THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



1 in B[['K[n. 



1>UBLISHEI> JIONTHLV BY 



THE W. T. FALCONER MANFG CO. 



ii. e:. -i^Ti-j^, - - - Eiditor. 



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EDITORIAL. 



With due appreciation and gratitude 

 we note ttie numerous well-wishes and 

 kindly criticisms of our readers and 

 brother editors that have come to our 

 table. 



"The New York State Association of 

 Bee-Keepers' Societies," organized at 

 Geneva, N. Y., March 16, is the latest 

 development in co-operative work 

 among honey producers. A copy of the 

 new association's constitution, from 

 Secretary Harry S. Howe, reaches us 

 just as we go to press. 



A nice article of maple sugar put on 

 the market this year by a Vermont 

 company, has upon the wrapper of 

 each one-pound cake, an extract from 

 the Vermont state laws, approved Nov. 

 13, 1890, regarding the increase of pen- 

 alty for the adulteration of maple 

 sugar and "bees' honey," and the 

 purity of their goods is guaranteed un- 

 der forfeiture of $1,000. Such measures 

 beget public interest in pure food, and 

 many shippers of extracted honey 

 would profit by emulating the example. 



April 



POSITION OF COMBS IN MOVING. 



A label upon which is printed a hand 

 having the index finger extended, and 

 the words, "load with the finger point- 

 ing to the bow, locomotive or horse," 

 has long been used in shipping pack- 

 ages containing combs of honey. The 

 shipper, of course, places this sticker 

 on the hive, shipping case, or whatever 

 the article may be, with the finger run- 

 ning parallel with the combs. In criti- 

 cising this feature of the sticker, which 

 gives also other instructions for hand- 

 ling, Dr. Miller, in Gleanings, remarks: 



"The finger ought to point to bow or 

 locomotive, but hardly to horse, unless 

 the horse walks besides wagon." The 

 majority of country roads will, doubt- 

 less, justify the doctor's premises; 

 which, however, will not stand, accord- 

 ing to our experience, if the moving is 

 to be done over several miles of well- 

 worn corduroy. 



Why "it ought to point to bow," we 

 do not know, either. In sea-going 

 ships it can make no difference as to 

 the position of the combs; owing to the 

 variaole, easy motion of such great 

 weight upon the waves. With smaller 

 craft, though injury to combs by any 

 motion ot the boat is highly improb- 

 able at any time, it would be impossi- 

 ble to fix any stated rule for loading 

 that would render the chances for 

 safety any greater, in a general way. 

 A short sail boat with good beam, run- 

 ning under close-haul, or on the wind, 

 would carry combs easier if stowed 

 fore-and-aft. In loading a steam, or 

 other small motor boat, however, hav- 

 ing less bearings, under the same con- 

 ditions of weather, the reverse pos- 

 ition should be adopted in loading. 



The innumerable models and rigs, 

 varying weather and peculiarities of 

 navigable waters, as well as the differ- 

 ent methods of handling by each cap- 

 tain, are all factors which render such 

 a rule entirely worthless. If brevity is 

 desirable, strike out the nautical com- 

 mand. Aren't we right, ex-Tar Leahy? 



