130 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Feb. 



After leaving my hands I presume they went into 

 the hands of two different grocers. If sold by 

 weight there would be no trouble; but if sold by 

 the section, the one grocer couldn't afford to sell at 

 the same price per section as the other, so there 

 would be trouble. But suppose both cases fell into 

 the hands of the same man, and he sold them at the 

 same price per section throughout, there would be 

 injustice to the customer who paid the same price 

 for 13.66 oz. that another did for 18. Every now and 

 then some one starts up this subject, and I should 

 like to impress the point that there is no such thing 

 as a section that shall always weigh the same; and 

 even if you succeed in finding one that will average 

 16 ounces this year it will probably differ next year. 

 Now, friend Kelley, the thing to do is to quit striv- 

 ing for the unattainable, but use your influence to 

 oppose selling sections by the piece, and insist on 

 their being sold by weight. The former simply 

 gives a chance for trickery, for I know there are 

 some who sell by the piece; and it is a fact that the 

 commission men will tell you that they can sell 

 light sections better than heavy ones. Let us in- 

 sist on weight in selling sections, always. 



I am surprised to find that, notwithstanding the 

 poor yield of 1888, 888 first-class sections averaged 

 15.7 ounces each. C. C. Miller. 



Marengo, 111., Jan. 24, 1889. 



There is another point, doctor : We should 

 all of us beware about being in haste to ac- 

 cuse anybody of deliberate cheating. I am 

 sure there are not many bee-keepers who 

 have a desire to deceive their customers, es- 

 pecially on a matter where the use of a pair 

 of scales would so quickly detect the fraud. 

 Think what mischief has been done by be- 

 ing in haste to think evil in this matter of 

 false statements in regard to the adultera- 

 tion of honey! 



^ ■ ^ 



NINE TONS OF HONEY. 



BEES AND BERRIES. 



J HAVE been much interested with your Notes of 

 [ Travel. I was in California two years ago, and 

 i bought 10 acres of land 35 miles north of San 

 ■ Diego, in the Escondido Valley, and thought I 

 should move out there as soon as I could get 

 ready, but I am not as yet convinced that it is a bet- 

 ter honey or strawberry country than this, or yet 

 healthier. I put in cellar 180 colonies of bees this 

 fall. The last two years I have extracted over 9 

 tons of honey. It has netted me about 6y 2 cents per 

 pound. With the help of one hired man I work my 

 80-acre farm. I have help at my out-apiaries. 1 give 

 them an interest in the bees. 



Last summer I raised 41 bushels of strawberries 

 on four rods less than one-fourth acre. 1 was busy 

 with my bees when strawberries were ripe, so I told 

 my wife that, if she would see to the picking of 

 them, she might have all she could make and I 

 would see that they were taken to town. She quiet- 

 ly pocketed 50 odd dollars, besides ten dollars in 

 trade. I think it was the best investment I ever 

 made, as it was so handy to borrow a dollar or two 

 now and then, to be paid back when the honey was 

 sold, and then it seemed to go so far. If I had had 

 had it, it would have been gone in no time. I think 

 if I live and have luck I shall do so again. I should 

 like to raise comb honey, if it were not so much 

 work, and not so much danger in shipping. I have 



a plan on which I should like your opinion. It is 

 simply a box, made of very light material, to hold T 

 one-pound sections, with light tins nailed on the 

 bottom, and a bee-space above, so they can be tier- 

 ed up. Four of those would go on a hive, to be tak- 

 en off completed, a box at a time, and shipped about 

 8 in a crate. The boxes could be covered with light 

 berry-box material when packed in the crates, and 

 nailed slightly with small wire nails. They could 

 be pried apart a little, to lift the sections out. 

 Viroqua, Wis., Jan. 12, 1889. Wm. Cox. 



In regard to moving I think you are right ; 

 so long as you and your wife are doing as 

 well as you have been doing where you are, 

 I think I would let that California arrange- 

 ment lie still, for you will have many draw- 

 backs and inconveniences before you can 

 get things into shape there. — There are sev- 

 eral modifications of the plan you mention, 

 for a honey-box holding 7 sections ; but I be- 

 lieve they have not found very much favor. 

 The arrangement is more expensive than 

 the T supers, and does not seem to ship as 

 safely as the ordinary cases made expressly 

 for shipping the honey. If you ship the 

 boxes, containing the 7 sections, with them, 

 you have an additional amount of material 

 to ship and to be returned if not lost. 



THE PRESS STRAINER, FOR BEE- 

 KEEPERS. 



SOMETHING FOR EXPRESSING WAX AND SMALL 

 QUANTITIES OF COMB. 



T PRESUME that most of the friends 

 M have seen different forms of these fruit 

 W and vegetable pn-ss strainers advertis- 

 -*■ ed. In fact, a friend sent us a cut of 

 one clear from Australia, saying that 

 we certainly ought to keep that on our 

 counters. The cut below gives a pretty 

 good idea of the machine. 



FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PRESS STRAINER. 



It is simply a metal pocket, made of gal- 

 vanized iron and heavily tinned plate. The 

 sides of the pocket are made of perforated 

 tin. To use it, raise the handle, fill the 

 pocket with grapes, currants, strawberries, 

 or any other sort of fruit. Now bring the 

 handle down, and every particle of juice is 

 squeezed out so as to leave but comparative- 

 ly dry pomace. It can be used for mashing 

 potatoes, prepared sweet potatoes, or pump- 

 kins for pies, mashing turnips, making 

 catsup, making beef tea or broth, rendering 

 lard, and last, but not least, rendering wax 

 on a small scale. Throw your pieces of 

 comb into boiling water until they be- 



