EDITORIAL.
Some of our readers being beginners, are often perplexed to know just what methods of the many different ones advocated by our contributors will be the best for their individual needs. Now, there are many methods of manipulating bees and hives, any one of which followed out will bring success. Take “Wintering” for instance. Some of the most successful bee-keepers winter out-doors. Others in-doors. Some with chaff hives; hives with air spaces or with outside winter cases. Some winter in cellars, and others in special depositories or in bee houses. Each method has its strong supporters.
About the only thing to be considered in adopting either method is the climatic location. For instance, bees in the Southern states will not winter well in cellars, nor are chaff hives necessary, while in the Northern states, outside cases packed, dead air spaces, chaff hives or in-door wintering is a necessity.
A great many letters of complaint have been received from persons to whom we have been sending the Bee-Keeper, because we asked them to pay for it. Many of them say they never subscribed and do not think they should be compelled to pay. We do not send this magazine to anyone unless ordered to do so, excepting to the former subscribers of the Advance Bee-Hive and Bee World, whose subscription lists we have purchased, and we have continued after their original subscriptions have expired, excepting when ordered to stop doing so by the subscribers themselves. We have frequently mentioned the necessity of ordering us to stop if the magazine was not wanted, and have sent postal card notices to to those whose subscriptions have expired six months back or more. Now, we do not wish any one to take this magazine against their wishes, nor pay for it either, but we do wish you would notify us on a postal card or otherwise, if you want it stopped when your subscription expires.
The Paddock Pure Food Bill now before the United States Senate is one in which every bee-keeper should be interested. The bill provides for the prevention, by government inspection, of the mis-branding or mis-labelling of all articles of food and drugs. In other words, if a can containing honey is marked “Pure Honey,” it will necessarily be exactly what the name implies, and not an adulteration.
We have been making an extensive inquiry as to the styles of hives in most general use throughout the country, especially in the Eastern and Middle states, and we wish our friends would send in their views in regard to the advantages of the Simplicity or Langstroth style of hives over the old style box hives. Send it to us either as a regular contribution or correspondence for publication.
We notice in Gleanings, The Review, Progressive Bee-Keeper and other journals the “ad.” of the “Chicago Bee-Keeper’s Supply Company,” in which they state their office as being 68-70 South Canal Street., Chicago. Parties interested have endeavored to find such a concern at this street number but they have failed to do so. A man by the name of Kline, claiming to be the secretary of the company, offered this magazine a very liberal “ad.” some months ago, but as our information regarding the concern was not satisfactory we declined to accept the “ad.” All bee-keepers will do well to deal only with old established manufacturers and dealers.
Hereafter we will put the name of the state in which they are written at the end of all articles, so that our readers will know that a method or system advanced by a bee-keeper in Georgia, for instance, will not be of much use to any one in this state, especially if it relates to handling bees.
C. H. Dibbern is not satisfied with his bee escape invented the latter part of last season, and claims now that he has another almost perfected which will beat anything yet. A great man on bee escapes is our friend Dibbern. By the way, M. E. Hastings has recently invented an escape something on the principle of the Porter, which appears to be about perfect. We will endeavor to give an illustration and description of it next month.
Edward R. Newcomb, formerly of Pleasant Valley, N. Y., has moved to Chicago and has given up his supply business; also the manufacture of the Stanley Automatic Extractor.
Everyone whose subscription has expired, or is about to expire, will do well to take advantage of our seed offer given in another column; a $1.50 box of seeds, &c., for only 25 cents.
The ever-increasing migration to the Tropics from American ports will probably receive a fresh stimulus from the article on the Highlands of Jamaica, which Lady Blake, the wife of the Governor of Jamaica, contributes to the March number of the North American Review.