1909 



GLEANINGS IN B^E CULTURE 



597 



free from pollen, which can not possibly be 

 the case with the honey obtained by the Bra- 

 zilian methods, and we shall harvest just as 

 much surplus with the advantage of having 

 more bees left. 



We would alter the Brazilian method in 

 other ways to suit our notions. Perhaps we 

 would run the mammoth colonies for ex- 

 tracted honey. The Texas bee-keepers, how- 

 ever, might want to produce comb or chunk 

 honey, as they have a demand for it; but they 

 would have to eliminate the pollen somehow 

 to make it a success. Pollen in honey, evi- 

 dently, does not seem to be a serious draw- 

 back in Brazil ; at any rate, conditions seem 

 to favor the Hannemann method. 



It might be interesting to learn how Mr. 

 Hannemann succeeded in securing every 

 queen, for this was very essential. The way 

 he did succeed was by his famous bee-sieve, 

 which later de veloped into the regular queen- 

 excluder as we use it now. But Hannemann 

 made his sieve of wire. He would not use a 

 punched sheet of metal; in fact, he has not 

 ceased to lament and decry the spoiling of 

 his valuable invention in such a way. With 

 his sieve he would sift every swarm, and thus 

 secure each queen and all drones. The cage 

 he used for caging the queens was also only 

 queen-confining, giving the bees constant 

 access to the queens. For this reason the 

 Germans have styled it the Hannemann 

 queen-cage. 



Naples, N. Y., August 12. 



THE TEXAS STATE FAIR. 



Bottling the Honey for the Exhibits by the 



Apiarian Department at the 



Fairgrounds. 



BY LOUIS H. SCHOLL. 



The State Fair at Texas, one of the great- 

 est fairs of its kind, takes place this year at 

 Dallas, October 16 to 31. The management 

 has made great efforts the last few years to 

 have the best bee and honey exhibit ever 

 held in the South. The apiarian department 

 was started three years ago, and has had a 

 steady growth each year, so that the coming 

 exhibition promises to be the best ever held, 

 in spite of the short honey crop. 



All who are familiar with exhibiting at 

 fairs, especially when bees and honey have 

 to be sent long distances, are well aware of 

 the difficulties, such as the expensive ex- 



Eress rates, breakage of glass packages of 

 oney, observatory hives, etc. This is often 

 very aggravating, not only to the exhibitor, 

 but also to the superintendent and his assist- 

 ants in the apiarian department, since it is no 

 small matter to wash honey from glass jars 

 and bottles, especially where they are label- 

 ed. It is also disagreeable to have bees ar- 

 rive in observatory hives in some of which 

 the glass sides are broken so that nearly if 

 not all of the bees have escaped. For these 

 reasons we have adopted a new plan which 

 we hope can be macle to work satisfactori- 

 ly. In the first place, the observatory hives 



will be furnished by the Fair Association. 

 These will be a part of the permanent equip- 

 ment, to be kept from year to year, as they 

 can be easily put under lock and key in the 

 department. Bee-keepers will then be re- 

 quired to send only the bees, as requested 

 in the following letter: 



Dear Sir.—l am in Dallas preparingr for the biggest 

 and best bee and honey exhibit that the South has 

 ever had. In this we want your co-operation. It will 

 not take very much of your time, nor be any great ex- 

 pense to you, yet you will help us do a wonderful 

 thing toward advertising our bees, queens, honey, and 

 wax, and other by-products of the apiary. 



We are going to have the biggest show of bees of the 

 different races in one-frame observatory hives that 

 the world has ever seen at one place, and for this pur- 

 pose we are getting made up here a big lot of the glass 

 hives ready to receive the bees that are sent here. All 

 you have to do is to send the one-frame nuclei in their 

 shipping-cases, and we will put them into the glass 

 hives and care for them in the best possiiale manner 

 while they are here. In this way we shall get a great 

 number of competitors to show their best stuff, and it 

 will be an advertisement for all who participate. We 

 are writing you this at the present time so that you 

 can prepare your best bees and have them ready to 

 ship to us four or five days before the opening of the 

 fair. 



We also want the greatest number of exhibits of dif- 

 ferent kinds of honey, and we have struck on the fol- 

 lowing plan: We will procure a large number of white 

 flint-glass jars holding 3 pounds each. All that will 

 be required for the exhibitor will be to send enough 

 honey, 36 lbs., in the regular 60-lb. cans. We will put 

 the honey in the jars, properly labeled, with the num- 

 ber of the exhibitor. After the fair all of the honey 

 will be sold, and that sent by the exhibitor paid for. 

 This will save the risk and expense of shipping glass 

 packages. 



As there are premiums on white and amber honey, 

 two cans can be shipped in one case by freight. In- 

 clude with this shipment other things named in the 

 premium list enclosed— comb honey, wax, vinegar, 

 etc. All these shipments should be sent early to ar- 

 rive here in due time, while bees and queens are rush- 

 ed through by express later. Address all shipments, 

 and send all bills of lading to me. 



Write me at once a list of what you will send us, so 

 we can arrange for it promptly. Remember the dates 

 of the fair are October 16 to 31, and all exhibits must 

 reach us by the 15th. We will take the best of care of 

 them here. Louis H. SCHOLL, 



Dallas, Texas, Sept. 14. Supt. Apiarian Dept. 



As the above letters are sent to all who 

 may have a good stock of bees, it will be pos- 

 sible to get up the biggest show of bees ever 

 held in one place. 



The same plan will apply to exhibits of 

 honey. By having an equipment in the 

 apiarian department for filling glass jars 

 rapidly with the honey that is sent, we hope 

 to gain a big advantage in this respect also. 

 Most of the exhibits must be sent several 

 hundred miles, and honey put up in glass 

 must be packed with extra care to guard 

 against the rough handling at the numerous 

 transfer points, thus making very bulky 

 packages, and increasing the shipping ex- 

 pense, and not even then preventing break- 

 age. By procuring suitable jars for exhibi- 

 tion purposes in gross lots or in still larger 

 lots, if necessary, the cost of the glass will 

 be lower. The freight bills will also be low 

 on the honey, because it may be sent in tin 

 cans. 



The filling of the jars will be done in the 

 department, and this brings up another 

 point of importance. Honey recently put in 



glass and set up for exhibition presents a 

 etter and brighter appearance than that 

 which has been in jars for a longer time. 



