duce prices? 1 often sell extracted honey to 

 poor people with children (who ought to 

 have honey to eat) for 8 and 10c. per lb. I 

 also give away from $20 to f40 worth every 

 year. In reply to J. II. Martin, Novice says: 

 " We should rejoice if honey should go down 

 to 5c. per lb." "Can't we be happy in see- 

 ing others made happy?" &c. Now, Novice, 

 you will make many persons who in- 

 dulge in " tea-kettle feeders," "tlie smoker 

 we prefer," &c., very " happy," it you will 

 reduce your price-list of "surplus" one-half. 

 Don't say you "can't afford it," as that plea 

 applies with equal force to the producing 

 class, and does not disprove your assertion 

 that others would be made happy thereby. 



Now, friend Novice, 1 want to ask you 

 some questions, and as you are "too busy to 

 stop to answer private correspondence," and 

 f)thcrs would like to hear your explanation, 

 I will ask you through the Journal the 

 following: 



If yon didn't owe Mr. Burch SoO, why did 

 you pay him that amount? 



If you did owe him, why did you not owe 

 R. S.'Becktell; and if you did owe R. S. B., 

 why did you not ])ay him? He says he sent 

 in a claim and found the " bank closed." 



Did not the "new light" light up your 

 sanctum sufficiently for you to see that you 

 were appropriating Mr. Bingham's invention 

 in smokers, compelling him to protect him- 

 self by law, and us who use his valuable in- 

 vention, to foot the bill? Have you not in- 

 j ured Mr. B. or the producers, or both— for 

 the gain of a very few dollars! 



HONEY BOXES AND SECTIONS. 



Mr. Editor: Since my letter appeared in 

 the report of the Michigan Convention, I 

 have received letters inquiring about the 

 honey boxes, sections and shipping-case 

 therein referred to. As many may prefer to 

 make the case at home, I will here describe 

 it. As I use low sections and boxes, of 

 course I pack two tiers in a case; for expe- 

 rience has taught me that when so packed, 

 the honey carries just as safely and cleanly, 

 and the case shows the honey better, and is 

 much cheaper per capacity. 



I use these cases for both glassed boxes 

 and unglassed sections. Its dimensions are 

 12% long, IOI4 wide and 9^ inches high, in- 

 side measure; ends ^, cover and bottom %, 

 side strips }i inch. This case goes together 

 just like the prize crate, only it is higher and 

 lias a centre side piece, The top and bottom 

 are wide enough to come out tlush with tiie 

 outside of side-pieces, and 1 handle it by the 

 side top-pieces, instead of slots in the ends, 

 as I like to handle all cases at the side of 

 the combs. 1 don't know which way is best. 



The top and bottom side-pieces are rab- 

 beted 3^x3-lt) on one inside corner, and the 

 centre-piece on both inside corners. When 

 I pack sections, without glass, I slip in two 

 panes of glass on each side, each 3xl3>^ 

 inches, and brad fast at each end. 



In shipping-boxes I omit the glass. I 

 make them neat, smootii and cheap; not to 

 be returned. I prefer a little play between 

 the boxes and case, to aid the connection be- 

 tween the comb and box to keep its solidity. 



This case takes 20 sections 43^x6%, weigh- 

 ing about 13^ lbs. each, packed in two tiers, 

 with sheet of man ilia paper between. It 



also takes 8 two-comb boxes of about 4 lbs., 

 4 in each tier, and paper as before; also, 16 

 one-comb boxes, of 2 lbs. gross; also, 20 one- 

 comb boxes (shorter) of about l}4 Ihs. gross. 

 Four of these short boxes run crosswise the 

 case, and show the figuring or stamping on 

 the wood to good advantage. All the other 

 16 show the honey. I call all boxes that are 

 glassed; all sections or section-frames, that 

 are not glassed before going to the bees. 



1 believe that the coming market will de- 

 mand at least 2 or 3 sizes of packages, and 

 perhaps the smallest size without glass; <ill 

 sizes may sell best glassed. Time will de- 

 cide. If one small comb must be glassed, I 

 am in for the 4%x5x2>^ inch one-comb box, 

 glassed before going on the hives. 



My main aim in putting these boxes, &c., 

 ill the hands of bee-keepers, is to stimulate 

 a pride in all to ask a paying price for their 

 honey, and to hold it till it will commnnd 

 it; which course will be to the advantage of 

 every producer. They take just 30 of the 

 4Kx4J4 sections, and the middle-piece jiro- 

 tects tiie glass, and at the same time hides 

 the tops and bottoms of the section frames 

 or boxes, which Root's case does not do. 



heddon's shipping crate. 



The past season I stored some more than 

 two-thirds of my comb-honey in the 4 lb. 

 boxes, glass on two sides, and less than one- 

 third of my crop in l}4 lb. sections, with no 

 glass. I sold each style at the same price 

 gross, and have had much more trouble to 

 dispose of the part of the section honey that 

 is sold, than all the box honey— which was 

 sold long ago. As my case and hives are so 

 arranged that they are adapted to all these 

 sizes of boxes and sections, 1 shall make 

 1878 a year of experiment, as regards the 

 best styles and sizes for the best market at 

 home and abroad. I also mean to test for 

 myself, thoroughly, the small boxes vs. large 

 ones, as regards the bees accepting and ttll- 

 ing tliem (piickly. I have already settled 

 my own mind on the honej'-board question, 

 and I am a honey-boardist. 



James Heddon. 



Dowagiac, Mich., Feb. 11, 1878. 



DePere, Wis., Jan. 12, 1878. 

 "This has been a peculiar winter; the 

 thermometer ranging from 12" below to .50^ 

 above, with raiiid changes. My bee-house 

 has 20-inch walls; two 6-inch spaces filled 

 with bran, and a dead-air space, besides 4 

 inches of lumber. It has a loft above and 

 3 ventilators." F. A. Dunham. 



