282 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



One can readily see, if he will reflect 

 a moment, how foul brood might be 

 spread through the ag-ency of bee- 

 cand}-. Most of the mailing-cages now 

 are self-introducing by the bees eating 

 out the cand}' and finally releasing the 

 queen. Suppose this cand}' is contam- 

 inaled with genns of black or foul 

 brood. The chances are that the col- 

 ony to wliich this queen was introduced 

 would soon show symptoms of disease, 

 even though the colony or bee yard 

 whence this queen came might be per- 

 fectly healthy. This matter is so im- 

 portant that I would respectfully sug- 

 gest that our apicultural exchanges 

 bring the matter before their readers. 

 In the meantime the purchaser of the 

 qncens, if he wishes to be on the safe 

 side, taking no risk, may recage the 

 queen received in the mails, introduc- 

 ing her b5' means of bee-cand}' made 

 of honey out of his own yard. 



SELLIMG HONEY AT FAIRS. 



A Novel Melhod of Drawing Crowds and 

 Making Sales. 



The season of fairs is now upon us, 

 and many bee-keepers are taking ad- 

 vantage of these gatherings to make a 

 market for their honey; and many more 

 might do so if they would. There are 

 several methods of selling honey at 

 fairs, some of which have been men- 

 tioned in the Review, but it is likely 

 there is no plan that will draw acrowd 

 as will a demonstration, or exhibition, 

 with live bees in a wire cloth tent. 

 Gleanings has described this rnethod, 

 and told of the immense quantities of 

 honey that had been sold at such exhi- 

 biti(jns, and now it again calls atten- 

 tion to the matter as follows : — 



I promised last fall that I would re- 

 mind our readers of the importance of 

 prei^aring bee and honey exhibits at 

 the coming county fairs! Arrange 

 right now for space. Instjeiad of going- 

 right inside of ihe fair house I wouhl 

 advise putting up a temporary booth 

 outdoors, or rent a tent from some 

 camper who has just returhed from his 

 vacation. Prepare .'i nice honey ex- 

 hibit, showing honey in its different 

 forms. 



To draw a crowd, get inside a wire- 

 cloth cage, one big enough to hold 

 yourself and a hive of bees. While an 

 attendant is prepared to make sales, 

 you or some one else should get into 

 the cag^e, barearmed, bareheaded, 

 without coat or vest, and shake the 

 bees into a big dishpan. Now shake 

 the pan until the bees are thoroughl}' 

 demoralized, rolling them over and 

 over. In this condition you can do 

 almost anything with them, providing 

 you do not pinch them. (Gently pass 

 the two hands under the ball of bees, 

 moving them very slowly until you 

 have your hands full, then hold them 

 before the astonished crowd Crowds ? 

 Oh yes 1 the people will fairly swarm 

 around your exhibit. When you get 

 the crowd, i/iot is the time to give a 

 nice little talk about bees and honey. 

 While you are talking your attendant 

 should show an extractor as well as 

 other appliances. Tell the people who 

 you are, where your bee-3'ards are 

 located, and hand out honey-leaflets 

 and blank postal cards with your name 

 and address; explain that honey is a 

 wholesome sweet, much safer and bet- 

 ter than ordinary cane sugar, and far 

 better than most candy. Answer all 

 the questions the crowd may put; and 

 if you do not sell honey, and lots of it, 

 if 7vill he your own fault. 



Your sales for two or three days, 

 while the fair is in progress, will more 

 than pay expenses, and will give you 

 a permanent advertisement that maj' 

 enable you to dispose of your own crop 

 right in 30ur own locality at twice or 

 possibly three times the price you 

 woidd get by shipping it to the city. 

 If the experience of others is dupli- 

 cated, you may sell a great deal more 

 than you produce. 



In connection with your exhibit of 

 bees you ought to have a couple of 

 observatory hives. A one-frame nuclus 

 with glass sides is better than a whole 

 hive with with g-lass sides, iilthougii 

 we advise the use of both. 



There should be a large placard out 

 in front of the demonstrating cage, 

 stating that that hive of bees will be 

 handled at such and such hours. Ar- 

 range the period for bee demonstra- 

 tions so as not to conflict with other 

 things on the ground tiiat may pull 

 away j'our own crowd. Then remem- 

 ber to make your main demonstration 

 just about the time people are going 

 home, for then is the time people will 

 buy. 



