1895. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



765 



returns and good prices, Mr. Willis sent his honey — about 

 Sept. 1.5. For the same kind of honey he says he had been 

 getting, in his local market, 12 and 123^ cents. November 

 5 he received his prompt (?) returns, the dealer, after deduct- 

 ing 10 per cent, commission and the freight, sending the high 

 (?) price of a trifle over 8 cents per pound, for only 538 

 pounds, claiming that the honey was broken down ! 



Of course, Mr. Willis believes he has been swindled, as he, 

 with three neighbor bee-keepers, saw the honey leave for Chi- 

 cago in good condition, and being well packed, they could see 

 no reason for much, if any, breakage. 



I saw the commission firm in regard to the matter, but of 

 course nothing satisfactory could be secured, and as the 

 amount involved was scarcely worth lawing about, I advised 

 Mr. Willis to drop it. 



Now, out of all this there are several lessons to be learned, 

 and facts to be observed. First, every bee-keeper who sends 

 honey to a commission man is at the mercy of that commis- 

 sion man. Second, no one should be misled by finely-worded 

 circulars soliciting shipments, particularly if the prices 

 quoted are higher than others in the same market quote. 



While I know there are some honorable commission men 

 in Chicago, I also know there are plenty who are not. Hence, 

 I feel sorry for the honey-producer and farmer, who, after 

 working hard to produce a nice crop of anything, are almost 

 compelled to trust their goods to those who have so much 

 chance to take advantage of them. 



Now, as to selling honey on commission, I can only give 

 the oft-repeated advice — don't do it, but sell in your home 

 market if at all possible. If you have no local market, or one 

 not large enough, why not make one and extend it sufficiently 

 to take your crop ? 



Of course, I know that where a bee-keeper produces 10 

 or 20 tons of honey he can't sell it all at home. I5ut such can 

 afford to look up responsible city firms to handle the crop. It 

 is generally the small shipper that has to lose, for usually the 

 loss is scarcely large enough to warrant making trouble for 

 the dealer, and yet it is sufficiently large in many cases to be 

 keenly felt by the producer. 



Let me say, it is always safer, before shipping to any new 



commission firm who pretend to be able to do better than 



those well-known, to enquire whether it be true that they are 



the men that determine the prices in their market. As in Mr. 



Willis' case, it may prove to be a firm who are new in the 



business, and who have much to learn ere they reach the 



height to which, in their own estimation, they have already 



attained. 



■*-»~»- 



Father Langstrotli's Bee-Library is for sale. 

 It consists of about 100 volumes, dating from 1579 to 1891 

 — over 800 years. The works are in English, French, Ger- 

 man and Italian. This Library is about the only thing of 

 value that our lamented Langstroth left, and it is desired that 

 it shall realize to his heirs as large a sum as possible. 



I have thought that possibly some State Agricultural Col- 

 lege might purchase it, as such an institution likely could 

 afford to pay more nearly its value than could any single in- 

 dividual. It is probably the finest collection of apiarian 

 works in this country, and would be a rich thiug for any insti- 

 tution to add to a growing library. 



It was Father Langstroth's wish that his bee-library 

 always should be kept together — not sold a volume here and a 

 volume there. It contains some very rare books on the sub- 

 ject of bees — some that very likely cannot be found elsewhere. 

 On this account it is indeed of high value. •> 



After the death of Father Langstroth, I wrote his wid- 

 owed daughter — Mrs. Cowan — asking if there was anything I 

 could do to aid her. She replied that may be I could help her 

 dispose of her father's large bee-library. That explains why 

 I take this way of calling attention to the matter. 



Now, will those who have any influence with managers of 

 schools and libraries please bring this to their notice, and en- 

 deavor to have some one of them make the purchase ? I think 

 probably it would be as well to invite bids for it, and the 

 highest to claim the prize. Let it be understood, however, 

 that Mrs. Cowan reserves the right to reject any or all bids. 

 This will be eminently fair to all. Please mail the bids to the 

 American Bee Journal, 56 Fifth Ave., Chicago, 111. 



In order that all may know what they are bidding on, I 

 append a list of the books in the 



BEE-LIBUAKV OF THE LATE REV. 



L. LANGSTROTH. 



Hyll on Bees, by Thomas Hyll, 1579. 



Four books on Husbandrie. One of the rarest old agricultural 



works in the English language. 

 Hiresbachn Husbandrie. by Googe, 158(i. 

 History of Bees, by Charles Butler; 3 Vols., lC3,'i-ltJ34. 

 Insectorum, by De Novert, 103-t. 

 Legacies of Husbandry, by Hartlib, 105.5. 

 Bees, by Moses Rusden, 10T9. 

 Mystery of Husbandry, by J. W. Gent, ItJST. 

 Apiarian, by J. W. Gent, IGfll. 

 History of Bees, by Charles Butler. 1704. 

 Trait Des Abeilles, by M. D. L. S. Fretre, 1720. 

 Complete Bee-Master, by John Gedde. 1721. 



True Amazons, or Monarchy of Bees, by Joseph Warder, 1730-176.5. 

 Biblia Naturi, Vols. 1 and 2, by Jan Swammerdam, 173S. 

 Female Monarchy, by John Thorley, 1740. 

 Essay on Management of Bees, by John Mills, 1760. 

 Wildman on Bees, by Thomas Wildman, 170S-1770. 

