1807 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



841 



A good display of honey was prepared, and 

 with it some bees in an observatory hive 

 to attract the attention of the crowd. It 

 might he ohserved here that they are an excel- 

 lent thing for this pur])ose. and the crowd 

 which they draw will frequently reach to and 

 even into the street. The first city in which 

 it was shown was Akron, Ohio. This place 

 WAS selected because conditions seemed to he 

 favorable for a good market. The city was of 

 good size — 40.000 — and, as most of the people 

 worked in manufactories, they would have 

 n oney to spend. The venture was tried upon 

 a very small scale at first, and two gross of 

 one-pound glass jars were offered fors.ile. At 

 first they went fast; but as the number of re- 

 maining ones grew les> they did not seem to 

 be no'.iced. But sales starter" up again as soon 

 as more jars were put with them. The crowd 

 which the bees drew seemed to overlook the 

 honev unless there was enough of it to make 

 a big show. This fact is a very important one, 

 and should be observed by any one who tries 

 to sell honey in this way. 



Both comb and extracted honey were offered 

 for sale, side by side, but the piople preferred 

 the latter. This seemed ra'.her surprising, as 

 the demand had always been the other way. 

 The reason was that thev had never before 

 seen extracted honey wliich tempted them as 

 much as ths did, and they had always looked 

 upon it \\-ith .suspici )n. But here was some 

 that thev Imd seen taken from the combs, and 

 they had been made to understand why it 

 could be sold cheaper than if the comb went 

 with it. They now had confidence in it. 



One of the mo^^t important things noticed 

 about the enterprise was the fact that the hon- 

 ey was be light by all classes of people alike. 

 Rich people bought it because it was pretty 

 and tasted well, and poir people bought it be- 

 cause it was good and cheap. 



In !-tai-ting an enterprise of this kind the 

 first thing to be considered is the fact that 

 most people know but little of the apiary, al- 

 though a few think they do. They have read 

 that honey is adulterated, and that it is man- 

 ufactured, and most of them are glad to meet 

 some one who can really tell them the truth 

 about it. 



The most surprising thing, perhaps, about 

 the business is the interest taken in it by city 

 people. Th's is so great that it can be used 

 by the dealer to bring his honey to their 

 notice. Then if it looks attractive they will 

 buy it; anel if it is good they will like it, and 

 the flemand is established. 



Every thing connected with the apiarv is 

 useful in getting tlu-ir attention. Things 

 which the bee-keeper is apt to overlook be- 

 cavise .so familiar with them are wanted as 

 much as any thing else. 



Any one who starts out to make a show of 

 this kind must have a good s'ock of patience 

 and breath. Many of the questions asked are 

 intelligent ones, anel these, of course, should 

 receive attention ; but very many are prompted 

 only by curiosity. It is not always safe to 

 give a perfec ly truthful answer to such, be- 

 cause, the stream once started, there would 

 be no ending. On this accouuL it is some- 



times best to obey the biblical injunction lit- 

 erallv, and answer some people according to 

 their folly. 



One old gentleman, however, would iieit be 

 put off in this way. He had never kept bees, 

 never expected to, and had no reason for tak- 

 ing so much of my time. 1 finally said to 

 him that I had te^lcl him all I knew, and hand- 

 ed him a copy of the A B C, directing him to 

 learn it by heart; and then, if he felt tie need 

 of further instruction, come to Medina, the 

 center of bee-knowleelge, and the Root Co. 

 would see what more they could elo for him. 



There is always at least one " smart " person 

 in ever}' crowd who knows just how strained 

 honey is made, and can tell all about the way 

 'comb is made of paraffine, filled, and then 

 capped over with a hot iron." One of this 

 kind explained the whole process to me lately, 

 while the ciowd listened and admired his wis- 

 dom. He did not know that I had any thing 

 to do with the display. I thanked him for his 

 information, and asked him if he believed 

 what he said. 



" Of course I believe what I say. Why do 

 you ask such a question ?" 



"Because, my friend, I will show you a 

 chance to make $1000." 



I then read him the offer made by A. I. 

 Root, years ago, and which Ins not been taken 

 up vet, and told him that Mr. Root was good 

 for any amount. He subsided quickly, and 

 backed' out of the crowd. These cards are 

 useful in many cases. 



Another man was very positive about a few 

 things pertaining to the hive, but not sure on 

 other points. He knew that the workers laid 

 all the eggs, that the queen ruled the hive, 

 that the drones defended it from its enemies, 

 but could not remember what the king bee 

 was for ! One man wanted to buy that 

 " family " of bees and take them home in his 

 trunk. 



Here are some of the questions that I have 

 fired at me every day. I have appended 

 answers to a few of them, and perhaps the 

 readers cf Gleanings will help me with the 

 rest. 



" What kind of bees are those ? " 



" Those are live bees." 



" Do bees die often ? " 



" Xo, only once." 



" Do bees make honey ? " 



"No, neither do we. The bees gather it 

 from flowers, and we take it from them." 



'■ When do bees die? " 



" When their time comes." 



" Is the queen's sting poison, and will it 

 kill von?" 



" Why don't the drones sting? " 



" Why don't you show us the king-bee? " 



" How many bees in there? " 



" How do you count them ? " 



" What do' you use so that they won't sting 

 you ? " 



" Were those bees wild once? and how did 

 j-ou tame them? " 



•' Ain't that drone there the daddy of them 

 all ? " 



" Ain't they crowded in there? and don't 

 the big ones hurt the little cues ? " 



