910 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Nov. 15 



under the honey, should be a quantity of loose straw, 

 the purpose of which is to act as a cushion. Honey 

 put up in this way can go bj' freight, and is rarelj' if 

 ever broken in transit. 



Our shipping-cases when .sold are put up in the fl^t 

 in a crate of this description. This crate will hold 

 fifty 21-lb. shipping-cases in the ilat, or eight of the 

 saine filled with conib honey; or it will hold 100 2-row 

 12-lb. cases, or Hi of the .same when filled with comb 

 honey. In the latter ca.ses, handles are nailed on the 

 sides to insure careful handling. Additional comb- 

 honey crates in the flat, 50 cts. each, or $4.00 for 10. 



^-«^ 



This crate holds twelve 8-row 12-lb. ca.ses. and has 

 been used successfully by Geo. E. HiKou and OLlieis, 

 without any straw, and, so !ar as our experience goes, 

 we would iiot hesitate to snip in this crate without 

 .straw. If you use a larger case, however, making a 

 different-sized crate, then v,e would recommend the 

 straw. The success of this crace we think lies in its 

 shape, and unless -sou conform to this shape closely 

 we would fear the' results would be a lot of broken 

 honey. 



ffi Gross Weight Lbs Oz. ffi 



^ Case Weighs Lbs. Oz. ^ 



S Honey Weighs Lbs. Oz. S 



CAtTION CARDS. 



These cards are oXT inches, to tack on crates of 

 comb honey, cautioning against rough handling. 

 Printed in red ink. 



When these rules are followed we seldom 

 have a shipment reach us hi bad order, 

 and we think it will pay bee-keepers every- 

 where, when shipping their honey in less 

 than carload lots, to put it tip as described 

 iibove. We have just received two large 

 lots which have been sent tis without crates. 



There is something like 3000 lbs. in each 

 lot, and there is not a case in either lot 

 that is not badly soiled by dripping honey. 

 The honey is well filled out in sections, 

 and a caution card is on each case ; but in 

 spite of this, enough honey has been broken 

 to make a very sticky mess of it. Another 

 party sent us some ptit tip in crates as we 

 requested, and has used covers on his cases 

 made of two pieces not tongued and grooved 

 or shiplapped, consequently there is a little 

 crack in the cover vvliere the two boards 

 meet, and the honey is badly soiled by dirt 

 sifting in through these cracks. This 

 might have been avoided by using paper, 

 which we recommend, even thotxgh his cov- 

 ers were not exactU' suitable. 



In another respect bee-keepers fail be- 

 cause they omit the marking of the cases 

 with the g'ross weight, weight of the cases, 

 and net weight. If the little labels which 

 are had for this purpose are not convenient 

 it is much better to mark the cases with 

 pencil than to omit it. Otherwise the deal- 

 er must weigh up every case separately, 

 entailing a vast amoiuit of work. In an- 

 other lot we have just received, billed to us 

 as "fancy honey," we find unmi-stakable 

 signs of the bee-moth : and on examination 

 we find quite a number of cases in bad 

 order from the work of these pests. 



It seems to us if bee-keepers would use 

 more care in putting up their honey they 

 would earn just the difference between a 

 high and a low price on their honey. We 

 can not see why they will allow it to be 

 sold for less than it is worth, simply be- 

 cause they have neg"lected two of the most 

 important points — grading and shipping. 



We have also to call the attention of our 

 readers to the great difterence in price re- 

 ceived by bee-keepers for the honey pro- 

 duced in the same locality. During the 

 past month we have paid from 13 !i to 15}^ 

 cents for No. 1 and fancy white honey. At 

 one time we were entirely' out, and could 

 have used several tons at the latter figure 

 had we known exactly where to get it with- 

 out (Jelay. Since then we have been in- 

 formed that bee-keepers in Western New 

 York have in a number of instances sold 

 the same grades, and equally good honey, 

 at 11 cts. per potxnd, or at least 25 per cent 

 less than its real value at the time they 

 made their sale. Bee-keepers who take a 

 bee-journal, and know the value of their 

 crop, do not lose in this way, and it would 

 be to their interest to induce their neigh- 

 bors to take such a journal, so that their 

 market may not be demoralized by sales 

 being made at such figures. Not many 

 years ago, good honey was selling at 10 to 

 11 cts. per pound, and very likely bee-keep- 

 ers who sell at 11 cts. now think that they 

 are getting a good price simply because it is 

 as much as was received in previous years. 



We heartily wish all of our readers would 

 give their best attention to the grading and 

 shipping of their honey, and help the in- 

 dustry by getting other bee-keepers to post 

 tb.emselves on the market price of hone}'. 



