1312 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Nov. 1 



are rendered useless. They should be on the 

 end of the case instead of on the bottom. There 

 is a marked difference in the length of time that 

 bees live in the confinement of an observatory 

 hive. A one-frame hive of Italians played out 

 in about two weeks, even with frequent flights, 

 while another one-frame hive of Italians have 

 been in the glass hive in confinement most of 

 the time for seven weeks, and still preserve the 

 spirit of a well-ordered community. 



An exhibit of bees and honey which my broth- 

 er Wilbur put into a grocery in Boulder elicited 

 so much interest that he was asked to give a talk 

 with the observatory hive to the schoolchildren. 

 This he did, and the attention and interest of the 

 children were marked. The teachers questioned 

 the children the next day, and found that they 

 remembered every thing that was said. 



Bees and honey are much more fruitful sub- 

 jects than breakfast foods, and we should use as 

 much energy in pushing our goods as the shred- 

 ded-corn and toasted-oat manufacturers. 

 * 



THK PAST season's CROP IN THE VVTST. 



Northern Colorado had a failure so far as ship- 

 ping honey is concerned, only one car so far be- 

 ing sent out. The average yield per colony 

 would not amount to more than seven or eight 

 pounds. 



Logan County, in Northeastern Colorado, had 

 a fair yield, several cars being produced. 



The reports from Southern Colorado and the 

 Arkansas Valley are better, though no big yields 

 have been recorded. 



Western Colorado, or Delta, Montrose, and 

 Mesa counties, have generally reported a good 

 crop; several say it is better than that of 1907. 



No report has come in from Montezuma Co., 

 in the southwestern corner of the State; but in 

 Northwestern New Mexico, which is just over 

 the State line, no surplus has been secured from 

 the parties answering inquiries. 



Southwestern New Mexico has produced a good 

 crop — much of it mes uite honey. 



Arizona also has turned out quite a quantity of 

 alfalfa and mesquite. 



Nevada reports some honey. It is likely that 

 the men who have honey answer the inquiries, 

 and those who have none do not answer. 



Utah is from good to bad, the Uintah country 

 producing nothing for shipment, and the reports 

 coming from north of Salt Lake, around Logan, 

 are good. 



Idaho had a fair yield, as did Wyoming, where 

 there is sufficient alfalfa. One sample of Wjo- 

 ming comb honey which I saw was very fine, and 

 showed that the district from which it came had 

 enjoyed a good yield. 



Honey-dew was plentiful in several districts in 

 Northern Colorado. The trees in Boulder drip- 

 ped with it, and the bees literally covered the 

 leaves. This lasted for fully two months, and 

 what bees were close to the mountains and in the 

 older settled parts suffered worst. 



OBJECTIONS TO THE SINGLE-TIER CASE. 



Comb honey is not wanted by the dealers in 

 single-tier shipping-cases. Several cars of comb 

 honey could be sold in the next week if the hon- 

 ey were put up in double-tier glass-front cases, 



and there are several cars of comb honey in Col- 

 orado packed in single-tier cases, some without 

 glass, and also lacking drip-sticks, and it would 

 have paid the producers to study the market re- 

 quirements more, and paid less attention to the 

 few cents saved on a case. The objections are as 

 follows: 



First, in handling a carload of honey in single- 

 tier cases one will leel twice as tired as after han- 

 dling the same amount in the double-tier. One 

 can not get the hand-hold as close to the edge as 

 with the double tier, and there is less room for 

 the fingers. 



Second, if a case is picked up by the corners it 

 will often twist enough in carrying to break or 

 crack some of the honey. Thi« is almost sure to 

 occur if one carries two cases at a time and does 

 not grip them just right. 



Third, the top of the sections is flush with the 

 top of the sides of most of the single-tier cases, 

 maki .g breakage almost sure. In shipping, ex- 

 pressnun and freight-handlers drop the end of 

 one case in the middle of another case on the pile; 

 and if they do this at all roughly the breaking 

 of comb is certain. Cases are stepped on often, 

 and a single-tier case simply will not stand this 

 usage, while a double-tier case with half the sur- 

 face is sate, provided there is an eighth-inch space 

 between the cover and the top of the section. 



Fourth, from the grocer's standpoint, the glass 

 in a case is for showing the goods; and the more 

 goods that are shown, the better the impression, 

 and the more honey sold. Furthermore, it is a 

 guarantee that at least a fourth of the honey is 

 all right if a double- tier case is used. 



Fifth, a single-tier case takes up twice as much 

 room on the counter, showcase, shelf, or floor; 

 and since one can not put any thing on top of it 

 and still get honey out of it, the saving of half 

 the floor space by the use of the double-tier places 

 it far in the lead. 



The objection brought against the double tier 

 is that broken honey wil leak on to the section 

 below. Leaky and broken honey should not be 

 cased for shipment any way, and experience 

 shows that this objection is not worth consider- 

 ing. 



There was a time when the production of the 

 Rocky Ford melon was nothing, ^everal wise 

 heads among the growers got together and de- 

 cided on a plan of action. First, they had to 

 teach the growers how to raise melons; then they 

 united on the pony and the standard crate ; and 

 when they got the farmers so they could produce 

 a good melon put up in the best crate obtainable 

 they sent several carloads east and gave them 

 away — making the people eat them. They had 

 to have cars made right to carry off the gas from 

 the melons and ventilate the car. 



Bee-keepers must take much the same course. 

 They must learn to use separators and honey- 

 boards in place of sack covering for sections. No 

 man but an expert with a fast flow can raise good 

 honey without them; and who can positively 

 foretell a fast flow .-' A uniform case, the dou- 

 ble-tier glass front, has been adopted by Colora- 

 do bee-keepers. Let all use it, and grade strict- 

 ly according to the rules. 



Comb honey produced, packed, and pushed 

 with the energy devoted to the Rocky Fords can 

 meet with the same success. 



