1908 



GI.EANINOS IN BEE CULTURE. 



1061 



on top of another, there will be no danger of 

 knocking oft" the projections. 



The accompanying illustration is a form that 

 has been suggested by some of our own men, and 

 we believe it very nearly overconies, if not cjuite, 

 all the objections that might be made against a 

 case of this kind. The sketch in the upper cor- 

 ner shows how the cover is held in place. 



The question might arise, " Why not make the 

 end pieces a little deeper, and grooved out at the 

 top edge so that the whole end will be solid in- 

 stead of nailing on extra cleats.'" First it would 

 increase the cost of the end boards, and, worse 

 yet, there would be danger of splitting off at the 

 grooves; and, second, if the cases were nailed up 

 carelessly the cover might fit badly, and then it 

 would stick. By having the beveled cleats made 

 separate, and held in place by means of nails, we 

 retain all the advantages of the old cover that was 

 nailed on, and yet have a cover that will slide on 

 and off easily. Even if the cover should stick 

 the nails could be drawn as in the old style. 



The new case should be nailed up as before, 

 and the two holding cleats and the cover should 

 be put in place. One of the cleats should then 

 be nailed squarel) in position. The cover should 

 be pushed toward the nailed cleat, when the oth- 

 er one should be put in place. If it be not crowd- 

 ed too tightly against the cover there will be 

 no sticking nor pinching; indeed, there can't be 

 any. 



It will be noted that corrugated or cushion pa- 

 per has been substituted for the no-drip cleats. 

 Experience shows that many bee-keepers are care- 

 less in placing these cleats. A large number 

 don't know what they are for. Sometimes they 

 put them on top, and sometimes they leave them 

 out altogether. 



The trade is working over more and more to 

 this paper, for all experience shows that hcney 

 ships better on it. Its use is obvious, and it can 

 not be put in wrong. It is the same paper that 

 is used around bottles of medicine and all other 

 fragile objects. If it is a good thing to protect 

 glass, it goes without saying that it will prevent 

 a great amount of breakage of combs in shipping- 

 cases. 



This kind of corrugated paper was suggested 

 by Mr. J. E. Crane and others some two years 

 ago, and since that time it has been coming more 

 and more into use. Of course, corrugated paper 

 would have to be used in the paper trays to hold 

 any honey that might drip. 



We have subjected a case having corrugated pa- 

 per containing sections, and a case of the same lot 

 of sections having no-drip cleats, to all kinds of 

 rough-and-tumble bumping and dropping. The 

 former stood the treatment much better than the 

 latter. We believe the use of this cushion paper 

 will save a lot of broken comb honey, some un- 

 satisfactory adjustments with the railroad com- 

 panies, and some bad feeling between the produc- 

 er and the commission man. 



We made up a number of these cases, and sent 

 them out to commission men and honey-dealers 

 in order to get their opinion of the case, and the 

 following are some of their replies: 



We are this day in receipt of your leuer of the 14tli inst. and 

 sample fioney-case, with stated contents. The entire package 

 is very pleasing to the eye; and if the cover will work on all cases 

 as on this sample it is certainly a most helpful device. One nail 



half an inch in ler.jjlh would he quite sufficient to hold the cover 

 in place on the smaller-sized case; /"i inch might be sufficient. 



As to using the corrugated paper in place of the no-drip cleats, 

 we do not care to give an opinion aside from the fact that it is 

 worth trying. It would have the advantage of not shifting in the 

 case, and any one could be trusted to insert it who could be trust- 

 ed to do any thing about crating honey. 



Chicago, 111. R. A. Burnett & Co. 



We consider this case far superior to the others, for the simple 

 reason that it will take less time to open it up by simply pulling 

 out the one nail and sliding the cover off, and the same may be 

 said as to closing it again, instead of driving in six or eight nails. 

 One stroke with the hammer will perfect the job here, therefore 

 we think that, as you can furnish this crate at no higher cost than 

 others now in use, bee-keepers should take hold of this and adopt 

 it immediately. 



In regard to corrugated paper for the bottom of the crates instead 

 of no-drip cleats, I beg to say that quite a number of prominent 

 bee-keepers have been using it right along. The no-drip cleats 

 would work all right if they were nailed to the bottom of the 

 crate. Most bee-keepers seem to forget this, simply laying them 

 in loose, and then, while the honey is in transit, these narrow 

 pieces of wood slip, and we have found them at times to be all 

 at one end of the crate, thus causing some of the sections of the 

 honey to break down. Even at a slight additional cost we should 

 think the corrugated paper far superior to the no-drip cleats oti ac- 

 count of less work, and also on account of not taking any risk of 

 having the combs broken down. 



New York, N. Y. Hildreth & Segelken. 



I like the slide part, but I object to corrugated boards, because, 

 to my notion, there is an inconvenience when honey is broken. 

 In packing you would either have to have corrugated boards or 

 strips. If you have no-drip cases, if nailed tight they can easily 

 be washed out. I may be a little wrong, but this is my experi- 

 ence with corrugated boards. C. H. W. Weber. 



Cin.innati, Ohio. 



Yours is at hand in reference to new style of shipping-case. 

 The case was received yesterday. We have looked it over, and 

 think it will be received by grocerymen, and others retailing the 

 honey, as an improvement. The sliding cover will be used to 

 keep tile honey covered up and away from flies and dust. The 

 other cover would not be used this way as much, as it would be 

 knocked or brushed oiJ from the top, and no time would be taken 

 to replace it. F. A. Salisbury. 



Syracuse, N. Y. 



Your letter along with sample of shipping-case is at hand. I 

 am delighted to see the neat appearance, and heartily endorse the 

 improvement of making the cover in one piece with a slide. I 

 would also recommend, beyond question, the corrugated paper, as 

 it is desirable in every way. Wm. A. Selser. 



Philadelphia, Pa., July 17. 



Your circular letter in regard to the improved shipping-case is 

 received; also the sample case. I would say that I have always 

 been an advocate of cornigated paper for shipping-cases, instead 

 of the no-drip sticks. They are more easily put in place, arid, as 

 you say, form a cushion for the sections to rest on. That is no 

 small item. The cover is a step in the right direction — some- 

 thing to retail from, and have a cover that can be put on and 

 taken off at each sale, so there will be " no flies on it." 



Remus, Mich., July 21. E. D. Townsend. 



The new shipping-case with sliding cover is at hand, and I 

 have examined it very carefully. I am delighted with it, and I 

 think it certainly will take well with the bee-men. As to the 

 corrugated bottoms, I have felt that we were behind the times in 

 not adopting it long ago. I have had honey arrive here in rnuch 

 better shape where the cornrgated paper was used. My wishes 

 would be, the sliding cover, cornrgated bottoms, and then crate in 

 smaller lots so they can be handled to better advantage; and if 

 the cost increases, I am sure it will be met all right. 



Indianapolis, Ind., July 15. Walter S. Pouder. 



BEE-KEEPING IN AUSTRALIA 



An Interview with the President of 

 Victoria Apicultural Association. 



the 



continued fiom lait issue. 



"We have read something about your pollen- 

 famines in Australia; do we understand that your 

 bees die for want of pollen at certain seasons.?" 



"Yes. Breeding, even in mid-summer, comes 

 sometimes to a complete standstill, owing to a 

 scarcity of pollen. We sometimes have periods 

 in mid-summer when there will be nothing but 



