

 where. It is very annoying, and may cause loss of colo- 

 nies, when queens are not received when expected. Queen- 

 breeders cannot be too careful to be prompt at all times. A 

 prompt, straight-dealing advertiser may not be a " thing of 

 beauty," but he may be " a joy forever" — or at least so 

 long as he advertises and does business. 



Some Honey in 1899— Diseased Brood Prof. A. J. 



Cook, of Los Angeles Co., Calif., writing us June 20, had 

 this to say in regard to these two subjects : 



I find as I go out for flowers nearly every day the bees 

 are very actively at work on the white sage — Ramona poly- 

 stachia. The bee-keepers along the hills are all sending 

 very fine comb honey to our grocery stores, which readily 

 sells at 12,'2 cents a pound, and this, too, altho the sections 

 are far from being well filled. I should have said per sec- 

 tion instead of per pound, as all sections sell for 12!2 cents, 

 no matter how light ; this is what the groceryman pays, 

 and not what he sells for. We see, then, that what I sug- 

 gested at the beginning of the season has proved true. The 

 we have less rain than last year, it came at such favorable 

 times that we shall yet get something of a honey crop. 



I still am receiving many samples of diseased brood 

 from bee-keepers, not only in California, but from those in 

 Arizona. With the specimen often comes the information 

 that there is plenty of honey in the hives, and that there 

 could not possibly be any starvation among the bees. This 

 is certainly a very important matter. This disease is en- 

 tirely difi'erent from foul brood. It certainly seems as if 

 the bees die from some cause not understood, and then de- 

 cay by natural processes sets in. The important question 

 to determine is what makes the brood die. In all cases 

 which I have examined about here, there seems to be none 

 of this trouble, altho in 1894 I saw not a little of it among 

 the bees here. If the malady is the same that was so preva- 

 lent then, we may certainly hope and believe that it will not 

 be of long duration. I quite believe that it was a benefit to 

 me in that year, as it thinned out the bees when numbers 

 were of no account, and so it was necessary to feed less. I 

 had to feed my bees to save them, and as soon as I com- 

 menced to feed the disease disappeared. A. J. Cook. 



Bees Averse to Dark Color.— We have just learned 

 that there is a large bee-keeper in Quincy, 111., who is also 

 an extensive poultryman. He has given up the raising of 

 black and dark-colored chickens because the bees sting them 

 so. He will raise the white and lighter-colored varieties 

 hereafter. Who was it that said all colors look alike to 

 bees, and that they would not sting dark objects any more 

 than light ones? 



The Premiums offered on page 426 are well worth work- 

 ing for. Look at them. 



Mr. J. M. Hambaugh, of San Diego Co., Calif., wrote 

 us June 20 : 



"We will have one-fourth crop of honey in some locali- 

 ties in this county ; in other localities bees are starving." 



♦ » ♦ ♦ * 



Mr. Henry Alley, of Esses Co., Mass., wrote us June 

 24: 



" We have had plentj' of rain lately, but the white 

 clover was ruined before the rain came. Bees are idle." 



* * * # ♦ 



Mr. J. T. Hairston, of Cherokee Nation, Ind. Te -., 

 writing us June 22, said : 



" My bees are doing nicely. I have 122 colonies f ro n 

 two four years ago. I prize the ' Old Reliable ' highly." 



• ♦ » » » 



Mr. S. A. NivER, of Tompkins Co., N. Y., made a two- 

 days' visit recently to The A. I. Root Co. Mr. Niver is a 

 brother-in-law of the late Miles Morton, of the same State. 

 He (Mr. N.) has a well-earned reputation for being one of 

 the best honey salesmen known. We have met him, and — 

 "he's — all — right." 



« ♦ ♦ * ♦ 



M.\TE Williams, of Wadena Co., Minn., writing us June 

 20, reported : 



"It has rained nearly every day or night so far this 

 month. The raspberries are in bloom again. Last year I 

 sent raspberry extracted honey to Omaha, and it was 

 awarded a silver medal and a diploma, of which I am very 

 proud." 



* • * # » 



Mr. J. H. Martin (Rambler) has this paragraph in 

 Gleanings in Bee-Culture for June 15. about orange-blos- 

 som and sage honey : 



"Several tons of honey have been harvested near 

 Riverside, where the bees had access to the orange-orchards. 

 The orange-blossoms yielded a good amount of nectar this 

 year. A limited amount of sage honey is coming into the 

 Los Angeles market, showing that there are a few favored 

 locations. There will be hardly enough, I think, for home 

 consumption." 



♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ 



Dr. a. B. Mason, of Toledo, Ohio, Secretary of the 

 United States Bee-Keepers' Association, wiote us June 26 : 



" For the last two days the bees have been getting a 

 little surplus — the first this season. Basswood and white 

 clover yield none, but sweet clover is giving the bees a lit- 

 tle to do — not much." 



Next week we will be able to make some announcement 

 as to the railroad rates, etc., for the Philadelphia conven- 

 tion in September. Look out for them. 



♦ * ♦ ♦ » 



Mr. D. W. Hkisk is outrageously slandered in the June 

 Canadian Bee Journal. A correspondent, referring to his 

 humor, quietly asks : " Is Heise not a German ?" In reply, 

 Editor Holtermann makes this public accusation : 



" Yes, Heise is certainly a German. I do not know if 

 he ever waylaid an Irishman and stole his wit, or how he 

 acquired it, but we may rest assured he never came by it 

 honestly." 



Now, being somewhat German ourselves, we feel like 

 helping Mr. Heise. The idea of a German having to steal 

 wit of an Irishman in order to possess any ! We wonder 

 where Editor Holtermann has been all his life I We hope 

 the next time they meet, Mr. Heise will show Mr. Holter- 

 mann the difference between German and Irish wit. If the 

 meeting-place shall be in Philadelphia, about Sept. 5, 6 and 

 7, we will try to be on hand to help Mr. Heise. in case he 

 needs any assistance when he attempts to put a Dutch 

 " Holter " on that "Irish" " mann " of the Canadian Bee 

 Journal ! 



