and packed in a neat and cheaply construct- 

 ed crate, containing a dozen combs. Such 

 crate and boxes I liave here for inspection, 

 with a box of teasel honey. 



In a shape similar to this, Capt. Hether- 

 ington has this year put up 75 tons of comb 

 honey, and sold it for $30,000. 



In a shape similar to this, C. R. Isham 

 sold his crop at 25 cents per tb. 



In this shape N. N. Betsinger sold his 

 crop at handsome fij^ures. 



In this shape G. M. Doolittle sold 10 tons 

 of comb honey to Thurber & Co., New 

 York, and was awarded the $50 Gold Medal 

 for "the best honey in the most marketable 

 shape" at the meeting of the National Con- 

 vention in October. 



No product of field or farm varies so much 

 in price as honey; and why? Because the 

 unattractive manner in which some put it 

 upon the market causes it to be classed as 

 a second or third rate article. 



A trip through Water street, Chicago, last 

 week revealed the fact that white clover, 

 comb honey was quoted at different stores, 

 all the way from 14 to 22 cents; the price 

 being governed by the style of the packages, 

 and manner of putting up for the market. 



In Thurber & Co's. Price List for Dec. 6, 

 1877, we discovered that comb honey, of the 

 best grade, was quoted at 25 cts. per lb, in 

 the Prize Box and Crate, while the same 

 honey in 3 comb boxes was quoted at 21 cts. 

 These are facts that need no argument. 



The "Prize Box" and "Crate" should 

 be made in manner, form and substance like 

 the sample before us. The box is 6 in. 

 liigh and 5 in. broad, and when packed in 

 the crate, stands upon its top-bar, I'or safety 

 in sending to market. The lumber of the 

 box is 3^ and }4 in. thick, and is sawed 

 smoothly; with the cover, sides and ends of 

 the crate planed, in order to make it the 

 more attractive. 



Heretofore, I fear, we have been " meas- 

 uring ourselves by ourselves," too much. — 

 We have copied each other in the matter of 

 marketing— instead of enquiring of our 

 wholesalers, our retailers and our con- 

 sumers what their needs and preferences 

 were. Only in the latter way can we expect 

 to arrive at a correct conclusion. 



The demand will doubtless increase a 

 hundred-fold! It only requires to be 

 attractively put up, to find ready sale at 

 good prices. Nearly all the desirable 

 honey is now disposed of,— that which 

 remains unsold is mostly the unattractive. 

 If we can but meet the requirements of 

 consumers, there will be no trouble to sell 

 all the honey that can be produced on this 

 continent. 



Dr. Whiting:, Saginaw, indorsed what had 

 been said, and remarked that it was his chief 

 object in coming to tlie convention to see that 

 tliis point was fully discussed. He had put up 

 his honey in cases, but sold for seventeen 

 cents. When he saw the honey put up in a 

 different case, no better honey tlian his, and 

 sold for twenty-tive cents, he couldn't stand it. 



After a quartette by vocal singers, the Presi- 

 dent announced that at the last meeting a 

 committee to report on 



WINTERING BEES. 



was appointed, and he expected Mr. Cheeny to 

 toe present, but read a letter from him to the 

 effect that he would come If possible, but fear- 

 ing he could not, he sent a paper he had writ- 

 ten upon the subj ect, which will appear in the 

 next Journal. 



Dr. Southard said to winter bees successfully 

 you must have the moisture expelled, and he 



never succeeded even in a good dry cellar, but 

 that packed in chaff on the summer-stand he 

 has not two per cent. loss. 



Mr. Butler said one impoi'tant point has not 

 been touched. It was the moisture In the hives. 

 He had built a good, dry cellar, and had fair 

 success ; but the moving out and back was too 

 much labor. Besides, if moved out the bees 

 would fly out, and having been In the dark, 

 they would come out as soon as they could see 

 light, and many would perish and the hives 

 soon become depopulated. This was the ob- 

 jection to cellar wintering. He had adopted 

 the chaff method for the past six. years with 

 perfect success. He hadn't lost two per cent. 



Mr. Benedict, from Bennington, O., said he 

 he didn't tliink of taking special pains to house 

 bees for winter except to save lioney, 



Mr. Russell, of Adrian, said he wintered his 

 bees in his cellar, and experimented. He left 

 some of the colonies in the cellar ail winter. 

 Others he took out in February and gave them 

 a flight. After that they were very trouble- 

 some, and he had to keep carrying them out. 

 Some he kept in just six months, and they 

 came out best of all. He would winter a hun- 

 dred colonies this winter, and would not take 

 out one of them unless obliged to. 



Prof. Cook said that he thought no bees 

 should be carried out if they were quiet. He 

 thought the 6th of April as early as pollen 

 could be gathered. 



Mr. Whiting said that care should be taken 

 to have the comb warm when put into the cel- 

 lar, otherwise moisture would gather in the 

 hives. He gave the following rules for winter- 

 ing bees: 



1. A sufflcient supply of good ripe honey. 



2. Bees enough to cover the frames. 



3. Good pure air in proportion to size of 

 swarm, but no draft through the cluster suffi- 

 cient to chill them. 



4. Freedom from condensed moisture. 



Mr. Butler said bees should never be left out 

 till the hives became frosted. 



Mr. Van Renssalaer, of Ottawa, Ohio, exhib- 

 ited a model of a bee house, and explained it. 



Mr. Bingham instanced a case of " freezing 

 out" this fall. His neighbor, A. S. Weeks, had 

 a colony in a 13xl4-inch Quinby hive. It sat 

 near the ground, and in November, when the 

 the thermometer was fifteen degrees above 

 zero, it frose to death. Mr. Weeks was one of 

 the most reliable bee raisers in that section. 



Mr. Southard gave his method for preparing 

 boxes for wintering, as did Dr. Whiting. Both 

 used straw and chaff. 



Mr. Beal, of Macon, said he lost fifteen 

 swarms, and there was not a dead bee in or 

 about the hive, and plenty of honey, and still 

 they had left for parts unknown. 



Mr. Benedict said he examined a case of that 

 kind, and found the honey watery and sour. 



Prof. Cook said bees will leave for many 

 causes in the winter, such as loss of queen, 

 sour honey, or any disturbance. 



Prof. Cook then read an article on the man- 

 asrement of bees at the college, which will duly 

 :q>liear In the Journal. 



THURSDAY'S SESSIONS. 



The following resolutions were passed unani- 

 mously : 



Whereas, The All-wise Father has blessed 

 the apiarists of our State and countrj' with 

 health and prosperity for the past year, and 



Whereas, The people of Adrian have given 

 us a kindly welcome, and 



Whereas, Mr. A. H. Russell has spared no 

 pains to make our meeting successful, and by 

 his efficient labor, helped to make this one of 

 the best meetings of our society, and 



Whereas, The Central and Lawrence Ho- 

 tels have shown their appreciation of our ef- 

 forts and cause by offering reduced rates to 

 our members, and 



Whereas, The Quartette, oy their sweet 

 music, has added to our enjoyment, and 



Whereas the Adrian and Madison Grange 

 and Sovereigns of Industry, have kindly 



