418 



GLEANINCJS IN liEE CULTUilE. 



June 



of any arrangements now in operation, 

 made on the professor's plans, or to hear 

 that he is still living and accessible. 



PUTTING UP AND SHIPPING HONEY. 



SOME EXCELLENT HINTS FKO.M A PAPER HEAD AT 

 THE WESTERN BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. 



fHIS br.inoh of industry has {frown, in the 

 last few years, bsyonl the anticipation 

 of the oldest apiarists., A few yeai-s ago 

 our city and country trade was supplied 

 by not more than a baker's dozen of our 

 local bee-men, and they could not find sale for 

 all they produced, without shipping- it to distant 

 markets, and waiting-, perhaps, a whole season for 

 their returns. For a man then to have shijiped a 

 cai-load of honey to Kansas City would have been 

 suicidal to his finances. How different do we find it 

 to-diiyl Kansas City makes ready disposition of all 

 her home yield, in addition to larg-e shipments from 

 New York, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, 

 Nebraska, Te.xas, North Carolina, Louisiana, Florida, 

 and California. A reference to the American Bee 

 Jimrnal shows that Kansas City's quotations have 

 been as high, or higher, than those of all other com- 

 peting markets. 



During the last season, we, as a firm, sold from 

 100,000 to iaj,003 of 1-lb. sections of comb; from 

 !t.),000 to 100,000 lbs. of 2-lb. section comb, and 60,000 

 to 7.5,000 lbs. of extracted honey. .\dd to this, 50 per 

 cent for the remainder of the trade, and we have 

 the round figures of 335,000 lbs. of comb, and over 

 lilO, 000 lbs. of extracted honey. These figures indi- 

 cate that the "busy bee" must "improve each 

 shining hour" more diligently to keep pace with 

 Kansas City's love for honej'. 



Prices have ranged from 15 to 18 cents for 1-lb. 

 sections; 11 to 10 cents for 3-lb. sections, and from 3 

 to 7 cents for extracted honey. 



WHAT STYLE OF PACKAGE IS BEST ADAPTED FOR 

 SHIPPING HONEY? 



In commercial economy there is, to the producer, 

 nothing of greater importance than the subject of 

 transportation. In regard to the size, style, weight, 

 and composition of packages and sections, there 

 should be some uniformity of strength, and pro- 

 vision foi- easy examination of their contents. The 

 most of the dealers are beginning to consider this 

 ])oint, for they discover that honey which is start- 

 ed to market as first class, ma3-, on account of the 

 packages, reach its destination as second class. 

 The California producers have not yet adopted the 

 1-lb. section; hence most of the 3-lb. comb comes 

 from California; but as they have already begun to 

 agitate this mattei", it will not be long before they 

 adopt the 1-lb. frames, because they will discover 

 that they can get more money for their honey. 

 They use now exclusively 3-lb. frames; there being 

 3f frames to the case, and weighing in all about 60 

 pounds. We do not consider this a desirable size of 

 package, but we would recommend the California 

 l>ackage for extracted. It consists of a case con- 

 taining two tin cans, each can having a screw toj), 

 and holding sixty pounds. This is far preferable to 

 barrels or half-barrels. Dealers universally prefer 

 It. Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa, use a very con- 

 venient size package for 1 lb. sections. If we re- 

 member correctly it contains tO frames to the case, 

 and weighs about ;!5 pounds net. The trade takes 



tude of Topeka, Kansas, where the hot south winds 

 blow almost constantly through the summer, and 

 the air is very dry, he recommended 13 feet depth 

 and 300 feet in length for the tile ditch. 



To cause a draft, the outlet pipe was connected 

 with a tine, and a gentle heat, by steam or other 

 moans, caused a draft in the flue. This draft was 

 regulated by dampers. In order to warm cellars in 

 the cold north(^rn latitudes in Avinter, the conditions 

 would require to be reversed, and a deep ditch 

 made for the air-duct. Tile or stone was used for 

 these tubes — fiat stones for covering being pre- 

 ferred to tile. 



The professor had also a patent for constructing 

 a perfect horse-stable. He gave a great deal of at- 

 tention to building stables and barns, with a view 

 to warmth, pure air, and comfort. Certificates from 

 the owners of dairy-rooms spolte very highly of his 

 sub-earth system. Prof. Wilkinson supplied plans 

 and specifications for sub earth repositories, charg- 

 ing about iflO.tO, which is much better than to try 

 to constr-uct one Ijy feeling the way by experiment- 

 ing. If he is still living— he was in his TO's when I 

 last corresponded with him— he could supply relia- 

 ble information for the construction of sub-earth 

 ventilators, with plans, cost, and all information 

 required. My books were burned which contained 

 the professor's address, but doubtless a letter would 

 reach him, if still alive, directed to Brooklyn, N. Y. 



Rising Sun, Ml. E. E. EwiNO. 



Many thanks, friend PI, for your timely 

 suggestions. My attention was first called 

 to the matter of sub-earth ventilation by 

 articles in the papers from Prof. Wilkinson. 

 I afterward corresponded with him in regard 

 to the matter, and he gave me a plan for a 

 bee-cellar; but at the lime I thought it too 

 elaborate and too much machinery. You 

 recall one item I had forgotten, and that is, 

 that these sub-earth ducts can be used in 

 the summer for keeping our rooms cool, as 

 well as in winter for keeping them warm. 

 Now the mysteiy to me is, why this matter 

 has been droi)ped while such a wonderful 

 field is open to us in the way of saving fuel 

 by introducing air for ventilation, already 

 raised to the temperature of the earth. If I 

 remember, he recommended that the doors 

 be made to shut as nearly air-tight as possi- 

 ble, that the windows be" screwed down, and 

 that all joints be made ait-tight with putty. 

 I am afraid, however, that during this beau- 

 tiful May weather, when the balmy air just 

 after a summer shower is being wafted in 

 at the open doors and windows, it would be 

 a pretty hard matter to induce people to keep 

 the windows down, and sealed hermetically 

 with putty, while air for ventilation came in 

 only through long underground pipes. I still 

 have very strong faith, however, that sub- 

 earth veiitilation may play a very important 

 part in greenhouses— especially greenhouses 

 having no heat except the heat of the earth 

 and the heat of the sun. We should never 

 need to open the ventilators in the roof, ex- 

 cept when the heat of the sun is sufficient 

 to demand letting some of the heated air 

 out. This would start a current through the 

 sub-earth tubes, and we could have a good 

 current of air for a longer time without 

 reducing the temperature as we do with the 

 usual appliances. I should be glad to hear 



