1896. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



469 



venient, as there was no stooping or dripping of the honey, 

 and no waste whatever. This stand, when it was closed, was 

 flat on top, something like a table. It was a kind of box on 

 which the lid fit, to which was four legs like a table. The top 

 fit down snug and close ; was fastened to the box part with 

 hinges, so that when it was opened the whole lid went back, 

 and was held by a clasp. A few inches down were cleats fast- 

 ened on all around, and also a good, strong piece went across 

 the center; on these I placed two pieces of wire screen, each 

 reaching half way so they joined on top of the rest or center 

 piece. Below this the box extended about 8 inches, thus 

 giving room for several gallons of honey. I gave instructions 

 to the workman to make the bottom slanting towards one end, 

 and to put a faucet in it ; but he just made the bottom level 

 all the way across, so I had to dip the honey out with a dipper. 

 I kept this stand just at the right of my extractor in the 

 bee-tent, during all the honey season. As I uncapped the 



Comb Honey iu Packages for Retailiug. 



BY N. T. PHELPS. 



Perhaps there are some producers of comb honey who de- 

 sire a better way to put it up in small packages for retail than 

 they now use. If the plan that I will try to make plain will 

 help them to do so I shall be pleased. 



It is a most patience-trying thing to see a customer handle 

 a section of nice comb honey like a brickbat — punch his fingers 

 into both sides of it after you have handled it with the utmost 

 care. Many will do that — pinch it to see how hard it is ; lay 

 it down on its side in the buggy-seat, or push it into an over- 

 coat pocket, and then sit down on it. They come for it afoot 

 or on horseback, in wagons or on bicycles, put it down be- 

 tween their feet or anywhere they can push it in. All of these 

 things make the careful producer's " back hair" pull. There 

 seems to be a need for a good, cheap, and substantial way to 



The Phelps' Basket-Splint Comb-Honey Pacliage for RetuUing. 



honey ready for extracting, the cappings all fell on this 

 heavy, wire screen, and dripped through until next morning 

 when I would remove it to the solar extractor. At the end of 

 the week, or at whatever time was convenient for me, I dipped 

 the honey out and carried it into the honey-room. When the 

 season was over, I used this stand to pack various bee-appli- 

 ances in, thus making it useful all the season through. 



I had a bottle of corrosive sublimate in which I saturated 

 common cotton twine strings three or four times during the 

 season and tied around the legs of this stand, and also around 

 the legs of the honey and wax-extractors, which prevented 

 ants ever crossing them or getting into the honey. A kettle 

 of boiling water was my remedy for little ants that didn't go 

 too deep in the ground ; London purple for those that went 

 deeper ; salt on top of the hives when they got inside, or just 

 under the hives salt would kill or move them. I used to put 

 a table-spoonful or two or salt on the alighting-board several 

 times during the season, more especially in the early spring 

 and fall. They seemed to enjoy it, and I thought it was good 

 for them. 



Bell County, Tex. 

 LTo be continued.] 



See " Bee-Keeper's Guide" offer on page 476. 



put up small quantities to preserve it from being broken until 

 the purchaser can get it to his home. The plan that the 

 writer has used for the last ten years may not be the best or 

 cheapest ever suggested, but it may be convenient for some 

 where the material can be got with little trouble and expense. 

 I think almost any basket-shop will sell the material very 

 cheaply if you will order it at a time when they are the least 

 crowded with other work, say in the winter or early spring. 



What I use is called " basket-splints " at the shops. The 

 size I use is about 17 inches long, 4*^ inches wide, and 1/12 

 inch thick, made from basswood timber. These I score across 

 with the point of a knife, so they will bend at the scored 

 places and not break off. To score the splints in the right 

 place, I use blocks of thin lumber cut the right size to score 

 where I want them scored. These blocks I lay on the splints 

 and score along each edge of the blocks with the point of a 

 knife. The number of sections sold is set out and then the 

 splints are scored just right for that number of sections. 

 Then the splints are wrapped around the sections and tied 

 with twine ; then a paper is wrapped around the package and 

 again tied with twine. This makes a good, solid package, and 

 the customer cannot easily stick his fingers into the honey 

 until it is untied. 



Sometimes when I have a little leisure 1 tie up a number 



