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Yol. XTJII. 



APR. 1, 1890. 



No. 7. 



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SHIPPING-CASES-SMAIiL SIZE. 



OUR FRIEND C. F. MUTH STRONGLY ADVISES 

 THEM. 



Shipping-cases for comb honey are a very im- 

 portant item for the bee-keeper as well as for the 

 dealer. The safe arrival of comb honey depends 

 principally on the shipping-ca.ses; and, next to the 

 quality of the honey, it is the case that makes the 

 sale. We had very miiny shipments of comb honey 

 this season, and, as in previous seasons, there vfere 

 a variety of different-sized cases. We found inva- 

 riably that the smallest cases were the safest in 

 transit, and the first sold. If it were not for the 

 mutal interests of shipper and consignee, the disap- 

 pointment, and, often, the unpleasant feeling- cre- 

 ated by the arrival of a lot of comb honey in bad 

 -condition, should be cause enough to throw aside 

 every case unfit for shipment. As in previous sea- 

 sons, we had this winter also a number of large 

 cases containing 48 1-lb. sections, and even 48 3 lb. 

 sections, 45 to 60 lbs. net of comb honey in a case. 

 It is too much. A heavy case is invariably set 

 down heavily, and a jar to one side seems to break 

 a whole row of combs. The 24-lb. section-cases are 

 a great deal better, but they too are too large. 



By far the most practical, the safest in transit, 

 and the most salable and the cheapest of all ship- 

 ping-cases, are those containing 13 one-pound sec- 

 tions. We shall hereafter offer none others for 

 sale, and recommend only such to be used by our 

 friends and shippers. As a great many lots of 

 comb honey pass through our hands, our opportu- 

 nity of becoming actjuainted with all kinds of 

 packages is second to none; and our judgment as to 

 the best package ought to be reliable. During the 

 present winter we had, among perhaps a dozen, on- 

 ly one shipment of comb honey, 13 sections in a 



case, arrive in bad condition, while almost every 

 other shipment in large cases arrived more or less 

 damaged. The damage in those small cases was 

 not great, and could easily be seen, and the broken 

 combs taken out and replaced by sound ones from 

 another case. But nobody, unacquainted with it, 

 can appreciate the job of overhauling a large lot of 

 comb honey in large shipping-cases. One is at a 

 loss to know what to do with the broken combs. So 

 it is our candid and well-meant advice, that the 

 large shipping-cases- -go. Chas. F. Muth & Son. 

 Cincinnati, O., Mar. 17. 



There is a good point here, my friends- 

 one that I have often thought of. If we put 

 up any sort of goods in large quantities, in a 

 single package, the danger of destruction is 

 much greater. A whole colony of bees, with 

 suflficient stores to last them over winter, is 

 too heavy to ship safely, while half of the 

 bees and half of the stores would stand 

 transportation without trouble. Now, the 

 same is true with shipping-cases. But I 

 confess that I should say twelve 1-lb. sec- 

 tions would be going to the other extreme. 

 The only objection is, however, there are 

 too many pieces to handle, and the carriers 

 are apt to get cross. It is true, a man might 

 take one in each hand ; but the aveiage 

 railroad man would prefer carrying 50 lbs. 

 at once rather than 12 or even 25. It seems 

 to me that two 12-lb. cases side by side 

 would work better. Again, how about pil- 

 ing up 12-lb. cases y I have been told that 

 much honey is damaged by being piled up 

 in the car in such a way that it falls over or 

 tumbles down. Your experience, however, 

 in favor of the little cases is pretty hard to 

 get around. I wonder somewhat that other 

 honey-dealers and commission men have 



