A correspondent of the New York Tribune gives his experience in beekeeping in the following dolorous communication: "Eight years since, when I began farming, deceived by the stories I had heard of the enormous profits to be made from bee-keeping, I purchased four skips of common bees of a neighbor, and three skips of Italians of Mr. Quinby, in movable comb hives. I constructed a number of Langstroth hives, and in due time divided my Italians, and as the black bees swarmed put in the new swarns into the Langstroth hives. I made a bee hat, and rolled up a quantity of tobacco in old muslin. I frequently examined the bees in the frames, by first partly stupefying them by blowing smoke from the rolled tobacco into the hives and then lifting the lids. The common hive I left alone. On the approach of winter the hives were scarcely half-filled, and not a drop of honey was in the boxes. I made a room in the cellar, where I deposited them. The next spring all the honey was consumed, and but three living swarms were left; the combs were mouldy. At the beginning of the next winter I had four living swarms, which by purchase I increased to six. I left them on the stands all winter and in spring five weakly swarms were living. Hoping to obtain some surplus honey, I did not allow them to swarm; but not an ounce did they give me. Thus for five years I continued giving them constant attention, without receiving any surplus, and generally in the winter loosing all the increase of the swarms. That fall I had three weak swarms left, to which I applied the match, obtained a few pounds of honey, and abandoned the business in disgust. In certain favored localities bees may be profitable; but that they, on the majority of farms, can be made as profitable as certain venders of patent hives try to make us believe, I absolutely deny. Like everything else, they are attended with great risk. There is no royal road to wealth. One thing well tended is better than twenty half tended." The above narration is a very suggestive one, and a few comments upon it may prevent others from becoming similarly disgusted with an important and profitable branch of rural industry. In the first place, it is a proof of reprehensible gullibility for any man to be "deceived" into bee-keeping by the lure of "enormous profits." It is only speculative lines of business that ever pay enormously, and the instances of wonderful success are the exception and not the rule. For one who makes a fortune by speculation, there are dozens if not hundreds who lose fortunes in that way. The pursuits of honest industry are worthy of being followed, if they pay fair profits on capital and labor. This they usually do. Something is hazarded in every undertaking, but as a general rule, the investment of capital and the bestowal of labor in industrial pursuits, proves remunerative. Hence men are encouraged to persevere in these directions, notwithstanding occasional and exceptional drawbacks and losses. Bee-keeping belongs to that class of human occupations which promise fairly paying returns for the money and time embarked in them. This is the representation uniformly made of it by all intelligent and practiced apiarians, who with one voice are prepared to warn beginners against the expectation of "enormous profits." multiplication of stocks. They do not appear to have been artificially fed, a most essential precaution when the store of food is insufficient. He had known enough to feed his stocks that first winter, they might all have been kept alive and vigorous, in which case, the second season would have had a very different record, and a prosperous apiary might have existed where now a few deserted hives, redolent of sulphur, proclaim the owner's incompetence and failure. No wonder the business was "abandoned in disgust." But the "disgust" ought to be awakened in view of the want of common-sense and practical skill painfully conspicuous throughout the whole affair. Let no one think these strictures unnecessarily severe. Only failure can be looked for under such circumstances, and it is too bad that an important industry capable of bringing in millions of national wealth every year should be brought into disrepute, by the negligence and Furthermore, bee-keeping requires to be learnt. It is both a science and an art, and no one need anticipate success in it, who does not acquire a competent knowledge of the business. The Tribune's correspondent does not tell us what means he took to qualify himself for the task he undertook. He bought four common hives of bees and three Italians to begin with. This was a very risky thing to do. A beginner should not attempt to manage more than one stock the first season. If he will throughly attend to that, and take every opportunity of making himself familiar with the habits and wants of the busy little workers, he may, by and by, venture to keep more. In beekeeping, as in every thing else, it is incapacity of people who undertake a well to heed the couplet: "Little boats must keep near shore, Larger craft may venture more." Our disappointed apiarian does not inform us what system of management he pursued. He got a bee-hat, a very wise precaution; he smoked the bees with tobacco fumes, which was very foolish, as they stupify the bees instead of taming them; and he "lifted the lids," a necessary step in order to examine the interiors of the hives and perform the requisite operations there, but whether he did anything after the lids were lifted, and if so, what, he does not tell us. We suspect that, like many more who try bee-keeping for a little while only to abandon and speak ill of it, he supposed the bees would take care of themselves, leaving him nothing to do but watch their movements, and pocket the "enormous profits" of the business. His ignorance and