246 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



consists of wax-work. The table on 

 which tny exhibit was placed is 22 feet 

 long. The pyramid at the further end is 

 about eight feet high, and seven feet wide. 

 This pyramid is nailed permanently in 

 place so that it will be there ready for 

 use every season; thereby saving much 

 time in getting the honey in place. 



That space in front of the pyramid, of 

 which only a part can be seen, was taken 

 up by a display of bees and implements. 

 A part of the counter, from which the 

 honey was sold, is shown just in front of 

 the wax arrangements by the portico of 

 the house. 



After having got the leading feature of 

 the exhibit packed and ready for ship- 

 ment, the next move is the packing of 

 the honey so that it will arrive at the 

 grounds in good condition. This is of 

 great importance. I know one man who 

 shipped quite a quantity of it, and it was 

 nearly all broken. I think the most suc- 

 cessful method of shipping honey, unless 

 in very large quantities, is to tie the comb 

 honey in bundles, two cases with glass in 

 a bundle, The ropes which cross the top 

 case in the center serving as a convenient 

 place for the hand in lifting. 



With extracted honey, the cans or 

 bottles should have folded paper packing 

 between them, running each way. They 

 should also have a heavier packing 

 around the sides; and at the top and bot- 

 tom there should be very heavy mats of 

 the same material. In fact, the secret of 

 successful packing is in having the jars 

 fit perfectly tight. I have had a box con- 

 taining 24 pint Mason jars filled with 

 honey fall into the street from the top of 

 my load without cracking a single can. I 

 find that a box which will contain about 

 forty pounds of honey in jars is the best 

 package for shipping. 



In shipping my honey I do not send it 

 directly to the fair grounds; for the 

 goods are so roughly handled at that 

 point and the railroad company will not 

 be responsible for damages. I have it 

 sh'pped to the city, about two miles 

 further on, where it is more carefully 



handled. It is then conveyed by means 

 of truck teams back to the grounds. 



I manage, if possible, to arrive at the 

 grounds two or three days before the fair 

 commences; so as to have plenty of time 

 in setting up the exhibit. 



I always carry a cot bed with me so 

 that I can camp down right beside my 

 table. This makes it far le.ss expensive 

 for us than if we paid |i.oo per night for 

 lodging. During the day we keep our 

 bedding under the tables; and, by the 

 way, I think it is a very good plan to 

 have as many boxes as possible of a size 

 that will slide under the table easily, for 

 then we are sure of having them when 

 we get ready to repack the exhibits. 



If. an exhibitor is going to sell honey 

 during the fair he should be particular to 

 arrange the exhibit so that the leading 

 feature shall be as near as possible to the 

 counter from which sales are to be made; 

 for there is where the visitors become in- 

 terested, and interested visitors make 

 good customers. 



In conclusion I will sa}' that any one 

 who is intending to enter this depart- 

 ment of the bee business should be pre- 

 pared to meet the many disappointments 

 which will arise and to take them as a 

 matter of course. 



Fairfield Centre, Me., Aug. 4, 1900. 



N EFFICIENT BEE ESCAPE 

 FOR A HONEY HOUSE. BY 

 L. S. LEONARD. 

 Fresh air, light, and a conven- 

 ient passage for bees to escape, are essen- 

 tial requisites for a honey house; es- 

 pecially for the extracting room. The 

 persistent efforts of bees to enter the 

 honey house, and their alertness in dis- 

 covering any hole, crack or crevice, in- 

 duces the beeman to make his honey 

 house tight and secure against the en- 

 trance of even a single bee; for he knows 

 that where one squeezes through, thous- 

 ands will soon follow. While the house 

 is thus made bee-tight, it is usually at 



