384 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 15. 



label is always placed on the end of each crate 

 of conob honey, and on each can or pall of ex- 

 tracted honey. This is an excellent advertise- 

 ment for the apiarist who produces a good arti- 

 cle of honey. At different times I have receiv- 

 ed orders from distant parties who had seen my 

 honey in the stores, and gained my address by 

 seeing my label on my honey-packages. I have 

 my extracted honey put up in 3, 5, and 10 lb. 

 cans, or in pails holding IJ*.', 3, (5, 9, or 12 lbs., 

 having raised covers. I have found it better to 

 have my comb honey put up in cases of differ- 

 ent sizes holding 8, 12, 16, 24, and 33 boxes each, 

 of the 4)^ size. 



A day is set to visit town No. 2. The crates 

 of comb honey of the different sizes, and the ex- 

 tracted, arc loaded into my buggy, and the start 

 is made. The comb honey is noticed by those 

 whom I meet, and occasionally I am motioned 

 to stop. Inquiry is made as lo price of the hon- 

 ey, the amount in a case; or, " What have you 

 in the cans or pails?" I inform him, letting 

 him sample the extracted. In many instances 

 of |this kind I have sold such a crate, can, or 

 pail of honey. 



I"pass on, reach the town, and commence the 

 work of selling. I call on the nearest grocer. I 

 salute him, and he returns the same. If I find 

 him at leisure I introduce myself and business, 

 stating that I am a bee-keeper, and have some 

 honey with me of which I should be glad to 

 have him see a sample. A case and a pail or 

 can is brought in. I place the comb honey 

 where it may be readily seen through the glass, 

 which should be clean and clear. I give him a 

 few seconds to look at it. I then raise the cov- 

 er, showing him the importance of keeping flies 

 and dust out as the light cover does. I remove 

 a few sections for his inspection; and if others 

 are standing by I try to interest them. I then 

 show him the extracted honey, and request him 

 to sample it. I am asked how it is secured. 

 " Isn't it strained? " I explain that it is taken 

 with a machine, or thrown from the combs by 

 centrifugal force, and is far better than strain- 

 ed honey, and give the reason why it is. 1 give 

 the grocer my price on the comb, and state that 

 I have smaller cases which are readily taken for 

 family use, naming the number of boxes in each. 

 He decides to take one or two of each size. I 

 give the price of that in the pails or cans. He 

 is surprised at the lower price per pound. I 

 give the reasons why it does not cost so much to 

 produce it. Formerly it cost more than now. I 

 dispose of some of this to him also. Settlement 

 is made, I usually taking a little in trade. I 

 tell him that I shall probably be in town with 

 more honey, say in from four to five weeks, and 

 I should like to supply him with what he may 

 need. I also say to him that, if he needs more 

 before that time, he may drop me a card, stat- 

 ing what is neeaed. I thank him for his patron- 

 age, and pass on. 



The next reliable grocer is called on. He has 

 a little honey in chunks on a platter in his show- 

 case. I tell him that I am a bee-keeper, and 

 have some honey with me, and should like to 

 have him see it. I bring in a case of the comb 

 and a can of the extracted. He is pleased with 

 the looks of the comb honey, and inquires the 

 price. 1 give it. He thinks it almost too high, 

 and shows me the honey in the platter, and 

 tells how cheap he bought it. I state that I do 

 not like to handle my honey in such a mussy 

 shape. It is so it can not be done up, and near- 

 ly half drained from the comb ; can be carried 

 only in a pail or dish, and I believe he can sell 

 twenty pounds of my honey to one pound in the 

 poor shape. If some of his customers want 

 some honey that may be sold cheaper, my can- 

 ned honey will please them. I have him sam- 

 ple it, stating that it is all ready to hand over 

 to his customers. The result is, I sell him two 

 or three cases of the comb, and several cans. I 

 tell him I am confident that he will find what I 

 have said to be true; that most people are will- 

 ing to pay for and take nicely put-up honey at 

 a fair price. I ask for his patronage in the fu- 

 ture; settle up, and take my leave. Dinner for 

 myself and horse is secured, after which I re- 

 turn home, having supplied the leading grocers 

 of the town with honey. 



Milledgeville, III. 



THE RAILEY SUPER. 



A SUPER FOR HOLDING SECTIONS WITHOUT T 



TINS, SECTION- HOLDERS. OR SUPERS; ITS 



CONVENIENCE AS COMPARED WITH 



THE OTHER DEVICES. 



By F. G. Railey. 



So many objections have been cited recently 

 by many prominent and practical bee-keepers 

 in several different journals, against section- 

 holders, wide frames, and T tins (loose and 

 permanent ). that 1 have wondered if it has not 

 occurred to these gentlemen that all of these 

 things can be dispensed with and a much sim- 

 pler, and, in my judgment, more perfect, ar- 

 rangement, used 10 hold sections in the super. 

 I use thumb screws with a follower in the side 

 and at end of super. I use the Dovetail super, 

 made originally for section- holders. On one side, 

 Ayi in. from the ends, 1 put in two thumb-screws. 

 I put two more thumb-screws in one end of the 

 super, one 4 in, from the side which has the 

 thumb-screws in it, the other just 3 in, from the 

 other side, or about midway between the corner 

 and the cut-out for the hand-hold. Now dress 

 the super down to a depth of 4^%. This gives a 

 bee-space (the correct one, I think) of -f^ above 

 the sections, where they are just even with the 

 lower edge. Now place your super, without 

 any tins anywhere about it, on a flat hive-top 

 or some other level surface. If your super, like 

 mine, was made for section-holders, cut two lit- 