incompetence are sufficiently evinced by his winter mismanagement. The bees were stowed away with a meagre supply of honey, owing probably to over task they do not know how to perform, or as the Westerners forcibly express it, "fence in more land than they can till." We have a shrewd suspicion that our disappointed friend is inwardly. conscious his failure is largely his own fault, from his concluding reflection, "one thing well tended, is better than twenty half-tended." To which we beg to add, that in agricultural pursuits twenty things well tended are twenty times better than only one thing well tended. A system of farming such as is known by the name of "mixed husbandry," includes the culture of grain, stock-raising, fruit-growing, dairying, poultry breeding, and, last but not least, bee-keeping, is in the majority of cases the wisest one to pursue. If several branches of profitable rural industry are kept going, it is not likely all will fail. The season that is bad for one branch will be good for another, and thus, from year to year, the operations of the farm will pay. It is as well to remark, in conclusion, that all localities are not equally suit able for bee-keeping. We believe there are few farms on which bees, properly managed, cannot be kept with some profit, but there are neighborhoods, and multitudes of them, peculiarly suited to bees, where perhaps hardly any hives are kept. What we contend for is, that bee-keeping deserves to rank side by side with the other economies of the farm; and we maintain that while "enormous profits" are not to be expected nor cases of failure prevented, there are few investments of time, trouble and outlay that will pay better, if indeed so well, as those connected with a rightly managed apiary. C. Timely Suggestions. The cold nights of this month should remind bee keepers that rugs, mats or quilts are needed on all colonies. Even the strongest are the better for this comfortable provision, and the safety of the weak ones absolutely depends on it. Examine and be sure that no hives have combs of sealed honey in the center. If there are any,an exchange may be profitably made between the empty combs of one colony and the full ones of another. The entrances of all hives may be contracted and mice absolutely shut out. Though the danger is less now than in the spring, still it is best to prevent it. All necessary feeding must be done now, and enough may be given in two or three days to any colony to prevent starvation. We have taken a hive filled with combs without one ounce of honey, put in a good swarm of bees feed them 20 pounds of sugar syrup in three days, had it all taken into the combs and sealed over, and no colony could winter better under any circumstances than did this one. We do not advise this way, as best by any means; but suggest it as possible to those who have colonies that will starve in their present condition. If a colony has too few bees, it is use less to feed it unless it be kept in a 2.00 6 00 Best collection Italian workers.. How much the judges can tell about a queen bee by looking at her caged, any bee man or woman can tell you. She may or may not be prolific, she may be a drone layer, (the very best looking queen we ever saw never produced a worker bee!) How are the judges to decide by her looks whether she is worth the $10.00 premium or is one of the kind which Novice describes as dear if sold three for five cents. We have little doubt that one of the worthless ones would look better to the judges than a pure prolific imported queen. It is often the case that a beautiful bright queen raised from a pure mother is fertilized by a black or hybrid drone, yet this does not effect her looks in the least. Can our judges decide this matter by looking at her in a cage? We think further comment on this head unnecessary. The premiums. usually offered for honey are generally of like character. Some who have taken no pains with their bees may have a box of honey that will please judges better than the honey on exhibition by a bee-keeper who has taken unwearied pains and succeeded in making his bees pay big profit. We have seen this. Until some way is found to remedy this injustice there is little use in bee keepers competing for premiums, although it may, and doubtless does, pay those who wish to make sales to advertise their bees, hives or extracts by exhibiting when such advertisement is not too expensive. T. Honey Markets. CHICAGO.-Choice white comb honey, 28 @30c; fair to good, 24@28c. Extracted, choice white, 14@16c; fair to good, 10@12c ; strained, 8@10c. CINCINNATI.-Quotations from Chas. F. Muth, 976 Central Ave. Comb honey, 15@35c, according to the condition of the honey and the size of the box or frame. Extracted choice white clover honey, 16c. b. ST. LOUIS.-Quotations from W. G. Smith 419 North Main st. 1 am overrun with inquiries for the sale of honey and asking what I will give for honey, etc., and I wish you to say through the JOURNAL for me, once for all, that I do not buy honey at all. I have sold a great deal of honey for parties where they have sent me samples and I have sold from the sample, which I will continue to do and will insure prompt payment for all honey on delivery here, and as the prices are low now I would advise patience to all who have honey to sell as the market is very dull for extracted here. Now, nice box will command 30 cents, and very good sale, and extracted slow at 12 to 16 b. for good to choice. W. G. SMITH. NEW YORK.