JUNE 1, 1913 



375 



Field meeting of the Canterbury Beekeepers' Association at the apiary of R. N. Gidley, Lakeside, N. Z. 



the matter of the formation of a company 

 on these lines in the hands of the executive 

 of the Canterbury Association. A vote of 

 thanks to the host was carried with musical 

 honors, and the party left for home after 

 spending an enjoyable day. 

 Christchurch, N. Z. 



SHIPPING FRAGILE ARTICLES 



Some Advice from One who has had Experience 



BY JAY W. GEE 



Continued from last issve. 



The matter of glass in the case has been 

 frequently mentioned in Gleanikgs. I do 

 not believe that the use of glass makes any 

 difference one way or the other, except to 

 weaken the case. The average day laborer 

 on a transfer platform has little time and 

 no inclination to be peering through either 

 a two-inch or three-inch hole in any of the 

 boxes he handles to see the contents. If he 

 be a negTo there are two things he always 

 knows from outside appearances — shoes 

 and whisky ; and if you don't look out. 

 Sambo is going to have some of both. If 

 one is compelled to ship by freight, the 

 honey should be thoroughly and tightly 

 packed in corrugated paper or something 

 similar to take up shock and vibration in a 

 very strong case; and you can not make 

 them too strong. If you buve a carload, 



have your agent lend you his instruction- 

 book governing the loading of dynamite, 

 and brace the honey exactly the same as 

 you would for that explosive. In switch- 

 ing, cars get some terrible licks uninten- 

 tionally. I have seen them hit so hard that 

 you could see them bow up in the middle 

 apparently six inches. 



Gleanings is against shipping by ex- 

 press, I know; but as the express business 

 will soon be in the hands of the govern- 

 ment, perhaps Brother Root will relent. 1 

 am just stating my experience. At one 

 place where I was employed for several 

 years I handled the express on commission, 

 having a large transfer to take care of also. 

 After I had been there about two years 1 

 had meantime been experimenting with a 

 few hives of bees, and had taken off about 

 one hundred sections of snow-white honey. 

 There was no local sale. In fact, I gave 

 my neighbors all they wanted. The best 

 price that the nearest town offered was ten 

 cents. I had a relative in the Texas Pan- 

 handle in a good town, who offered to take 

 all that T would send him, and pay twenty 

 cents. How to get forty or fifty pounds to 

 him was the question. One thing the public 

 as a rule does not know about the express 

 — all employees are under bond, and held 

 strictly accountable for the safe kee]iing of 

 the property in their care. Every claim that 

 the express pays js traced down to the enir 



