1897. 



THE AMERICAN BEE KEEPER. 



261 



Notes and Comments. 



BY H. E. HILL. 



Bobbing— Its Prevention and Con- 

 trol. 



There is hardly any limit to the 

 number of devices and methods re- 

 sorted to in cases of robbing. Under 

 certain conditions, acting upon any 

 one of the numerous suggestions 

 heretofore published, may put a stop 

 to the robbers' annoying and destruc- 

 tive work, but in this case the old 

 adage might be fittingly amended to 

 read: "an ounce of prevention is 

 worth a ton of cure." As there are 

 objections to the practice of each of 

 the methods generally used. The wet 

 grass method-comes nearest to serying 

 the purpose, with less objections than 

 any of the others, yet the grass soon 

 dries, and in persistent cases the rob- 

 bers pass freely through the openings 

 which have been made by their con- 

 stant efforts to penetrate it. 



Contracting the entrance to a single 

 bee space meets all ordinary require- 

 ments, though it is by no means 

 effectual after the marauders have 

 started their plundering, while it cre- 

 ates undue commotion about the 

 blocked entrance. Carrying the hive 

 to the cellar, or exchanging places of 

 the colouies engaged in combat, causes 

 general confusion, endangering other 

 weak stocks. 



We frequently receive accounts of 

 trouble and loss through robbing, from 

 our younger readers. For their bene- 

 fit, as well as all others, who have not 

 tried it, we recommend the following 

 plan, devised by Benj. Parks, of 

 Florida. Punch a small hole near 

 the bottom of a tin pail or can, insert 

 ^ wooden peg which will just permit 

 a continuous dripping of water when 

 the vessel is filled. Place this upon 

 the hive so the succession of drops 

 -will strike the allighiing board close 

 to the contracted entrance. The fine 

 spray from the drops will dampen the 

 ardor of the robbers and discourage 

 their efforts. 



We have found it an improvement 

 to allow the drip to strike upon a 

 small block, say an inch high, so 

 that none of the spray may strike the 

 guards within, that they may main- 

 tain an unbroken front, while all out- 

 side of the entrance receive a contin- 

 uous shower. 



The Best Way to Get the Most 

 Out of Your Extracted 

 Honey. 



BY H. R. WRIGHT. 



Put up in small package and urge 

 sale and consumption in your vicinity 

 which you can do if you begin early 

 in the season. You can put your 

 honey in small size packages and 

 dispose of it as well as Bottlers in the 

 city can. People in country towns 

 appreciate the value of honey better 

 than people in the city do vvho know 

 very little about how honey is pro- 

 duced and are supicious, and think all 

 extracted honey is adulterated espec- 

 ially so after becomes granulated. 



If you have a large crop of ex- 

 tracted honey would not advise put- 

 ting all in small packages, but put it 

 up that way as fast as you can sell it 

 and the balance in 160 pound kegs 

 and send it to the city market to be 

 sold to manufacturers and Polish Jew 

 trade, these two being the largest con- 

 sumers of honey outside of the Bot- 

 tlers. 



There is a small size glass jar on the 

 market that holds a half pound of 

 honey, is quickly filled and simply 

 sealed so it don't leak as all screw top 

 jars do when turned sidewise, these 

 jars cost about 2 cents. Wnen filled 

 they can be retailed at the popular 

 price of 10 cents to the consumer, 

 which is equal to about 15 cents per 

 pound, and seil at wholesale for $1.00 

 |jer dozen. For shipping they come 

 packed, two dozen lu a racked case 

 and make a very attractive shipping 

 case. 



Albany, N. Y. 



