208 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Apr. 1 



framework at each yard so that the same set of 

 wheels would do for all of them. 

 Brussels, Ontario, Can. 



DOUBLE-TIER SHIPPING-CASES. 



More Arguments in Their Favor; Why 



the Double-tier Cases are Easier 



to Handle. 



BY DR. C. C. MILLER. 



On page 120, Mr. Editor, you have evidently 

 tried to discuss the matter of double vs. single 

 tier cases in a spirit of fairness; but the last word 

 has not been said, and it is so important to de- 

 cide just what we do want that it is worth while 

 to take up more space with the discussion. 



You don't "quite see the force of the argument 

 in No. 1." If Mr. Foster will pardon me for 

 butting in, I'll try to "show" you. The hand- 

 hole may be just as near the top in one case as in 

 the other. In the shallow case it is in the center 

 (measuring from top to bottom), hence at the 

 center of gravity. So in handling the cases rap- 

 idly there must always be more or less effort on 

 the part of the fingers to retain the case in a hori- 

 zontal position, and that constant effort tires. In 

 the double-tier the hand-hold is above the center 

 of gravity, hence no trouble. That, however, is 

 not the most important thing. 



You can lift a much heavier weight close up 

 to you than you can at arm's length, can't you.? 

 And it's much harder to lift the same weight at 

 arm's length than close up. The further off the 

 weight, the harder the lift. Very well. Don't 

 you see that the hand-hold of the shallow super 

 is further from you than that of the deep one.' 

 So it is possible that Mr. Foster is right in say- 

 ing you will be twice as tired handling a carload 

 of shallow cases as you will handling a carload 

 of deep ones. 



No. 2. " Why should any one try to pick up a 

 shipping-case by the corners.?" Well, why should 

 they lay a double-tier case on its side, as you 

 say they may.? But " there's a reason " for the 

 corner handling. It's easier, especially if two 

 are carried at a time. Try it and see. Then, 

 again, in loading a car it often happens that A 

 hands the cases to B. If A lifts the case by the 

 hand-holds, did you ever see B take hold the 

 same way.? 



No. 5. A single-tier case on a show-case "would 

 be less liable to break a glass than a double one 

 of the same weight. " Why under the sun should 

 you pile any thing of that sort on the glass of a 

 show-case.? That glass is meant to be seen 

 through, and not to be covered up. I never be- 

 fore heard of piling honey on the glass of a show- 

 case. 



" The single-tier can be piled up with less dan- 

 ger of toppling over than a double-tier." Is 

 there any danger of either toppling over.? I've 

 piled dozens or hundreds of piles as high as I 

 could reach, and there never seemed any danger. 



That dray business. I don't see why one kind 

 should be put on the bottom more than the oth- 

 er; "and if heavy goods of miscellaneous shapes 

 and sizes were piled on top, more damage would 

 be received " by the single than by the double 



tier, I am sure; for the same reason that you say 

 " that if one steps on the single-tier case his 

 weight would do more damage to the sections in 

 such a case than to those in a double-tier of the 

 same capacity." 



" Careless freight-handlers have a tendency to 

 lay the double-tier on its face." I can't think 

 of any answer to that that is entirely satisfactory. 

 To be sure, the fool that would lay a case on its 

 face would chink in single-tier cases face down 

 if there happened to be a narrow place for them; 

 but he wouldn't be likely to put a whole load of 

 single-tiers face down. And that very thing hap- 

 pened to a load of double-tiers for me once. But 

 the railroad paid for them, so I was nothing out. 

 Say, come to think of ir, that's an argument, 

 after all, in favor of double-tiers. Ship all hon- 

 ey in them; let them be loaded face down, if 

 need be; then collect. Make good honey that 

 much scarcer, and stiffen the price. Great scheme. 



A strong argument in favor of the double-tier 

 has not been directly mentioned, although you, 

 Mr. Editor, refer to it indirectly. It is that it 

 will cost less to case a ton of honey in double- 

 tiers than in single-tiers. 



But the strongest of all arguments in favor of 

 double-tiers has not been given, although I think 

 Mr Foster had it in mind in No. 4. It is the 

 greater beauty of a pile of honey if in double- 

 tiers. You've got to see it to appreciate it; but 

 if you had a pile of single-tiers side by side with 

 a pile of double-tiers, a single glance would set- 

 tle it. I can't show it to you in words, but I 

 may give you a little idea of the difference. You 

 see, in the double-tier cases there is a middle bar 

 of wood an inch wide. In place of that will be 

 in the other pile the wood at the lower part of 

 one case and the wood at the upper part of the 

 case below it — 2^4. inches of wood in one case 

 against one inch of wood in the other — more 

 wood showing in the single-tier pile, more glass 

 in the other. I wish, Mr. Editor, you could see 

 the two piles side by side, and see how much 

 more woody the pile of single-tiers looks. 



Marengo, 111. 



BUCKWHEAT CAKES LIKE MOTHER 

 USED TO MAKE. 



BY EUGENE SECOR. 



On page 40, Jan. 1, Mr. Barnes wants a recipe 

 for making buckwheat pancakes. I am glad he 

 acknowledges that the pure-food law in Iowa 

 means somthing, in that it enables him to get 

 unadulterated flour. I have evidence of that fact 

 also. We are using, this winter, buckwheat 

 flour which is just as good as we used to have 

 back in York State. It has not always been 

 thus here in the West. I may be permitted to 

 say, parenthetically, that there is not so much 

 stuff on the market here called honey as there used 

 to be, either. 



When I read Mr. Barnes' query I inquired of 

 the women I board with how they prepared the 

 batter for pancakes. This is what they said: 

 To start the batter for a family of four we use 

 about a pint of sweet milk to two cups of flour, 

 and warm water enough to make the batter thin, 

 and about one-fourth of a yeast cake. Mix the 

 day before needed, and keep in a gallon jar be- 



