THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



Jan. 



SHIPPING AND SELLING HONEY IN 

 COLD WEATHER. 



" If you want your business done, go; if 

 not, send."— FRANKLIN. 



I have long wanted to write a letter 

 for the Review, and have selected this 

 topic as of most interest to its readers 

 of any thing I could write. My 

 honey is produced with the one-story 

 wide-frame with tin separators so the 

 combs are smooth and no trouble to 

 crate. I took them out of the frames, 

 put them into the shipping cases and 

 placed them in a spare room in my 

 dwelling where afire would keep the 

 combs from cracking. I left them 

 there till near the holidays, then 

 scraped, graded, and cased them for 

 market. I stamped them all with a 

 self-inker. As the sections were well 

 filled 1 paid no attention to the weight 

 except to see about how they averaged. 

 I made the following grades No. 1 

 white, No. 2 white, No. 1 dark, No. 2 

 dark, and culls. When I was ready 

 to sell 1 went to our R. R. agent, told 

 him how easy it was to break comb 

 honey in the cold, and got permission 

 to set a stove in the car, which I did 

 easily in the morning. I took a large 

 bundle of newspapers into tfhe car and 

 tacked them over and upon one door, 

 then closed the other door near to the 

 stove pipe and packed that one and 

 then made a fire. It soon was so 

 warm that 1 began to sweat. I took 

 into the car a rack of a buggy cart 

 and nailed it fast and upright, the 



distance from the end of the car that 

 would allow the honey cases and ten 

 inches besides at each end of the in- 

 closure. Hay was spread four inches 

 deep on the car floor and the cases 

 set upon it. Newspapers were placed 

 all over the pile, and hay ten inches 

 deep put at the end and all sides. I 

 gave the train men a section apiece 

 to not bump the car. They seemed 

 pleased and I think they did as they 

 promised. The car went sixty miles 

 but arrive safe without a section bro- 

 ken in the 1 ,400 pounds. 



I must state that in the bottom of 

 each case and between the two tiers of 

 sections I had placed a sheet of oiled 

 paper. On this were laid five strips 

 for the sections to rest on ; so if any 

 dripped the bottom would not be so 

 much daubbed. I shipped no drip- 

 ping combs. 



When I arrived at the city I took a 

 sample section in a small grip and 

 canvassed for orders. I told them 

 they must average thirteen or four- 

 teen ounces and I wanted 18 cents a 

 box for it A good many grocers said 

 it would never sell for 25 cents each 

 and they must make five cents a box. 

 But T sold out and delivered If I 

 could not sell for money I traded for 

 goods. All said it was very high, but 

 as it was very nice, all white clover, 

 they bought, and but few stopped to 

 figure on the price per pound. I ver- 

 ily believe a 1^ section full is large 

 enough, and the way to get them full 

 is to use them and no larger. I think 

 they are filled fuller, more even, and 

 quicker, and so are whiter than a If 

 section and two-inch I would not use. 



How I wish no one but specialists 

 would raise honey, then we should 