 Les Abeilles— Poeme traduit de I'ltalien, by De JeanRucellai, 1770. 

 Scbirach's Bien^nzucht, by Johann George Bogel, 1774. 

 Key's Bee-Master, by John Keys, 1780-1790. 

 Rei Rustic-e Scriptores, 4 Vols., 1787. 

 Bees, by James Bonner, 1795. 



Natural and Enigmatical History of Bees, From Reaumur, 1800. 

 Management of Bees, by Daniel Wildman, 1801. 

 Les Abeilles, by M. Lambord. 1802. 

 Insectorum, 3 Vols,, by Maximilianus Spinola, 1809. 

 Ruche Francaise, by Barembey, 1811. 

 Bee-Preserver, by Jonas DeGelius, 1829. 

 Management of Bees, by James Tbacker, 1829. 

 Fragments D'Hubert sur les Abeilles, by M. LeD'Mayraux, 1839. 

 An Essay on Bees, by Jerome and C. Smith, 1831. 

 Humanity of Bees, by Thomas Nutt, 1839. 

 Sur Les Abeilles, by Francois Huber, 1840. 

 Weeks on Bees, by John M. Weeks, 1840. 

 Wighton on Bees, by John Wighton, 1842. 

 Conservateur Des Abeilles. by Jonas de Gelius, 184.3. 

 Bar and Frame Hive, by Munn, 1844-1851. 

 Huish on Bees, by Robert Huish, 1844. 

 The Shilling Bee-Book, by R. Golding, 1847-1S4S. 

 Humanity to the Honey-Bee, by Townley, 1848. 

 Artificial Swarms of Bees, by Edward Scudamore, M. D., 1848. 

 American Bee-Keepers' Manual, by T. B, Miner, 1849, 

 Taylor's Bee-Keepers' Manual, by Henry Taylor, 1850-1860. 

 Milton's Practical Bee-Keeper, by John Milton, 1851. 

 English Bee-Keeper. by a Country Curate, 1851. 

 Hive and Honey-Bee, by L. L. Langstroth, 18.53. 

 Hive and Honev-Bee. by H. D. Richardson, 1853. 

 Bee-Keepers' Handy-Book, by Henry Alley, 1855. 

 Des Abeilles, 1855. 



L'Education des Abeilles, by Jean Francois Roux. 1856. 

 Manual for Managing Bees, by John M. Weeks, 18.57. 

 Guide De L'Apiculteur, by M. Debeauvois, 1856-1863. 

 Bees and White Ants, by Dionysius Lardner, 1856. 

 Bee-Keepers' Chart, by B. W. Phelp,, 3 copies, 1858. 

 Cours D'Apiculteur. by H. Hamet, 18.59-1866. 

 The Honey-Bee. by James Samuelson, 1860. 

 Bees, by J, G. Wood, 18.53-1862. 

 L'Apiculteur. by Hamet, 1856 to 1864. 

 Bees and Bee-Keeping, by W. C. Harbison, 1860. 

 Traite D'Apiculteur Pratique, Jean Baudet, 1860. 

 Bees, by H. Hamet, 1861. 



Bee-Keepers' Dictionary, by J. S. Harbison, 1861. 

 Key to Bee-Keeping, by M. Metcalf, 1863. 

 Bee-Keeping, by Times Bee-Master. 1S64. 

 Secrets of Bee-Keeping, by R. P. Kidder, 1863-1868. 

 Des Abeilles, by H. Hamet, 1864. 

 Pratique Complete D'Apiculteur, Par un President d'un Cornice 



Agricole du Finestere. 1864. „,,,.,,.„ 



Bee-Keepers' Text-Book, N. H. and H. A. King, 1864-18(h 1809- 



1872-1 S78. 

 The Apiary, by Neighbour, 186.5-1866. 

 Italian Bee-Book, by R. P. Kidder, 1865. 

 Bee-Keeping, by Quinby. 1865. 

 L'Abeille. Dr. F. Mouiu. 1866. 

 The British Bee, by W. E. Sbuckard. 1866. 

 Handy Book of Bees, A. Pettigrew, 2 copies, 1870. 

 Bevan on Honey-Bee. by W. A. Munn, 1870. 

 L'Apiculteur, by M. H. Hamet, 1871. 

 Annals of Bee-Culture, by D. L. Adair, 1872. 

 Bee-Keepers' Magazine, Vols. 1 to 5, bound, 1873 to 18i r. 

 A Manual of Bee-Keeping, by John Hunter, 1876. 

 The Blessed Bees, by John Allen. 1S7S. 

 Manual of the Apiary, by Cook, 1879. 

 Quinby's New Bee-Keeping, by L. C. Root, 1879. 

 Bees and Honey, by Thomas G. Newman, 1883. 

 American Apiculturist, 1883-1884. 

 Hive and Honey-Bee. by Langstroth, 1884. 

 Dictionary of Practical Apiculture, by John Phin, 1884. 

 A Practical Treatise ou Bee-Culture, by Rev. Wm. Ballantyne, 1881 

 Bird'sEye View of Bee-Keeping, by Rev. Wm. F. Clarke, 18S6. 

 Hive and Honey-Bee, by Langstroth, 1888. 

 Bee-Keepers' Guide, by Prof. A. J, Cook, 1888. 

 A B C of Bee-Culture, by A. I. Root, 1891. 



