1887 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



107 



The little frames he exhibited were about 

 the width of oiir one-i)ouiid section — per- 

 haps a little narrower. They were oblon.u', 

 something the shape of a testament, per- 

 haps. He prefers tliem oblong-, because, as 

 he expressed it, it made moi'e of a show of 

 surface of comb honey. Tlie reason lie pre- 

 ferred Ituckwlieat to basswood or clover was 

 because it enables us to give consumers a 

 bigger chunk for a dime. Ills whole enter- 

 prise is based on the idea of selling the hon- 

 ey at 10 cts. a cake. I replied to him, and 

 suggested that we use the ordinary Simplici- 

 ty section, 4i x -li in., making "it thinner 

 instead of smaller or different in size. But 

 his experience had been entirely with the 

 oblong section. As buckwheat is so rarely 

 in sections in the West, we should jtrobably 

 need to make ours so as to hold a little less 

 than 10 ounces — say 8 or 9 ounces. Mr. 

 Wright told us he had sold from $15,000 to 

 $20,000 worth of hone} in the city of Albany 

 during the last year, all put up in the kind 

 of sections recommended. He said the sup- 

 ply had been out for some time, and he 

 would be glad to coutiact for a large 

 amount of this honey for another season. I 

 do not know whether he is prepared to ans- 

 wer inquiries in regard to this matter or 

 not ; but I do believe the coming honej^- 

 package is something that can be retailed 

 for an even dime. One of the strong points 

 he made on it was, that any average family 

 will eat it all up and '"clean" up the platter;'' 

 there will be none of it left to set away to 

 daub the dishes and draw the flies. Be- 

 sides, a great part of the laboring popula- 

 tion are in the habit of buying their sup- 

 plies for the table, 10 cents" worth at a 

 time. If you will tell them the price is 12 

 cents or lo cents, they won't buy it. If it is 

 only a dime, olf it. goes. Mr. Wright does 

 not retail at all. He furnishes grocers and 

 retail dealers. I do not remember how 

 many of these 10-cent sections were in a 

 crate, but I suppose it does not matter ma- 

 terially — anywhere from 12 to 24, perhaps. 

 He takes the honey all on commission. 

 Two-thirds of the value is paid in cash to 

 the producer when the honey is laid down, 

 and the remainder when sold. He buys by 

 weight, but the consumer purchases, as 1 

 have said, by the piece. In view of this it is 

 desirable that the sections of honey should 

 weigh as nearly alike as possible ; and to do 

 this we shall have to use separators. Xow, 

 then, friends, all these valuable points were 

 brought out by a pleasant and friendly talk 

 with one of our much-abused veighhors ; and 

 the moral to my little story to-day would be 

 this: Maybe the neighbor whom you are 

 abusing and calling names is this minute 

 both able and willing to help you very ma- 

 terially if you will treat him as you should 

 always treat every neighbor. 



Since the above was written I have talk- 

 ed with our foreman about this dime sec- 

 tion ; and as it is very near the dimensions 

 of the sections we make and keep in stock, 

 known as six to the L. frame, perhaps this 

 will be the most desiral)le size, ;is it will fit 

 all of our hives and packages. If we are to 

 sell clover and basswood honey for 10 cts. a 

 section, we can not have it contain more 



than 8 or 9 ounces ; and to do this, the sec- 

 tion mentioned above, six to the L. frame, 

 will need to be about an inch in thickness ; if 

 separators are used, may be \k inch. Have 

 any of our readers ever' experimented on a 

 section of this size ? The comb, you will 

 notice, will be al)out of the thickness of an or- 

 dinary brood-comb. It will l)ea little card of 

 honey for 10 cts. Mr. A. A. Rice, of Seville, 

 O., has sold sections quite similar to the 

 above. He gets tliem filled by putting 

 them in an ordinary brood -frame in the 

 lower story or the brood-apartment. 



OUR P. BENSON LETTER. 



HOOOS FOR SWAKMIN BEES. 



BEES has to be swarmed evrj- summer. 

 Thay cum out to be swarmed of thair oau 

 ackord. Moastly on a hot day. 

 Hwen thay cum out, poot on a overcoat- 

 fur is best. Thay like to feel the soft fur and 

 will role over and over in it. forgittin to sting-. Poot 

 on thii;k woolen mittens and ty a string around the 

 rists. Also ty up the ankels. Poot on a son bunnet 

 and ty it tite around the neck. This will maik you 

 middlin warm. 



p. BENSON, A. B. S.. KEDDY FEK STINGS. 



Then go out and look if the swarm is still thair. 

 Git three (3) vales and ty over yure son bunnet. If 

 you lied oanly one (1) vale the bees mite chaw throo 

 it. This will maik you a little warmer. 



Tell yure wife to look you all over kind o careful 

 like and see if thair izzent a bole ennywhair whair 

 a bee mite break throo. Then go and git a hive. If 

 you hevvent got enny, that will be better. You ken 

 go over to the nabers to borough 1, & it will amoose 

 the naber's ehildern to see you drest vip so cumfert- 

 able like. You woont ken git enny to the nabers 

 so you ken cum home on a run and maik 1 out of a 

 old box or nail keg. This will herp to warm j"Ou. I 

 forgought to say that hooever 1st sees the swarm 

 cum out must yell for the rest, & all hands must 

 kommens to keep up a noise. The oald wooman 

 ken pound on a tin pale with a piiU dipper, aniitber 

 ken l)lo a horn, and 1 ken jinggel a cow bell, and 1 

 ken hammer on a tin pan, and I ken hammer on 

 anuther tin pan, & all ken holler, exseptin the horn. 



