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THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



least three-fourths. Such exhibitions 

 and sales certainly do the pursuit of 

 bee-keeping- no harm, while they bring- 

 a profit to the exhibitor. 



Neither ought the social feature to 

 be overlooked. Every bee-keeper at- 

 tending- the fair hunts up the "Bee and 

 Honey Department," and only one who 

 has been at an exhibition knows of the 

 many new acquaintances thus formed, 

 and the old ones that are renewed. It 

 is well to have one day set apart as 

 "Bee-Keepers' Day," giving- the date 

 in advance in all of the bee journals. 

 Then all bee-keepers will be present 

 on the same day. When possible to do 

 so, it is an excellent plan for two or 

 three, or more, exhibitors to club to- 

 gether and take a tent, or a portable 

 house, each bringing his share of bed- 

 ding, provisions and utensils, and live 

 a la picnic during the fair. Some' of 

 the happiest hours of my life have been 

 spent in going through just such ex- 

 periences with boon companions. 



I doubt very much if the exhibition 

 of bees at fairs is any great advantage 

 to the pursuit. The most that can be 

 said in its favor is that they attract at- 

 tention. There is certainly no neces- 

 sity of exhibiting full colonies, unless it 

 might be at some permanent exhibition 

 that is to last several months, when 

 the bees can be allowed to fly a la 

 house apiar}', provided the apiarian 

 department is on the second floor. A 

 single-comb nucleus with a queen and 

 a few drones and workers, together 

 with the brood in different stages of 

 development, can be made to show 

 more that is really interesting than 

 can be shown with a full colony. 



Of course it is impossible to goon and 

 cover, in detail, all the points in re- 

 gard to the planning and putting up of 

 an apiarian display, as circumstances 

 vary greatly, but here are a few hints: 

 Extracted honey should be shown in 

 glass. Not in common green glass, 

 but in white, flint class. Have tin foil 

 over the corks, and small, tasty labels. 



Aim to get a white, or light colored, 

 background for extracted honey. A 

 dark color gives it a dull, or muddj', 

 appearance. I know of nothing better, 

 or more appropriate, for this purpose, 

 or as a background for any apiarian 

 display, than honey producing plants 

 pressed and mounted on white card 

 boards and the cards tacked upon the 

 wall back of the exhibit. A pyramid 

 of extracted honey in bottles, in front 

 of a window, is a beautiful sight; the 

 light "shimmering and glimmering," 

 as it passes through the bottles and 

 their contents. Comb honey must be 

 in cases with glass next the comb. 

 For several years, I exhibited honej' 

 built up into a circular pyramid. 

 First there was made a stout, board 

 wheel, perhaps eight feet in diameter. 

 This was placed perhaps two feet from 

 the floor, being supported by blocks or 

 boxes. Attached to the edge of this 

 wheel, and hanging down, for all the 

 world like a woman's skirt, was a sort 

 of valance made of blue cambric orna- 

 mented with some design of gilt paper 

 fastened on with paste. Around the 

 edge of the wheel, upon its upper sur- 

 face, was set a row of shipping cases 

 of comb honey, with the glass sides 

 turned out. On top of this row was 

 set another row, the cases of this row 

 "breaking joints" with theones below. 

 Perhaps four rows were placed in this 

 manner, then the cases were turned so 

 that the long way of the cases faced 

 outwards, a fewer number of cases 

 making a row that was slightly smaller 

 than the others. Perhaps four rows 

 were put up in this style, then they 

 were again changed so thatthe narrow 

 ends were outwards, which again re- 

 duced the size of the circle. In this 

 manner the size of the circles was 

 gradually diminished as the pyramid 

 increased in height, until its top was 

 only about two feet across. That 

 these cases might not be jarred out of 

 place they were tastened to one another 

 by means of small wire nails. Upon 



