THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



73 



• NO-WALL FOUNDATION. 

 A machine to manufacture founda- 

 ion, having no sidewall at all, has been 

 irought out by the Michigan State Bee- 

 keepers' association, ana a number of 

 he members have given the product 

 iractical tests with gratifying results, 

 "oundation running sixteen square feet 



the pound is said to hold its position 

 a tlTe section. By its use the "gobby" 

 hewing quality oi melted wax, found 



1 comb honey produced on heavier 

 oundation, is removed, giving practi- 

 ally a comb of natural delicacy, being 

 eadily accepted and entirely worked 

 ver by the bees. We have never been 

 ble to produce an uniformly straight 

 Dt of combs on very light foundation. 

 Jspecially during a light flow of honey, 



hen the work of drawing out the side- 

 ^alls would progress more rapidly on 

 ne side than upon the other, the ten- 

 ency of the septum to warp and curl 

 way from the deepest cells, was very 

 bjectionable. It is possible that the 

 ddition of new^ wax, in w^orking the 

 ew no-wall foundation, instead of 

 binning and drawing out the wax con- 

 ained in the ordinary style, may ob- 

 late this objection to the use of very 

 ight sheets. 



The extent of the advantage to be 



■ined through the use of such extra 

 hin foundation must necessarily be de- 

 ermined by at least an approximate 

 olution of the honey cost of wax se- 

 retion. 



The new product is the invention of 

 . F. Bingham, of smoker fame. 



EDUCATING THE DEALER. 

 One of the neglected duties of the 

 loney producer is that of instructing 

 he dealer in the care of their products, 

 tore-keepers, as a rule, are as slow to 

 cquire a general knowledge of honey 

 nd proper methods of handling it, as 

 re the public to recognize its merits 

 s an article of diet and its medicinal 

 ises. Indeed, both conditions are 

 ioubtless to some extent the result of 

 his neglect; a matter worthy of more 



than a passing thought by those w^hose 

 livelihood depends upon the sale of 

 honey, and is of proportionate moment 

 to those with whom bee-keeping is 

 but an avocation from which they ex- 

 pect profitable returns. 



Upon every shipping case sent out 

 should be pasted printed instructions, 

 full and explicit, for the care of comb 

 honey; with an explanation of the re- 

 sults that will surely follow any viola- 

 tion of the specified rules. This duty 

 is imperative until such times, at least, 

 as the average dealer shall have 

 learned that comb honey and cabbage 

 require different methods of treatment 

 in handling, to insure success in both 



A single day's experience during the 

 past winter will serve to illustrate the 

 prevalent ignorance of dealers regard- 

 ing honey. We chanced to step into a 

 well-stocked grocery in a Pennsylvania 

 town. It was very cold, and directly in 

 front of the door, at the farthest 

 possible point from the stove, stood a 

 large glass case in which were nicely 

 displayed probably 200 sections of 

 honey. The prominence of this display 

 was a souce of great interest, and soon 

 became the subject of conversation, af- 

 fording the opportunity to compliment 

 the dealer on his evident good taste, 

 etc. That ashen pallor, indicating gran- 

 ulation, was showing itself upon the 

 cappings of many sections. "Yes, that's 

 the greatest trouble in handling 

 honey," remarked the urbane mer- 

 chant, "it will candy; and you see I 

 keep it in the coldest place in the 

 house, too." In all his years of hand- 

 ling honey he had never before heard 

 that it should be stored in a warm, dry 

 place. The information was received 

 graciously and with evident gratitude. 



Passing down the street about two 

 blocks, the most novel display of honey 

 we have ever seen, loomed up in front 

 of a grocer's shop. a pyramid of 

 31/^x5x11/^ No. 1 sections graced the 

 street display upon the sidewalk. 

 Freezing like Klondike, and comb 



