THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW, 



87 



Correspondents, subscribers,, advertisers, 

 friends, most sincerely do we thank you all 

 for helping us to make the Review what it is. 



THE FOLLY OF CUTTING PRICES. 



In the April Guide, Bro. Hill has a well 

 written editorial upon the folly of cutting 

 prices on apiarian goods. Every little while 

 some man imagines that there is a small 

 fortune in the manufacture of these goods, 

 and at it he goes. To secure trade, prices 

 are cut. Others must, or do, follow suit. 

 Then, to avoid loss, the wits are set to work 

 cheapening the goods. Cheaper help and 

 materials must be employed. The result is 

 an era of cheapness that is of no real benefit 

 to anyone. Even Bro. Root, of Gleanings, 

 who makes quite a hobby of cheap goods 

 and low prices, found the price of sections 

 going too low last winter to suit him ; and, 

 by correspondence with other manufacturers, 

 was instrumental in keeping the price of 

 one-piece sections from sinking below $3.00. 

 Although a little foreign, perhaps, to this 

 subject, we wish, as an illustration, to refer 

 to the Bingham smoker. Its manufacturer 

 enjoyes the protectioii afforded by a patent. 

 He can go ahead and use the best materials, 

 do the work in the best possible manner, 

 and put the smoker upon the market at a 

 fair profit; with no fear that some Tom, 

 Dick, or Harry will come out with " Bing- 

 ham smokers at fifty cents." — smokers that 

 would go " rackelty shackelty " within a 

 year. In the manufacture and sale of good 

 articles at a living profit there is some 

 comfort ; an opportunity for the exercise of 

 a laudable pride ; it arouses one's best fac- 

 ulties. To cut prices is something requiring 

 no skill, and is an operation of which no 

 one need feel proud. This cutting of prices, 

 however, is not confined to the supply dealers 

 alone ; it has also become the bane bee-jour- 

 nalism. Subscription rates have been cut 

 down until the number of journals, that 

 could maintain their existence independent 

 of the supply business, is exceedingly small. 

 Instead of attempting competition through 

 superiority ; using new type, fine paper, 

 good ink, doing superior press work, and, 

 above all, securing the most valuable infor- 

 mation, there has been too much cutting of 

 prices and its attendeut competition of 

 cheapness. When an intelligent bee-keeper 

 finds a journal to his liking, one of real ben- 



efit in his business, he does not cast it aside 

 because the price is a few paltry dimes more 

 than that of some "cheap " paper. We are 

 happy to say that the price of the Review 

 includes a fair profit ; were it otherwise, the 

 price would be raised immediately. 



COMFOKTS AND CONVENIENCES IN THE APIAEY. 



By these we mean those things not abso- 

 lutely essential to success, but that serve to 

 render more smooth and pleasant the some- 

 what "thorny" path trodden by the bee- 

 keeper. To illustrate : Gleanings lately 

 gave a description of a cart used by H. R. 

 Boardman in carrying bees to and from the 

 cellar or about the yard. There is no neces- 

 sity for even lifting the hives to place them 

 on the cart ; it picks them up itself, or can 

 be made to. Gleanings also described, 

 some time ago, a device used by J. A. Green 

 for opening the honey house door by simply 

 stepping upon a pedal. When both hands 

 and a,rms are occupied with tools, a case of 

 honey, or something of this sort, such an 

 arrangement is quite a comfort. Ernest 

 Root has mentioned having a spring bottom 

 oil can filled with kerosene to squirt on the 

 fuel in the smoker when "firing up." Sup- 

 pose we have a number of the Review devo- 

 ted to an enumeration and description of 

 these little comforts. Let's begin with the 

 bee-keeper himself, or rather with his cloth- 

 ing, as his comfort is largely dependent 

 upon this. To begin at the feet, we prefer, 

 when there is much shaking and brushing of 

 bees to be done, to wear very light calf skin 

 boots with the trousers tucked inside. When 

 shoes are worn the trousers must be tucked 

 inside the stockings (which looks so out- 

 landish) or else " dose innocent pees vas 

 grawling mine drousers among," which be- 

 gets a feeling far from comfortable. We 

 don't believe in sacraficing very much com- 

 fort for the sake of appearances, but ive 

 couldn't be comfortable working day after 

 day tricked out like a clown or a scare-crow. 

 When the grass is wet, we wear rubViers over 

 the boots. In the heat of the working sea- 

 son, we wear heavy linen trousers, a white 

 cotton shirt, and a straw hat. We have seen 

 the wearing of light woolen clothing recom- 

 mended, but have never given it a trial. 

 Ernest Root mentions the comfort he has 

 derived from the wearing of light under 



