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< Entered at the Post-Office at Chicago as Second-Class Mail-Matter) 

 Published Weekly at Sl.OO a ¥ear by Ueorge ^^. York & Co., 334 Dearborn St. 



QBORae W. YORK, Editor 



CHICAGO, ILL, AUGUST 3, 1905 



VoL XLV— No. 31 



(£bitortal Hotcs ^ (Eommcnts 



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The Fourth Double Number 



It will be noticed that this is another 

 double number — 32 pages — making the fourth 

 of the kind so far this year. It will take sev- 

 eral minutes longer to read it all, but it will 

 pay to do it. We hope it will be enjoyed also. 



Marketing Honey 



This copy of the American Bee .Journal 

 might almost be called a special number on 

 the very important topic of marketing honey. 

 Results of actual experience are given, and if 

 minutely followed by others similar successes 

 should be attained. We bespeak a careful 

 reading of all in this issue on marketing 

 honey, as well as the other contents. 



Shipping Extracted Honey 



Usually extracted honey is shipped with no 

 loss whatever. Perhaps a large majority of 

 the producers put it into the common 5-gallon 

 or 60-pound tin can, two cans in a wooden 

 box. Practically all the Western extracted 

 honey is thus put up for market. 



In some of the Middle States, notably Wis- 

 consin and certain parts of Illinois, and even 

 in New York State, much of the extracted 

 honey is put into barrels. Where the right 

 kind of barrels can be had, and if the pro- 

 ducer understands the use of barrels for such 

 purposes, they are all right. But please ex- 

 cuse us from handling honey in barrels, espe- 

 cially if it is to be held in storage many 

 months before being sold to the consumer 

 who will use it very soon. 



Grading Comb Honey for Market 



Few bee-keepers agree as to the grading of 

 comb honey. This doubtless is the result of 

 every bee-keeper seeming to think that his 

 own honey is always the fanciest kind of 

 fancy honey. At least that was our experi- 

 ence when we were dealing somewhat exten- 

 sively in honey. Nearly every shipper that 

 we dealt with thought he should have the 



top-of-the-market price for his honey, no 

 matter in what grade it deserved to be placed. 



We had some interesting experiences that 

 we could give if it were necessary. But we 

 remember several instances where half-filled 

 and half-sealed sections were put in back of 

 the row of nice ones next to the glass front. 

 Also where dark and " measley " looking sec- 

 tions of honey were mixed in with the nice 

 white ones that invariably veneered the case. 



Let us say it in the kindest way possible, 

 that we are certain it will pay even bee-keep- 

 ers to be straight and honest. It never pays 

 to be otherwise, in the long run. It may be 

 possible to work off a gold-brick once, but 

 hardly the second time — not on the same per- 

 son, at least. 



Were we to ship honey to a distant market 

 we would send only the best grades, and 

 either eat the poorer honey or sell it in the 

 home market at a little lower price, perhaps, 

 to people who would just as soon have it as 

 the finer-looking honey. 



We would not put our name and address 

 on the sections or cases of honey unless we 

 had the consent of the purchaser to do so. 

 We might, however, put our initials on the 

 outside of all the cases, so that the receiver 

 should not get it mixed with some other 

 shipment of honey. 



crate, first putting in the bottom of the crate 

 a thick bed of straw or hay, or excelsior. This 

 will act as a cushionunder the cases of honey. 

 The crate should then be enclosed on top by 

 nailing on say two or three strips of boards, 

 on which must be marked in large, plain 



letters — 



COMB HONEY. 



Handle with Care. 



Also coming even with the upper edge of 

 each side of the crate we would nail on a 

 piece of lioard, say an inch thick by 3 or 4 

 inches wide, and extending beyond the ends 

 of the crate about 5 inches. These will serve 

 as handles for the freight men to take hold of 

 when moving the crate either on or off the 

 cars. 



As said before, whenever the foregoing in- 

 structions as to preparing comb honey for 

 shipment were implicitly followed, the honey 

 arrived at its destination in perfect condition. 

 It seems such a pity to have a lot of nice 

 comb honey arrive in a broken or smashed- 

 up condition, and all for the lack of proper 

 packing before shipping. We trust that 

 readers of the American Bee .Journal will 

 never be called upon to suffer any loss when 

 sending their comb honey toa distant market. 



Shipping Comb Honey 



Some time ago we promised to publish 

 detailed directions for shipping comb honey 

 safely. As the time to put such information 

 into practical use is now here, we present not 

 only the result of our own experience, but 

 that of some others as well. 



For a number ol" years we were in the honey 

 business rather lixtensively, and every ship- 

 ment of comb honey that was either sent out 

 or received at our store, if packed according 

 to our instructions, carried safely. 



In the first place, the comb honey should 

 be put in either r2-pound or 24-pound ship- 

 ping-iviifs. Then say 9 of the 12-pound or 6 

 of the 24-pound eases packed in a shipping - 



"Sell Your Honey Early" 



Editor Root gives in Gleanings the follow- 

 ing good advice as to selling honey : 



" As we have said before in these columns 

 we say again, sell your honey early. New 

 honey, right off the hives, always has the 

 ! advantage. Consumers learn to expect new 

 honey just as they expect new maple molasses. 

 It is generally poor policy to hold back, wait- 

 ing for better prices. Anyhow, manage to 

 get it sold before the holidays — the sooner 

 the better, as a rule." 



Usually, higher prices rule for a very few 

 months after the first honey comes on the 

 market; after that the tendency in prices has 

 been to drop a little. 9o Mr. Root's advice is 

 all right, taken one season with another. 

 Occasionally it ™*y be the case that prices of 

 honey will tro up in a few months after the 

 new crop is put on the market, but such ex- 

 perience IS quite exceptional, we believe. 



Lava Soap for Removing Propolis 



This ha= been highly extolled, but J. A. 

 Green, in 'leanings in Bee Culture, reported 



