THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



21 



the corners of sections in some cases, and 

 cracking combs in others. Must these sec- 

 tions be relegated to a place in the third 

 grade, with sections of dark honey less than 

 three-fourths full, and not sealed at that, 'i 



Here is another group, perfect in every re- 

 spect, except that a few cells near the edges 

 of the sections are not filled, or if filled are 

 not sealed. Must these sections also be ex- 

 cluded from the first grade V 



A third group, in every respect like the 

 last, except that, in order to secure the cap- 

 ping of these few cells, they had been left in 

 the hive a little longer than the other, result- 

 ing, as is almost invariably the case, in a 

 slight soiling of a small part of the caijpings 

 on one side of the combs. Must these also 

 find a place in the third grade 'i 



A fourth group is faultless in every partic- 

 ular, except that the combs are a little thick- 

 er than the average, and. therefore, weigh 

 an ounce or two more : and a fifth group 

 have combs a little thinner than the average. 

 Must both of these be placed in the second 

 grade ? 



The combs of a sixth group are not quite 

 as straight as they might have been, but the 

 sections can be lifted from the case without 

 marring the combs. Must these be put in 

 the second grade ? 



A seventh group cannot be found fault 

 with, except that the combs are not firmly 

 fastened to the bottom of the sections. 

 Must these be banished from the first grade ? 



An eighth group is in all particulars as 

 faultless as the best, only a few drot)s of 

 light amber honey being noticeable, on close 

 inspection, near the wood on one side of the 

 sections. Must these sections take rank with 

 dark, unsealed, half-filled combs ? 



Must any or all of the above be put in the 

 second or third grades : and if so, why ? 

 Certainly not because they cannot be readily 

 sold if placed in the first grade. Not one 

 fancy grocer in a hundred will object to any 

 one of them. This is not a mere assertion. 

 Actual quantity sales that I have made to 

 hundreds of leading grocers in many West- 

 ern cities, year after year, ought to be suffi- 

 cient proof of this assertion. 



Personally I have no cause of complaint 

 because of the rules in question, as I h ve no 

 trouble in disposing of many times the OjOOO 

 or 10,000 pounds that my bees produce each 

 season, at quite satisfactory prices. 



As I buy largely, if such rules were in force 

 I would, in common with other buyers, profit 

 greatly at the expense of producers. 



Have the purses of comb honey producers 

 become so full as a result of the last four 

 remarkable seasons, and those of middle- 

 men so depleted, that the former can afford 

 to adopt a grading that will, in many in- 

 stances, virtually confer a bounty of not less 

 than ten per cent of their earnings on the 

 latter ? 



Will it not be high time to adopt such 

 rules when there is good reason to believe 

 that the best interests of producers, as indi- 

 cated by the demands of the trade, require 

 them ? 



If we are to adopt a set of rules, I would 

 suggest that not less than four grades are 

 required, which might be designated as 



fancy, choice, fair and common. Color 

 could be distinguished by the terms white, 

 light amber, amber and dark. 



Without going into details, I would suggest 

 that sections having only one of the defects 

 above mentioned, should be placed in the 

 fancy goods: those combining all of them 

 are good enough for the second grade, to 

 which also should be admitted sections 

 where entire comi) surfaces are but slightly 

 soiled : also such combs as are only three- 

 fourths sealed on one side, or the equivalent 

 of one-fourth of the comb surface of one 

 side unsealed on the two sides : also sections 

 having the same amount of comb surface 

 considerably discolored, as well as those 

 having the wood soiled, but still not very 

 much discolored, and those also having two 

 or three cells of bee Vjread, but which would 

 have otherwise found a place in the first 

 grade. 



Sections having the entire surface consid- 

 erably soiled, or the equivalent of the sur- 

 face of one side very much soiled, or an 

 equal amount of unsealed surface, should be 

 placed in a third grade ; and those whose en- 

 tire comb surface is very much soiled, and 

 not sufficiently filled or sealed, or too defec- 

 tive in other respects for the third grade, 

 but which contain not less than half a pound 

 of honey, should constitute a fourth grade. 

 As to whether color shall be made a basis 

 for grading, is a matter of little importance 

 compared with the placing of first grade 

 honey «here it will sell for third grade 

 prices. As it is proposed to adopt rules for 

 the Eastern States (where a great deal of 

 fancy buckwheat honey is produced,) as well 

 as the West, where such honey cuts but a 

 slight figure, it will perhaps be best to grade 

 without regard to color. But I fail to per- 

 ceive how certain prominent apiarists, who 

 were so fearful that a grading would be 

 adopted which would debar this Fall-gather- 

 ed amber honey from the first grade can be 

 satisfied with the rule regarding soiled 

 combs, for this rule will inevitably put 

 nearly, if not quite all of it, in the third 

 grade." 



ADVERTISEMENTS 



Money in Cabbage and Celery. 



" Blood will tell." Good crops cannot be 

 grown with poor strains of seed. 



For sixteen years Tillinghast's Puget 

 Sound Cabbage, Cauliflower and Celery 

 Seeds have been gaining in popularity. 

 The most extensive growers all over the 

 Union now consider them the best in the 

 world. A catalogue giving full partic- 

 ulars regarding them will be sent free 

 to any one interested. When writing for 

 it enclose 20 cents in silver or postage 

 stamps and we will also send " How to 

 Grow Cabbage and CELErY," a book 

 worth its weight in gold to any grower 

 who has never read it. Address 



SEED-TIME AND HARVEST, 

 ;)-!tl-(;t La Plume, Pa, 



