FEBRUARY 1, 1913 



been put on the market over here. Illustra- 

 tions of these packages will, I am sure, be 

 of special interest to you just now. 



Figs. 1 to 3 show a cheap tin, veiy exten- 

 sivel}^ used for candied honey. For liquid 

 honey the lid would not be honey-tight. 

 However, it can easily be made perfectly 

 tight by putting thin parchment paper over 

 the mouth of the tin, then pressing the lid 

 on only lightly, and trimming the paper 

 with a sharjj-pointed knife. The inside of 

 the edge of the paper that afterward comes 

 in contact with the tin is covered, by means 

 of a small brush, with a thin layer of a 

 molten mixture of beeswax and resin, after 

 wliich the lid is pressed down firmly. 



This tin is put into a box of corrugated 

 paper, as shown in Fig. 3, and is then ready 

 to be posted as a postal card. 



For liquid honey the tin shown in Figs. 

 4 and 5 is far better adapted, being provid- 

 ed with a lever lid that is perfectly air-tight 

 if pressed down properly. I am mj-self 

 using the tin shown in Fig. 6, which is both 

 simple and effective. The elastic iron bow 

 pressed over the lid and secured to the 

 body of the tin (on one side by mea«*'of a 

 spring, the ends of which ought to be sealed 

 with lead or sealing-wax) serves as a carry- 

 ing handle. I find that this kind of pack- 

 age travels better without any envelop of 

 corrugated paper ; because the postmen, see- 

 ing the tin, and instantly inferring that it 

 contains a liquid (they hardly ever read the 

 labels) don't dare throw it about, but al- 

 ways take it up b}' the handle. However, 

 the bottom part of this kind of tin has to 

 be made just a trifle stronger than was nec- 

 essary with the tin shown in Figs. 1 to 3, 

 and the body ought to be strengthened in 

 the way shown in Fig. 6. 



These tins usually carry about 10 lbs. of 

 honey, so there remains a margin of one 

 pound. The weight of the tin is a little 

 over half a pound. The whole package 

 comes close to eleven pounds when filled 

 and labeled. There is some demand for tins 

 taking only 5 to 6 lbs. of honey. 



I have often wondered how it is that in 

 P^nglish-speaking countries there is no par- 

 cel post worth speaking about. But they 

 do not have state-owned railways in Eng- 

 lish-speaking countries. Perhaps in some 

 way tlie interests of railway companies are 

 affected by parcel post. Anyhow, the inter- 

 ests of railway companies, however power- 

 ful they may be, must not be allowed to 

 stand in the way if the interests of the 

 people demand parcel post. And that par- 

 cel post is of gTeat help to the beekeeper, 

 whether large or small, the fraternity on 



the other side of the ocean will soon know 

 b}- experience. 



" From Gleanings for Oct. 15, p. 64.5, I 

 just learned (while writing tliis article) 

 that parcel post will be an institution in 

 the United States after January 1. It is 

 true there are greater distances to be taken 

 into account in the United States than in 

 the countries on this continent; still, at the 

 rates outlined above, a parcel may travel 

 right through Germany and Austria-Hun- 

 gary (between these countries there exists a 

 special postal union), a distance ecjual to 

 that between Florida and Ohio. 



Beekeepers across the sea have my best 

 washes for the thorough success of their new 

 parcel post, which, I am quite sure, will 

 soon be deprived of its provisional charac- 

 ter ; because, once you have got it, you will 

 soon see that you can't do without it. 

 Wendhausen b. Hildesheim, Germany. 



REMINISCENCES OF BEEKEEPING 50 YEARS 

 AGO 



BY A. F. FOSTER 



The happenings of a day shape the des- 

 tiny of a family. It was a chilly November 

 day in 1860. Father and I went six miles 

 on foot for a cow and calf. The paths were 

 sloppy with snow, and we were soon tired 

 chasing tlu'ough the brush up hill and down. 

 As a slender lad I found the journey tire- 

 some, and about the middle of the after- 

 noon I wanted my dinner. 



We came to a large farmhouse witli a 

 big barn, and sheds, orchard, garden, and 

 a few hives. Mr. A., an Englishman with 

 whom father had some business, offered us 

 a lunch of bread and butter, milk, and hon- 

 ey. The women were aAvay, but we were 

 made welcome in a warm kitchen, and 

 helped ourselves from the table with its 

 huge loaf, a large pitcher of milk, a pat of 

 fresh butter, and a bowl of yellow grainy 

 basswood honey. The lad of sixteen had a 

 boy's appetite, and this was his first taste 

 of honey. He began with a sup of milk, a 

 slice of bread, and butter and honey. Then 

 some honey on another piece dipped in the 

 cup of sweet creamy milk ; then more bread 

 and honey, and then some with silent re- 

 flections, " If pa would keep bees we might 

 have honey on our table." Was it a pray- 

 er? Surely it was the "soul's sincere de- 

 sire," and had a prompt answer, for father 

 just then spoke of buying a hive of Mr. A. ; 

 and ere we finished the lunch the bargain 

 was made and a box hive was ours. 



Later during the summer of 1862 father 

 joined the army of the boys in blue and 



