THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



1 had decided never to use second-hand 

 cans again, as I had to throw out fully 

 one-fifth of those purchased from a firm 

 last year. However, the 1 00 cans you 

 sent me loose last fall were so good (with 

 the exception of the ones the trainmen 

 used in playing football) also, that your 

 firm is highly recommended to us; hence 

 we contemplate trying once more, if 

 prices are right. Yours very truly, 



E. Z. Beeman. 



In due time a cheerful reply comes 

 back: 



Big City, U. S. A.. May 27, 1910. 



Mr. E. Z. Baeman: — Replying to your 

 favor of the 22d, we have for immediate 

 shipment 200 cases of good cans such as 

 you describe, in good, solid boxes. For 

 these we ask 30 cts. a case. We also 

 have 100 loose cans at 5 cts. each. 



These will be good cans, used but once; 

 and on receiving them, if you find any 

 that you cannot use, just throw them out 

 and report to us. Yours truly, 



Honey Bottler Co. 



The order is sent. Mr. Beeman, being 

 busy at the time the cans arrive, takes a 

 hasty glance at a few cans opened at 

 random, finds them bright and good, is 

 satisfied and stores them away. 



In a couple of weeks comes another 

 letter advising of several hundred more 

 cans in stock. Beeman writes that the 

 first lot looks fine, and, if others are as 

 good he says: "Ship us the 100 boxes 

 and 200 loose cans." 



The Honey Bottler Co. replies later 

 that they have shipped 100 boxes of 

 cans, 40 cases of which have had maple 

 syrup in them marked XX, and which are 

 good cans, and "we hope you can use 

 them at 20 cts. per case; also 200 loose 

 cans, some of which are not so good, so 

 we include 25 extra ones. Trusting you 

 can use the entire shipment, we beg to 

 remain, etc. 



"P. S. — You may throw out any cans 

 which you can not use." 



Now, the proper thing to do was to 

 inspect the cans before accepting. How- 

 ever, Mr. Beeman being busy at out- 

 apiaries, leaves strict advice to the agent 

 and draymen not to delay a minute in 

 getting those cans inside the shop. No 

 bees must get at them; hence the cans 

 are piled inside, and, feeling secure of 

 the company's good faith and the clause 

 to throw out any poor ones, Mr. B. waits 

 for a rainy day to inspect the cans. 



It rains at last, so to the shop goes Mr. 

 Beeman and helpers armed with towels, 

 a tank of cold water, tub of hot water 

 on a gasoline stove, also hammer and 

 nails to renail boxes. 



The first 200 cases tested are satis- 

 factory, barring a dozen with nail holes. 

 Of the remaining 400 cans, over 1 60 are 

 sour inside, or blackened with an evil- 

 smelling, rusty substance, much unlike 

 maple syrup. About 100 remaining 

 cans are tarnished outside, and hardly 

 fit to use; but Mr. Beeman polishes them 

 up and keeps them, hoping to make a 

 little better report. He very kindly 

 writes the Honey Bottler Co., expressing 

 regrets. They, being very much sur- 

 prised, and somewhat offended, reply 

 thus in substance. "Enclose shipping 

 bill for 25 cans, which," they add, "ends 

 the matter so far as we are concerned." 



Mr. Beeman takes the local bank's 

 cashier down and has him look the lot 

 over. He smeHs the openings of many 

 cans with appropriate exclamations of 

 disgust. He writes his confirmation of 

 condition of cans and sends it in the 

 same mail with Mr. Beem.an's kind 

 repetition of facts. 



The Honey Bottler Co. say they now 

 recollect having sent some cans used for 

 maple syrup, and are, therefore, enclosing 

 billing for Z5 more loose cans to replace 

 these. The letter closes thus: "The 

 cans we sent you were exactly what you 

 ordered; and if you are not satisfied now, 

 then we certainly shall not do anything 

 further in this matter." 



Mr. Beeman calls attention to the 

 matter of freight which aggregated over 

 SSO.OO (no reply); offers to return cans 

 (no reply); writes a sassy letter saying 

 he will take such action as the case 

 justifies (no reply). Honey Bottler has 

 the money. Mr. Beeman has the freight 

 bills and dray bills to pay, and a shop 

 cluttered with cans which, like whited 

 sepulchers, look good outside, but are 

 very bad inside. 



The reader may draw his own con- 

 clusions, knowing that this firm is rated 

 and well recommended. 



My experience in past years has never 

 been quite satisfactory. There were al- 

 ways cans without caps, and cans with 

 holes in them. Frequently cases bought 

 as used but once the past season would 

 have old dates stamped by the railroad 

 company, showing conclusively that, in 

 reality, they were two years old instead 

 of one. 



The deterioration of honey cans occurs 

 in ways unlocked for. To begin with, 

 the acid contained in honey acts on the 

 tin. Honey spilled in the melting tank 

 forms a sweetened solution which tar- 

 nishes and eventually injures the tinning 

 of the can. If wiped dry the can will 

 remain bright, but this is seldom done. 



