answer is— unexcelled quality, single-comb 

 boxes and uniformity in packages ! 



In order to sell honey, it viust be attract- 

 ive ! The large boxes of " yesterday " have 

 passed into history — they are now required 

 no more— while the " rising sun" of prom- 

 ise is Prize Boxes, in crates containing one 

 dozen of these unicomb packages. 



We are fond of " object lessons " and to 

 enforce this thought, we have a few facts 

 that have, within a month, come under our 

 own notice. As the facts are all that we 

 require on our lesson board— tlie party shall 

 be nameless, as well as the State in which 

 he resides— albeit he is something of a 

 bee-keeper, and withal a good man ; and if 

 many may profit by his experience, we feel 

 sure he will not object to being placed be- 

 fore the " class," to-day. 



Our friend informed us that he had sent 

 us some 600 pounds of comb honey, desiring 

 us to dispose of it for him, to the best 

 advantage. 



It was packed in straw, surrounded by 

 incii board slats ; each package weighed, 

 say from 50 to 75 lbs. The straw prevent- 

 ing tlie Railroad employes from seeing what 

 the boxes contained, of course, they pitched 

 and threw them about as they usually do 

 such packages, until they had broken down 

 three-fourths of the combs, and got them to 

 leaking quite badly. Then they tore away 

 the straw and helped themselves generally 

 to the " sweets " therein contained. Of 

 course, it was received in a deplorable con- 

 dition. Arriving at the Store just as we 

 were closing up for the night, it was care- 

 fully laid in single file on the floor till 

 morning, when something like 25 lbs. of it 

 stood in a pool on the floor. We proceeded 

 at once to unpack it, and upon discovering 

 how it liad been prepared for the market, 

 we were not astonished at the waste and 

 leakage, though we were pained to see it. 



Old starch and glass boxes, and such as 

 could be packed up around any country 

 grocery, had been given to the bees, in 

 which to stm-e their "surplus" honey.— 

 They presented a varied and ludicrous ap- 

 pearance. No care had been taken to have 

 the combs built straigiit, nor had the bees 

 indulged in that kind of luxury. A few 

 surplus, shallow frames had been used, but 

 even they contained combs built so crooked 

 as to be inseparable. 



The boxes varied in height, from 3 to 7 

 inches, and in size, from 4 inches square to 

 2 feet square, or its equivalent, varied by 

 size and shape. We will describe one of 

 them accurately : It is 1 foot square and 3 

 inches high. One of its combs being 12 

 inches long, 3 inches high and 23^ inches 

 thick. Something like a dozen of the 

 largest combs are candied solid, and all are 

 irregular and very luiinviting. Had this 

 Honey been put up in the 5x6 one-comb 

 boxes or sections, and crated, one dozen in 

 a crate, it would have brought, at least, 10 

 cents per lb. more, and the leakage of one 

 hundred pounds would have been saved. The 

 glassed boxes or crates would have permit- 

 ted the Ilailroad men to see what it con- 

 tained and they would have handled with 

 moi-e care. From $60 to §80 was squandered 

 in this one transaction ! 



Let these facts enforce the necessity for 



unicomb boxes and uniformity in packages 

 and crates. All will readily see that it 

 would have been far more profitable to the 

 producer, and infinitely more attractive to 

 the consumer, had it been properly pre- 

 pared for the market. 



To cure this evil, let the East and West, 

 the North and South unite in the demand 

 that one-comb boxes or sections of uniform 

 size be everywhere used, and when shipped 

 to market, let it be done in the Prize Crate. 

 Let us study uniformity and attractiveness, 

 and everywhere enforce it. 



In Ne\v York, white clover, comb honey, 

 of the best quality, is quoted in Prize Boxes 

 and Crates at 25c. per lb., while precisely 

 the same kind, grade and quality, in 4 to '6 

 lb. boxes, is quoted at 21c. per lb. ; a differ- 

 ence of 4c per lb. in favor of the former ! — 

 The reason is obvious. Small, single-comb 

 boxes or sections will sell at retail, at least, 

 ten times as fast as the 6 lb. boxes — hence 

 the demand for tiiem. This is a powerful 

 argument, and one that touches the pockets 

 as well as the pride of bee-keepers, and 

 should lead them to right conclusions. 



The great honey marts of the country 

 have closed out all their stocks ! No first- 

 class honey can now be obtained, either in 

 the East or West — only the undesirable lots 

 remain unsold, and even these are getting 

 scarcer every day. If we will but meet the 

 requirements of consumers, there need be 

 no trouble about selling all the honey that 

 can be produced on this Continent. The 

 demand must and will increase yet a hun- 

 dred fold, and perad venture a thousand 

 fold within a short time. Aye, even now 



" That good time Is coming. 

 It hasteth nigh." 



Extracted lioney should be put up as 

 attractively as comb honey, for it is just as 

 good, just as useful, and just as desirable as 

 when in the comb. The world needs infor- 

 mation on the subject of Hnnej% and its 

 uses ; and to us, perhaps, is given the duty 

 of imparting that knowledge. Let us, 

 therefore, see to it that our work is done 

 promptly and well. Your friend and co- 

 laborer. Thos. G. Newman. 



Several communications were then read, 

 after which the books of the Association 

 were opened for membership, when the fol- 

 lowing gentlemen joined the societv: Judge 

 W. C. York, G. T. Parker, Thos. McGood- 

 night, W. J. Whitlock, J. L. Smith, J. L. 

 Garvin, Edwin Moore, Chas. Kenfro, A. D. 

 Boyd, I.W. Sterritt. 



The appointmentof committees being next 

 in order, the President made the following 

 appointments: 



Arrangements.— I. N. Greer, Judge W. 

 C. York, Joe Adams. 



Exhibitions.— W. Cook, J. W. Wright, 

 J. W. Scribner. 



State of Bee Cui^ture.— Judge W. L. 

 Dulaney, Bob Munford, J. T. Gray. 



Questions for Discussion at the 

 next Meeting.— H. W. Sanders, J. W. 

 Hoi man. W. T. Sears, Dr. N. P. Allen. 



Mr. W. Cook being called upon for a 

 speech, said he thought a general discussion 

 of matters before the Convention of more 

 importance than a set speech, and upon be- 

 ing asked, " What is the best honey-produc- 



