1888 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



131 



for accomplishing the best results in securing ex- 

 tracted honey, although it may be the best for the 

 production of comb hOnoy. 



As soon as the colonies are strong, whether in 

 small or large hives, and the bees are building new 

 comb at the top of the frames and in other parts of 

 the hive, put on the surplus story, filled with empty 

 wired combs, if you have them; if not, use full 

 sheets of wired foundation, putting one or more 

 combs of brood from the brood-nest, after having 

 extracted the honey in the super,- supplying the 

 place of the comb of brood with foundation. 



If it is intended to fully ripen the honey in the 

 hive, and it requires sealing to be ripened, and the 

 honey-flow continues, the super should be raised, 

 and another, prepared as before, put under it as 

 soon as the combs are pretty well filled, and before 

 the bees are in the least crowded for room, and the 

 process repeated as often as necessary; and when 

 the yield from that particular source has ceased, 

 and the honey become thoroughly ripened, all sur- 

 plus should be extracted, and every thing put in 

 readiness for the next flow. If it is intended to ri- 

 pen it artificially, another super will not be needed, 

 and the surplus honey can be extracted at the con- 

 venience of the apiarist, but always before the bees 

 are crowded for room. 



" Judicious tiering," some one has said, " will oft- 

 en have a strong tendency to prevent capping, 

 while the ripening process goes on rapidly." I am 

 satisfied— yes, I may say I'm sure— that in some lo- 

 calities and in some seasons it is neither feasible 

 nor desirable to tier up and wait till the close of 

 that particular honey-yield; not feasible, because 

 of the large and rapid honey-flow that would re- 

 quire so large a number of extra combs and supers 

 to hold the surplus; and not desirable, because the 

 honey is very nearly, if not quite, fully ripe with- 

 out being sealed over. This will possibly account 

 for the difference in opinion in regard to ripening 

 honey artificially, or ripening it in the hive. 



In my locality it is frequently desirable and al- 

 ways feasible to tier up and wait till the close of 

 the honey-flow before extracting, and I have of 

 late frequently asked myself if my eight-frame 

 hives are uot partially responsible for this condi- 

 tion of things. 



The care of extracted honey is of more impor- 

 tance than it is generally considered to be; for if it 

 is improperly cared for, much of its nice flavor and 

 fine delicate aroma is either injured or entirely lost. 

 I believe the best results will be obtained by put- 

 ting the honey in large vessels, preferably tin, for a 

 few days, just long enough to allow all impurities 

 to rise to the top, when it should be drawn oft' by 

 means of a molasses-gate at the bottom, and put 

 into such receptacles as can be sealed up air-tight, 

 and it will not in the least taint it, or injure its 

 flavor. Honey so cared for can be kept as long as 

 desired, and will be just as nice as when taken from 

 the hive; and if such honey only were oflered to 

 the consumer, the market would not be overstocked. 



I believe the time. is not in the near future when 

 there will be an overproduction of a strictly first- 

 class article of extracted honey. Perhaps some of 

 you are wanting to ask me, "What then is the 

 cause of the low prices?" I believe there are two 

 principal causes, and I hardly know which to place 

 first; a poor article or an undeveloped home mar- 

 ket; but I believe if I put "the last first "I shall 

 not miss the mark very much. This brings me to 



the last part of the subject assigned me — "The 

 best method of marketing." 



I believe the most important thing of all in mar- 

 keting extracted honey is, never to sell a poor arti- 

 cle. The best time for selling seems to be in the 

 fall and winter. The best way will be just the way 

 your customers have been taught to buy it. Some 

 markets demand tin pails, weighing, when filled 

 with honey, from one to ten or more pounds. Oth- 

 er markets prefer glass pails, holding from one- 

 third of a pint to a pint. Others prefer fruit-jars 

 holding a pint or a quart, the smaller ones selling 

 most readily. In other places the Muth honey- 

 bottles meet with the most favor. Some localities 

 I'equire it candied, and others prefer it In a liquid 

 state. My locality calls for it candied in stone 

 crocks holding from one to four or five gallons. 



The best place to sell is in the home market, and 

 the editors of our bee-journals have been telling us 

 so for a long time. Friend Newman, through the 

 American Bee Juurnfil, has been singing that tune 

 so persistently and so long that it has become quite 

 monotonous; but for all that, he is right, and he 

 knows it, and seems to be acting under the inspira- 

 tion of the adage, "Be sure you're right, then go 

 ahead." Friend Koot frequently awakes to its im- 

 portance and repeats the story. 



The Dadauts have a town of only 1600 inhabitants 

 in their locality; and although they had 34,000 

 pounds in 1886, it was all sold in their home market, 

 and at much better prices than would have been 

 realized if sold by commission men in large cities, 

 in competition with others. 



A good way which has been adopted by some, is 

 to call at houses and sweeten up the babies, leave a 

 sample of the honey that they have for sale, with a 

 circular, a card, or a leaflet, giving the uses of hon- 

 ey, and the price; and, within a few days, call with 

 the honey for sale. 



I should like to refer you to articles on pages 15 

 and 183 of Gleanings for 1886, on marketing ex- 

 tracted honey, and to many other articles on the 

 same subject in the same journal. Don't take 

 Gi.EANJNGS, did you say'? Well, you ought to, and 

 then perhaps you would know better how to diS' 

 pose of j'our surplus honey. Then turn to the " old 

 reliable," the Americmi Bee Journal, and read the 

 articles by G. M. Doolittle (isn't that man wrongly 

 named'? but then, we've heard that things some- 

 times go by contraries), the Messrs. Dadants, and 

 others, and post yourselves as to the how to do it. 

 Did you say you don't take the A. B. J. either? 

 Well, what are you thinking about? Do you belong 

 to the large family of bee-keepers, and are not us- 

 ing the means to inform yourself as to what is go- 

 ing on in the family? Perhaps you belong to the 

 number who don't take any bee-paper because 

 "there is so much in them that is of but little val- 

 ue." You don't talk that way about your grain and 

 vegetables. You don't throw them away because 

 there is chatf and dirt among them. "The good 

 and the bad grow together." Let me ask, " Where 

 is all the honey produced by the thousands of bee- 

 keepers, sold?" Is it not really in a developed 

 home market? Some of you, perhaps, will say we 

 sell to our friend Muth. Well, where does he sell 

 it? Is it not in a developed home market, that it 

 has taken him years of time, and cost much labor 

 to work up? Perhaps some of you will say that he 

 ships large quantities to other markets. Suppose 

 he does; do not those to whom he ships sell in a de- 



