Mr. Diffenderlfer, when the question of 

 the time of next meeting arose, said he 

 hoped that it would be just in the fruit sea- 

 son, so that they could discuss the question, 

 " Do bees destroy fruit ?" 



Mr. Eshleman said he did not believe a 

 bee could cut the skin of a grape, though 

 they might cut through paper. Grape skin 

 is almost as tough as leather. 



Mr. Rush asked if any one could propose a 

 plan by which it could be tested ; and it 

 was proposed to put molasses on a bunch of 

 grapes and cut the skin of one grape. If 

 the bee sucks the inside of the cut grape 

 out, and does not touch the others, it is a 

 reasonably sure sign that they cannot 

 pierce the skin. 



Mr. Eshleman said he would put a bunch 

 of grapes at the opening of a hive, and then 

 the bees could not get out without cutting 

 the skin of the grape. If this did not test 

 the matter, he did not know what would. 



The Society then adjourned to meet the 

 2nd Monday in August. 



J. F. Hershey, Vice President. 



Chips from Sweet Home. 



Read before the Western Til. and Eastern 

 loiva Convention. 



■ MARKETING HONEY. 



Uur worthy Secretary has given me this 

 question to write upon and read to you. I 

 presume it was his object to have me tell 

 what little I know of how to market honey ; 

 and that is much less now than 2 years ago, 

 and I knew less then than I did 5 years 

 previous. In marketing honey, we wish to 

 realize the most out of our summer's labor 

 with the least expense, or in other words. 

 How shall we put up our lioney to make the 

 most net profits, and to whom shall we 

 sell it? 



How we should put up our honey would 

 depend entirely upon whom we sold it to.— 

 The bee-keeper who has but a few hives 

 and a home market for all he can produce 

 will need to satisfy that demand with the 

 least expense. If that demand be from 

 neighbor farmers, mechanics, or druggists 

 who buy it as an article of diet or medicine, 

 empty it out of the indigestible comb, and 

 sell them the cheapest honey in the best 

 shape for consumption, and to you the most 

 profit. Among this class there will be 

 those who prefer honey in tiie comb, per- 

 haps for looks, or fearing you may adulter- 

 ate it. For those, yon will need the 6 lb. 

 box with one glass ; this contains about the 

 amount they wish at a time, and is in a 

 neat, convenient shape to carry. 



If your market should extend to the 

 village or smaller towns, then satisfy tho 

 demand there for the least expense. Some 

 will want the extracted honey; others, 

 perhaps the majority, will want honey in 

 the comb in packages, with no glass and as 

 little wood as possible. To satisfy this de- 

 mand, I know of nothing better than the 

 Prize or Doolittle section, which holds nearly 

 2 pounds, being as large an amount as the 

 consumer wants to buy, and as small as the 

 retailer wishes to handle or that will pay you 

 to put up. 



Have your boxes or sections neatly made, 

 and. above all, new and clean. By using 

 guides, either comb or foundation, you can 

 have your combs separate and straight, 

 which not only adds system and neatness, 

 but the consumer is able to cut them out of 

 the frame or box in a nice cake instead of 

 irregular, leaky pieces. 



Of your extracted honey, never sell an 

 article poor in flavor, or that which is dirty, 

 or has soured on your hands, for you will 

 lose more customers by so doing than you 

 will make dollars. Better keep it to feed 

 the bees. 



In buying the different articles you need, 

 trade as much honey as you can. Supply 

 your blacksmith, shoemaker, or others you 

 deal with, for in so doing you are marketing 

 your honey and saving the cash (if you are 

 fortunate enough to have any. 



If your market should be in the larger 

 towns or cities, then you will need to fill the 

 demand there created. That demand is fast 

 dividing into two classes, viz: those who 

 buy honey to eat as an article of diet or 

 medicine, and those who buy as an article of 

 taste and luxury to adorn the table. Those 

 who buy honey for the good there is in it do 

 not wish to buy any expensive vessels that 

 when the honey is gone will be useless, but 

 will furnish their own, as they have always 

 done when buying molasses or syrups. Now 

 we come to the class most difficult to please. 

 They buy honey to have sometiiing extra 

 and nice; they are able and will pay a good 

 price for that which pleases the eye and 

 palate, none other being wanted at any 

 price; they have their groceries delivered at 

 their door, consisting of a variety of pack- 

 ages, done up in all shapes and sizes; "among 

 the rest, a cake of comb honey is to be de- 

 livered, free from leakage or dirt, not a cell 

 broken, but just as nice as when taken from 

 the hive. The retailer or groceryman is also 

 a fancy- man, dealing in fancy articles for 

 fancy people; his time is precious, his goods 

 the finest and best the market affords, some 

 of which are called tor if not seen; but hon- 

 ey must be exposed to view in the window, 

 on the counter, or piled up at the door. He 

 has no time to divide Harbison sections, cut 

 combs out of boxes, neither will he have any 

 leaky packages to daub his customers and 

 his goods, to call In flies or fine-haired men 

 who delight to stick a finger, knife or pencil 

 in that tempting, beautiful comb just to 

 taste it. To fill this demand taxes our inge- 

 nuity, and many, very many, are the ways 

 tried to fill and cater to this class of custom- 

 ers, as may be seen by visiting the groceries 

 of our large cities. To meet this demand 

 with the least expense and the most prott't, 

 I know of nothing better than the Prize 

 crate and box, each comb to be built so as to 

 be glassed or not as the trade may determine. 

 In selling honey in our vicinity, I find it 

 necessary to have a price and not vary from 

 it. In order to have a fixed price, we must 

 know as to the demand, the amount on the 

 market, quality and grade, and last, but not 

 least, we must have a wholesale price as 

 well as a retail one, so that we snail not 

 undersell those who buy of us for retailing. 

 Our labor and time to sell is worth as much 

 as that of our groceryman, which I usually 

 make at 5 cents a pound, i.e.,l charge 5 cents 



