518 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



JXILY 15. 



steadily all day. Another was that the combs 

 run crosswise instead of from front to rear, and 

 that caused more or less mashing of the combs 

 against each other. Another trouble was the 

 greater difficulty of keeping such a large box 

 covered up from robbers. I prefer two or three 

 smaller comb-boxes, holding the same number 

 of combs in the aggregate, higher up from the 

 ground, and with combs running from front to 

 rear. 

 Stuart, Fla., June 5. 



[Three or four years ago we started making 

 the bottom-bars of all of our frames ^g" square, 

 and personally I was much pleased with the re- 

 sults secured from them in our own apiary; but 

 our customers protested. Finally we compro- 

 mised by making a bottom-bar % inch wide in- 

 stead of %, as formerly. The only objection 

 that can be named against the use of narrow 

 bars is that the bees will sometimes build the 

 comb clear past the bar. and attach it to the 

 frame below. This applies only to where the 

 hives are tiered up. Only yesterday (June 25) I 

 was looking at some beautiful solid combs 

 built clear to the bottom -bar. These bars 

 were % inch square: and in only a few cases 

 are the combs built down to the bottom-bars % 

 by J^ inch. I am half inclined to believe our 

 customers didn't know what they wantpd. 



The idea of having a bottom-bar project past 

 the end-bars a trifle wa^ uswd by D. A Jones 

 away back in 1879 or '80. I know that, at the 

 time I visited hi'n in 1883. he was very enthusi- 

 astic over this feature, and wondered why we 

 didn't incorporate it in our apiary. The fact of 

 the matter is, the supply-dealer does not dare 

 to deviate very much from standard accepted 

 lines or he will hear a buzzing, not of bees, but 

 of bee-keepers, around his oars. 



Your objections to the 0-iborn comb cart, I 

 should say. are very well taken. A good cart 

 for carrying combs is yet to be devised. I have 

 thought that a cart might be made having two 

 or three closed compartments, each compart- 

 ment holding ten or twelve combs, and having 

 lids that will close absolutely bee-tight. This 

 cart should be high enough to prevent back- 

 breaking stooping, and so arranged as to dis- 

 tribute the load on both sides of the axletree. 

 After all, I am not sure but a light wheelbar- 

 row, having on it three ordinary bee-tight 

 hives, would be nearly as good. If, instead of 

 the hives, boxes of the same dimensions made 

 of 34-inch stuff were used, it would make the 

 load a little lighter.— Ed ] 



LARD-CANS FOR EXTRACTED HONEY, ESPE- 

 PECIALLY FOR THE COLORADO MARKET. 



A REGULAR UNIFORM PACKAGE INDORSED; BUT 

 SOLDERED CANS NOT AS DESIRABLE AS THE 

 STANDARD PAILS THAT WILL NEST. 



By Mrs. A. J. Barber. 



Editor Gleanings :— In your footnote to Mr. 

 Alkin's excellent article you ask for the opin- 

 ions of the brethren on the honey package 

 question. I take the liberty (as ours is an equal- 

 rights State) to give mine. The uniform pack- 

 age and trademark system is, no doubt, a good 

 one, and I hope to see it carried out; but I want 

 to enter a protest against the soldered cans. 



To begin with, I do not see the necessity for 



sealing at all. Colorado honey granulates so 

 quickly that it is safe for any length of time in 

 tin pails with close-fitting covers. We have 

 sold thousands of pounds of extracted honey in 

 the common lard -pails. The five-pound size 

 holds 7}4 lbs., and the 3-lb. size 5 lbs. Being a 

 standard article, and manufactured by thou- 

 sands, they come cheap. As they can be nest- 

 ed they take up less room than straight cans, 

 and we get better freight rates on them. The 

 bail or handle makes the pail a more conven- 

 ient package to handle than a can, and the pail 

 is useful after the honey has '^een used up. 

 The pails are easier filled and covered than 

 cans that have to be soldered. The pails can 

 be crated as easily as cans. We use 40-1 b. apple- 

 boxes. Such a box holds one dozen pails— six 

 of each size. We have used them for two years, 

 and have never had any fault to find with such 

 a crate. It makes a neat package, and holds 

 the pails securely, and is easily handled. Last 

 year we sold several thousand pounds of gran- 

 ulated honey in such pails and crates, and have 

 not had a single complaint, though the honey 

 has been in all the mining towns in this part of 

 the country. I believe it is a mistake to try to 

 keep Colorado honey on the market in liquid 

 form. Any one who knows any thing about 

 thi^i climate knows that honey always granu- 

 lates quickly here; then why not face the sit- 

 uation squarely, and teach people that granu- 

 lation is a test of the honey's purity. A neat 

 label on every package, stating the fact, and 

 giving directions for liquefying, will soon do 

 the business. 



To sum up: I claim that the pails have these 

 advantages over the soldered cans: They are 

 cheaper, and freight is less, as they come nest- 

 ed. They are much easier and quicker to fill 

 and cover. They are handier for the buyer 

 and seller also, as they have a handle to carry 

 them by. They can be opened for inspection 

 or trial, without injuring or defacing the pail. 

 The vessel is useful after the honey is all used 

 up. You can store a thousand of them in less 

 space than five hundred straight cans would 

 occupy, and you can get them from any whole- 

 sale hardware house by simply ordering three 

 and five pound lard-pails instead of having to 

 give a description of cans, and waiting for them 

 to be made. 



Now, having presented the case for the lard- 

 pails I should like to hear what the advantages 

 of the straight cans are, if any, over the pails. 



Mancos, Col. 



[The lard-cans that you recommend have 

 long been used by the Dadants ; in fact, that is 

 their standard package for extracted honey 

 when put up in a small way. The fact that 

 these pails will nest together is a big point in 

 their favor; but sometimes the honey will not 

 candy solid. This is especially true of some 

 honeys and some localities; and in some mar- 

 kets partially candied honey will sell at a 

 great discount. Then, again, it is sometimes 



