176 



fHE AMERICA^ B^E-tCEEPER. 



October 



Mr. Harry S. Howe now has under 

 contemplation a special course in en- 

 tomology at Cornell. 



The Courtland County (N. Y.) Bee- 

 keepers' convention, held at Freeville 

 Sept. 8, was not largely attended, ow- 

 ing to the recent death of Mr. Miles 

 Morton. 



Of Porto Rico, W. K. Morrison, in 

 Gleanings, says: "It is a very fine 

 bee country. It is the only part of the 

 Spanish colonies worth owning." 

 While referring to the same country a 

 current newspaper item reads: "A pe- 

 culiarity of the island is that neither 

 snakes or flowers are found, as in other 

 tropical countries." 



It appears by comments in some of 

 our exchanges that difficulty is occa- 

 sionally experienced by some in plac- 

 ing the papers neatly in the bottom of 

 shipping cases. This is really one of 

 the nicest as well as easiest parts of 

 the work in preparing a crop of comb 

 honey for the market. Our method is 

 to have a "follower" one inch thick, 

 cut to fit the case, leaving one-eighth 

 inch "play" all around, through which 

 a number of air-holes are bored, and a 

 handle attached to the centre of one 

 side. Place the sheet of paper squarely 

 upon the case, the follower upon the 

 paper at an equal distance from the 

 edges, and with a simultaneous move- 

 ment of the right and left hands fold 

 the two opposite corners neatly against 

 the edges of the follower, then likewise 

 of the remaining two, and immediately 

 the whole will begin to settle; grasp 

 the handle with the right hand, press- 

 ing it firmly to the* bottom, and with a 

 rotary motion the paper is snugly fitted 

 into each corner. Withdraw the board 

 and the job is done in one-fourth the 

 time it takes to tell how, and that 

 without breaking the paper. All cor- 

 ners of the follower should be square 

 and sharp to do a neat job. 



A solution of the perplexing "market 

 problem," so far as comb honey is con- 

 cerned, is offered in Gleanings by G. 

 K. Hubbard. His advice to bee-keepers 

 is to have honey carefully graded, don 

 your Sunday clothes and assuming an 

 air of becoming dignity, businesslike 

 yet very gentlemanly, become your 

 own drummer. Sell from the wagon in 

 neighboring towns, direct to the gro- 

 cer. Strike for big sales; the dealer 

 will feel flattered if you observe that 

 his apparent large trade would soon 

 move your "small" load of fifteen or 

 twenty cases. Have confidence and 

 bring to bear your business tact. You 

 have the advantage of the regular com- 

 mercial traveler in selling honey. The 

 grocer takes no chances when buying 

 of you of having unfinished and un- 

 saleable sections in his stock, no 

 breakage in shipping or shortage to 

 stand. Your allowance for return of 

 cases in good condition more than off- 

 sets the customary cash discounts 

 given by jobbing houses. Call his at- 

 tention to the fact that your dark 

 grade is no less pure and wholesome 

 than "fancy," and to the advantage of 

 having this cheaper grade also to meet 

 the demand and possible lower price of 

 any competitor. Sell a case at the bak- 

 ery, too; fresh rolls and honey go well 

 together. Try the fruit stores. Honey 

 will not spoil on the dealer's hands and 

 there is a good profit for him in hand- 

 ling it. Have your name on every case 

 and keep the trade supplied. Mr. Hub- 

 bard says it's easy and it pays to thus 

 develop a market. 



Speaking of L. A. Aspinwall, whom 

 he recently visited, the editor of the 

 Review says: "In the way of section 

 cleaners it is safe to say that he has 

 now cut the ground from under all fu- 

 ture inventors in that line." It is Mr. 

 Aspinwall's intention to patent his in- 

 vention. 



"Be sure you're right, then go ahead, 

 regardless of the road others take." 