-Quotations from E. A. Walker, 135 Oakland st., Greenport, L. I. White honey in small glass boxes, 25c; dark 15@20c. Strained honey, 8@12c. Cuban honey, $1.00 gal. St. Domingo, and Mexian, 90@95 gal. SAN FRANCISCO. — Quotations from Stearns and Smith, 423 Front st. Strained Southern Coast, at 7@10c; Comb, 12@20c; the latter figure for San Deigo, in Harbison frames. STEARNS & SMITH. Back Volumes. Complete sets of back volumes are scarce. But few can be procured at any price. We have a set, consisting of the nine volumes (complete), which we offer for sale, either bound or unbound, for a reasonable sum. Many of the numbers we have paid fifty cents each for. to complete them. We have several single volumes (complete) which we will send postpaid for $2.00 each. Several volumes, which lack only a single number of being complete, we will send postpaid for $1.50 each. Vol. 1, we can supply in cloth boards, postpaid, for $1.25. Bound in paper covers, $1.00, postage 10 cents. This volume is worth five times its price to any intelligent bee-keeper. It contains a full elucidation of scientific beekeeping, including the best statement extant of the celebrated Dzierzon theory. These articles run through eight numbers, and are from the pen of the Baron of Berlepsch. Beginners in bee-culture, who desire to read up in the literature of bee-keeping, are earnestly advised to obtain these back volumes. Many of our best apiarians say they would not sell their back volumes of the AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL for ten times the sum they cost, if they could not replace them. They are exceedingly valuable alike to beginners and more advanced apiarians. We want several copies of No. 1, Vol. 2, of the AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, and will pay 50 cents each for them. It will be a source of gratification to us if all those in arrears for the AMERICAN BEE JONRNAL will settle the same as soon as possible. Our increasing circulation vastly increases our regular monthly expenses for paper and printing. "A word to the wise is sufficient." When a subscriber sends money in payment for the AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, he should state to what time he thinks it pays, so that we can compare it with our books, and thus prevent mistakes. The postage on this paper is only twelve cents a year, if paid quarterly or yearly in advance at the post-office where received. We prepay postage to Canada, and require twelve cents extra. Let every one writing this office make all Postal Orders, Drafts or Checks, payable to THOMAS G. NEWMAN. Address everything of whatever nature to THOMAS G. NEWMAN, CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA. Books for Bee-Keepers may be obtained at this office. Not one letter in ten thousand is lost by mail if rightly directed. Single copies of the AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL are worth 20 cents each. Upon the wrapper of every copy of the JOURNAL will be found the date at which subscriptions expire. Any numbers that fail to reach subscribers by fault of mail, we are at all times ready to send, on application, free of charge. The German Bee-Sting Cure can be obtained at this office. Sent by Express for $1.00. It cannot be sent by mail. See notice. Our subscribers in Europe, can now procure Postal Money Orders on Chicago. This plan of sending money is safe and economical. Subscribers wishing to change their postoffice address, should mention their old address, as well as the one to which they wish it changed. Persons writing to this office should either write their Name, Post-office, County and State plainly, or else cut off the label from the wrapper of their paper and enclose it. JOURNALS are forwarded until an explicit order is received by the publishers for the discontinuance, and until payment of all arrearages is made as required by law. Premium Queens. Mrs. Tupper authorises us to say that she will still continue her offer of a tested Italian queen to be sent to anyone who procures four subscribers, and sends the names with $8. This is a rare chance to procure a good queen at absolutely no cost, except the expenditure of time; and those acting as agents will find it easy to secure names for the consolidated JOURNAL during the approaching season of fairs and exposi tions. The queen will be sent promptly on receipt of names and money. Any one ordering a Queen at the time of renewing or subscribing for the JOURNAL, will receive it and the AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL one year for $6. Bee Literature. For practical information in cheap readable form, adapted for experienced bee-keepers, as well as beginners, apply to Italian Bee Com pany, Des Moines, Iowa. On receipt of 25 cents they send pamphlets of value; and for 50 cents a package containing advice, in best form, for beginners, from bee-keepers in all parts of the world. Specimen copies of the BEE JOURNAL 10 centsthree numbers for 25 cents. Letters of inquiry cheerfully answered on receipt of stamp. Address, ITALIAN BEE Co., 66 Des Moines, Iowa. A. WILSON, Marcellus, N. Y., writes:The season here has been a poor one for honey, owing to the absence of white clover. There is not half the amount of honey in the market that there was last year, but they offer only 22 cents per tb for 5 tb caps, last year it wa 28. Bees have swarmed plentifully this year, and laid up stores for winter, but very little cap honey. It is thought the open winter killed most of the white clover." WORCESTER'S UNABRIDGED DICTIONARIES for sale at this office, Price, $10.00 each. We regret to state that Prof. A. J. Cook's valuable articles to beginners, for the last two numbers, were lost in the mail. Mr. H. E. Bidwell's theory of Wintering -will appear in our next. It had not arrived, up to the time of our going to press. To all new subscribers for 1875 we will send the balance of this year FREE. Send on your new names. We have received a Postal Order from Shanon, Wis., in an envelope containing nothing else. We do not know from whom it came, nor for what it was intended. Will some one inform us? |