240 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



localities in which at least a fair crop 

 may be expected eacli year, and a 

 good crop ill most of the years, witli 

 very few, it any, total failures. Some 

 of the Western States and Territories, 

 those blessed with irrigation and al- 

 falfa, offer such lields. Colorado is 

 an example. Northern Michigan, with 

 its thousands of acres of red rasp- 

 berries coming in as the timljer is cut 

 off, will be a paradise for bee-keep- 

 ers for many years to come. I think 

 it would be well if the bee joiirnals 

 and their subscribers and readers 

 would turn their attention to this mat- 

 ter of finding and exploiting good lo- 

 cations. A man in a good location 

 need not fear to tell of it for fear oth- 

 ers will crowd in. As a rule, a man who 

 has enough enterprise and energy to 

 seek some distant location, possesses 

 too much sense to crowd close to 

 another apiary. It is suicidal to 

 both. 



OBJECTIONS TO SELF-SPACING FRAMES. 



Self-spacing frames are something 

 that I can see little use for in a per- 

 manently located apiary. If bees are 

 to be moved about from one yard to 

 another, the self-spacing frames have 

 the advantage of being all ready for 

 moving at any time. So far as hand- 

 ling combs is concerned, I prefer 

 those that have no projections what- 

 ever—just a plain, all-wood, %-of-an- 

 inch frame. With this there are no 

 dummies to be pulled out— something 

 that can sometimes be accomplislied 

 only with infinite pains and labor. 

 The lateral movement is something 

 that is instantly available with the 

 plain, un-self-spaced frame. We have 

 only to pry one frame over a little in 

 one direction, another in the opposite 

 direction, loosen the frame between 

 them and lift it out. Self-spaced 

 frames may save a little time in 

 adjusting the frames preparatory to 

 closing the hive, but it sometimes hap- 



pens (although it is against the rules) 

 that combs are not exactly uniform 

 in tliickness or contour, and it is de- 

 sirable to be able to adapt the spacing 

 to the irregularities of the combs, 

 which cannot be done with self-spac- 

 ing combs. 



When combs are used in the extract- 

 ing supers, they are placed farther 

 apart than in the brood nest, which 

 upsets any spacing arrangement that 

 is adapted to the latter locality. I'ro- 

 jections. nails, etc., are objectionable 

 when it comes to uncapping and ex- 

 tracting. Taken all in all, I am deci- 

 dedly oj)pose(l to self-spaced frames. 



»jr,,»^»V«»^^i» 



ADVERTISING AND SELLING HONEY IN A 

 MAIL ORDER WAY. 



Almost all kinds of merchandise 

 are now sold by advertising and 

 getting orders by mail. Why not sell 

 honey in this wayV It might not be 

 feasible to sell comb honey in this 

 way, on account of the liability of 

 breakage; but extracted honey, put 

 up In a small jacketed tin can, one 

 holding about ten pounds, and retail- 

 ing for $1.W. is a proposition entirely 

 feasil)le. Perhaps ten pounds is too 

 large a (pianity to sell, package and 

 all, for ifl.(K). but I would make the 

 quantity such that the package could 

 be sold for an even dollar. Many a 

 man has built uj) a paying trade 

 among wealthy people for fancy but- 

 ter, eggs, fruit and the like, why not 

 do the same Avith honey? Thousands 

 of people Avonid be only too happy to 

 buy nice, ripe, thick, rich clover honey, 

 if they only knew where to get it, 

 could feel sure that they were getting 

 it direct from the producer, and that 

 it was pure. In order to build up such 

 a trade, a man does not need to b<> 

 located in a large city: in fact, such 

 a location would be against him. 

 Some country place, like "(^lover 

 Dale,"' away in Northern Michigan, 



