96 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



For the American Bee Journal. 

 Honey in Small Boxes. 



Several years since, when tlie excite- 

 ment about the Extractor was at its height, 

 and when bee-keepers supposed that it 

 would be as easy to get 1000 lbs. of ex- 

 tracted honey from one hive of bees, as it 

 would be to get 10 lbs. stored in small 

 boxes, we did our best to convince the 

 readers of the Journal, that sooner or 

 later they would discover their mistake 

 and the Extractor would be thrown one 

 side, and small boxes would be found the 

 most profitable. 



We were among the first to advocate the 

 use of small boxes, and fifteen years ago 

 we used and manufactured for sale, just 

 such styled boxes as we have seen de- 

 scribed in the Journal the present win- 

 ter. The three pound boxes with glass in 

 the sides, we have made a specialty of, 

 and we always found that this style was 

 best suited to the markets as a general 

 thing. Have had calls for tons of honey 

 in such boxes at a high figure, when there 

 was no sale at all for honey in 10 and 20 

 n> boxes. Your oldest readers will pro- 

 bably remember our articles under the 

 above heading, and what we then said 

 al)out the Extractors. We consider the 

 Extractor a very convenient thing to have 

 in the apiary, as even a bee-keeper on a 

 small scale will find use for one occasion- 

 ally. As for using the Extractor with the 

 intention of gelling large profits and find- 

 ing quick sales for the honey, we always 

 had an idea that the thing could not be 

 done. We were of this opinion several 

 years ago and we notice by the articles on 

 this point from those who then opposed 

 us, that we were about right. Now that 

 the sale of extractors is falling ofl', they 

 have reasons for changing their opinion 

 concerning extracted and box-honey. 

 We have been reading the remarks of Mr. 

 James Heddon, before the Michigan 

 Bee-Keepers' Association. Mr. Heddon 

 has the right opinion of extracted as well 

 as of box-honey, and we say amen to 

 most of his remarks. 



If we care to succeed as bee-keepers, 

 we must use the Extractor less and small 

 boxes more. Use boxes that are adapted 

 to the wants of the purchaser. When a 

 person purchases honey in the comb, he 

 has no fear of being imposed upon, es- 

 pecially if it is stored in small boxes so 

 that it can be seen. Honey stored in two 

 and three lb boxes will always sell, and 

 at prices, when the times are good, that 

 ought to satisfy any bee-keeper. 



As a general thing, a strong stock of 

 bees will store fifty pounds of honey in 

 small boxes. We have known cases, in 

 a good season, where some stocks have 

 stored over forty three 11) l)oxes, and we 

 can safely say that a good stock will aver- 

 age filling fourteen three Hi boxes, year 



after year, even here in the poorest of all 

 bee-countries. Of course a novice can- 

 not succeed as well as an old bee-keeper, 

 but he soon can learn how the thing is 

 done. We always put a small piece of 

 comb into each box, and by so doing the 

 bees will commence work in them several 

 days sooner than they will if put on 

 empty. 



In conclusion, we will say that we are 

 glad to find that bee-keepers are being 

 convinced that the use of the Extractor is 

 a detriment to successful bee-culture, and 

 that the use of small boxes will give bet- 

 ter results, and lead to success, if we are 

 to succeed at all. We have given the 

 largest part of our time during the past 

 eighteen years to bee-keeping, and we 

 find that it pays, even to raise honey 

 alone. We know that some bee keepers 

 have an idea that not so much honej^ will 

 be stored in small boxes as in large ones 

 under the same conditions. We never 

 found this to be the case, but have known 

 bees to work in small boxes when they 

 would not in large ones. For several 

 years we have not written much for the 

 American Bee Journal, but to use friend 

 Newman's words, "when the spirit 

 moves," we will try and fix up something 



XT A T T WV 



Wenham, Mass., Feb. 23, 1876. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



N, E. Bee-Keepers' Convention. 



ADDRESS OP CAPTAIN J. E. HETHERINGTON, 

 PRESIDENT. 



Ladies and Gentlemen : — Our pets are 

 asleep, and we are again in convention, to 

 look after their welfare, advance the sci- 

 ence, and add our mite to the general 

 stock of knowledge, that the business may 

 be as profitable as it is fascinating. 



We come, each bringing for the benefit 

 of others, the lessons and experiences of 

 another season's work; and these I find, 

 as varied as the hives we use, the system s 

 of management we practice, or the variety 

 of fields our bees gather from, a sort of 

 reciprocity meeting, all making contribu- 

 tions to a general fund, then each for 

 himself, selecting from the general har- 

 vest, such kcrnals as seem suited to his 

 experiments or management; and the 

 greater this practical experience, the fewer 

 and better his selections, for one soon 

 learns to demand with all nicely spun the- 

 ories, the practical test of more than one 

 season's experience. 



When one year ago you elected me to 

 this office, an office our constitution makes 

 it obligatory upon the incumbent, at the 

 expiration of his term, to deliver an 

 address before the association, I accepted 

 under protest, but to-day, I thank you for 

 the honor, as an opportunity is given me 



