496 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



July 1. 



or clover seed, as you choose, in the spring. A 

 great many have succeeded, also, where the 

 seed was sown in standing corn. A little shade, 

 especially if the weather is dry and hot, seems 

 to be a benefit to the clover in starting; and 

 after it gets rooted it makes its growth after the 

 frost has killed the protecting crop or where it 

 has been otherwise removed: I know its time 

 of blooming is short; but if I am correct it 

 comes in at a time when bees get little or noth- 

 ing from any other source. Perhaps I should 

 mention that it has also been recently brought 

 out by several of our agricultural papers that 

 common red clover sown with buckwheat or in 

 standing corn will also make a stand and win- 

 ter over ; but it is not ready to cut or plow un- 

 c;er as early as the crimson. Inasmuch as the 

 winter just past was one of the most severe, es- 

 pecially 'during the spring months of March 

 and April, I have great faith that crimson clo- 

 ver has come to stay.— A. I. R.] 



COMB HONEY IN PACKAGES. 



A CHEAP AND EFFECTIVE WAY OF DOINO IT 

 FOR RETAILING. 



By N. T. Phelps. 



Perhaps there are some producers of comb 

 honey who desire a better way to put it tip in 

 small packages for retail than they now use. 

 If the plan that I will ;try to make plain will 



is; lay it down on its side in the buggy seat, or 

 push it into an overcoat pocket, and then sit 

 down on it. They come for it afoot or on horse- 

 back, in wagons or on bicycles, put it down 

 between their feet or anywhere they can push 

 it in. All of these things make' the careful 

 producer's "back hair" pull. There seems to 

 be a need for a good, cheap, and substantial 

 way to put up small quantities to preserve it 

 from being broken until the purchaser can get 

 it to his home. The plan that the writer has 

 used for the last ten years may not be the best 

 or cheapest ever suggested, but it may be con- 

 venient for some where the material can be got 

 with little trouble and expense. I think almost 

 any basket-shop will sell the material very 

 cheaply if you will order it at a time when 

 they are the least crowded with other work, 

 say in the winter or early spring. What I use 

 is called "basket-splints" at the shops. The 

 size I use is about 17 inches long, 43^ inches 

 wide, and -^ inch thick, made from basswood 

 timber. These I score across with the point of 

 a knife so they will bend at the scored places 

 and not break off. To score the splints in the 

 right place I use blocks of thin lumber cut the 

 righ size to score where I want them scored. 



PHELPS' BASKET -SPLINT 



help them to do so I shall be pleased. It is a 

 most patience-trying thing to see a customer 

 handle a section of nice comb noney like a 

 brickbat— punch his fingers into both sides of it 

 after you have handled it with the utmost care. 

 Many will do that— pinch it to see how hard it 



COMB-HONEY PACKAGE. 



These blocks I lay on the splints and score 

 along each edge of the blocks with the po nt of 

 a knife. The number of sections sold is set out 

 and then the splints are scored just right for 

 that number of sections. Then the splints are 

 wrapped around the sections and tied with 



