758 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Oct. 15. 



structions to put queens in and remail them to 

 us. But the queens on arrival, if alive, were 

 sickly-looking specimens, and it seemed as if 

 mailing from Italy were a failure. Finally we 

 observed that ire could send queens in those 

 same cages to foreign countries safely. • Invest- 

 igation showed that our queen-breeder in Italy 

 put too many bees in the cages, so that the bees 

 either suffocated or used all the food, and, as a 

 consequence, starved. 



About six weeks ago we prepared another set 

 of Manum cages (the same as was illustrated 

 on page 774 of Gleanings for Oct. 15, 1895), and 

 sent six to one breeder and twelve to another, in 

 Italy. The cages were prepared exactly as had 

 been done before ; but this time instructions 

 were sent to put in not over thirty-five bees 

 with the queen. A few days ago the first six 

 arrived, every queen alive and in good order, 

 and a few days later the remaining twelve came 

 in equally good order. Mr. Spafford, our apia- 

 rist, reports that these queens appeared fresher 

 and nicer than those that have heretofore come 

 in the large cumbersome express packages. 



'^^ 'rr^sfraZM 



THE MANUM CAGE. 



As it may not be convenient to refer to the 

 cut of the Manum cage above referred to, we 

 reproduce it here. 



The holes in the end contain the ordinary 

 queen-cage candy; the center compartment, a 

 bit of comb honey secured to its place by 

 melted wax. The honey gives the bees the nec- 

 essary water or liquid, so that the candy may be 

 better assimilated. There is usually not suffi- 

 cient honey in the ordinary Good candy to ans- 

 wer for long distances. Since using the little 

 chunk of honey, our success in mailing to Aus- 

 tralia has been much better. But one essential 

 is in using the right number of bees. 



BYKON walker; WILLOW-HERB HONEY; SELL- 

 ING HONEY TO THE TRADE DIRECT. 



We have just had a very pleasant call from 

 Mr. Byron Walker, of Evart, Mich., but who is 

 at the present time in Chicago marketing his 

 crop of honey. Last year he was fortunate 



enough during the dry season to secure 30,000 

 lbs. This year he has again produced the same 

 amount, chiefly, as I understand, from bass- 

 wood and willow-herb. The latter is a very 

 fine and superior honey— first-class in every 

 respect, and taking front rank right along 

 by the side of the best clover. 



One crop comes on comparatively early in the 

 season, and another one from the same plant 

 follows later. The earlier bloom comes from 

 the growth of the previous season, and the 

 second growth from the seeds of that season, 

 on grounds that have been burned over. So 

 far as I know, willow-herb grows only in cer- 

 tain parts of Michigan and Wisconsin. Its best 

 growth seems to be over ground just previously 

 devastated by fire. 



Mr. Walker is one of those bee-keepers who 

 secure a crop of honey every season. If there 

 is no prospect of a yield in one locality he 

 finds one where there is, and takes his bees 

 there. He has practiced migratory bee-keeping 

 extensively, and so successfully that I believe 

 he has the reputation of securing the largest 

 crops of honey cf any bee-keeper in Michigan. 



Not content with securing the largest crop of 

 honey, he believes in getting the highest prices. 

 In order to do this, after the honey season he 

 goes to the markets himself with his honey, 

 and personally sees to disposing of it to the 

 trade direct. He rents space in the heart of 

 Chicago, hires help, and puts his honey in 

 large and small packages to suit the trade. 

 With a horse and wagon he delivers it to the 

 grocery trade. 



At first he had difficulty In "breaking the 

 ice." The grocers would show him " other 

 stuff" they could buy cheaper; but by getting 

 them to taste his honey he would convince them 

 that his goods were real honey and worth more. 

 He has no trouble in holding trade after he 

 once " breaks the ice." 



Mr. Walker called down at Medina while on 

 a visit to see Dr. J. M. Lewis, of Cleveland. He 

 has been a sort of invalid for a year or so 

 back, and felt the need of something to build 

 him up, and finally decided to go to Cleveland 

 to take the treatment pure and simple. He 

 has now begun, and I shall expect to hear, i/ 

 he sticks to it, in a year or so, that he has be- 

 come strong and robust, like the rest of us. 

 Said I, ''It is kind o' tough to be put on beef 

 diet, and to be barred from the use of sweets of 

 every kind, including honey, and still be in the 

 honey business." 



"That is true," said Mr. Walker, with a 

 smile; "but, in spite of that, since Monday I 

 have sold 8000 lbs. of honey;" and his visit 

 here was made on Thursday and Friday. He 

 had not sold any to us, and so he must have 

 sold it all inside of two or three days. 



THE PRESENT RULES OP GRADING. 



Mr. Walker didn't like our rules of grading, 



