848 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Nov. 15. 



to the same effect, that appears on p. 805 of our 

 last issue. 



As an instance of the favor with which 

 the plain sections are meeting, and not 

 only this, but their real value, we cite the fol- 

 lowing: We have just received a shipment of 

 a lot of honey from a prominent bee-keeper. 

 About a third of this was No. 1 white, and the 

 rest was " fancy white," and in this "fancy- 

 white" we found one crate of about "200 lbs. 

 marked " Extra Fancy, Plain Sections." Now, 

 we do not remember any correspondence with 

 this party in regard to the plain sections what- 

 ever. We do not even know that he is a sub- 

 scriber to Gleanings, and in his letter he 

 does not mention that the honey was marked 

 in this way. He has simply marked it ac- 

 cording to his judgment, and any one seeing 

 the honey will say there is no mistake about it. 



We have handled a good many thousand 

 pounds of comb honey this fall; and whenever 

 we have been able to get honey in plain sec- 

 tions we have found even readier sale for it 

 than for the old style. 



We sold a ton of very fine honey in old- 

 style sections to a party in a Southern city, 

 and this is what he writes: "The l'J03-lb. lot 

 was fine honey, but it is a pity he did not 

 have fences." We also sold him at the same 

 time another lot among which were a lot of 

 plain sections; hence the comparison that he 

 makes above. 



I have just received a letter from J. E. 

 Crane, in the same line, and from it I make 

 an extract that will speak for itself. 



As I wrote you the other day, it seemed quite plain 

 and certain that bees would seal honey faster the lat- 

 ter part of the season when between fences than 

 when between close separators; and this is the way I 

 came to think so. Near the close of the st ason I took 

 off all finished supers, yet leaving on a large number 

 nearly finished — i. e., the combs were well built out, 

 but not quite full of honey, and perhaps not half seal- 

 ed. Many of these had plain sections with fence, as 

 well as old-style sections with a fence cleated with 

 tin, like the sample I sent you. 



When I came to go over my hives a week or ten 

 davs later I sfi'n/ed to find a much lai ger proportion of 

 those svpi-rs iitpplied with f-nce ready to come off than 

 those without them. After working a v hile I came to 

 feel quite sure that, if I opened the top of the super, 

 and found a fence instead of old-style separators, I 

 should find the combs all finished, and was not often, 

 so far as I remember, disappointed. 



Now, this is not a mathematical demonstration, yet 

 we Yankees have a way of guessing that answers 

 pretty well. 



I have been wondering, since I wrote you the other 

 day, if this is not the reason that plain sections ap- 

 pear whiter and less travel-stained than the other sec- 

 tions. It seems to be the general opinion that they 

 are whiter. The bees ripen their honey faster, and 

 seal more prompt Iv, which gives them a finer appear- 

 ance. Of the 20(X5 plain sections I used this year, I 

 believe all went into my best grade except ten or 

 twelve that were unfinished, and a few that got 

 broken. 



I was glad to see your frank admission of the fail- 

 ure of drawn or deep cell foundation; I tried it in a 

 small way, but was myself disappointed in the result. 

 I tru.st you will gain in the confidence of people more 

 than the present financial loss. J. E. Crane. 



Middlebury, Vt., Nov. 7. 



Italics above are my own. On the other 

 hand, Mr. Crane, with his usual caution, does 

 not wish to be understood as making a posi- 

 tive statement regarding the plain sections. 



I have an earlier letter from him on the 

 same subject, which I hope to give in our next 

 issue. 



Regarding drawn foundation, I want the 

 truth to come out, cost what it may. I feel 

 the same about plain sections. If they can't 

 stand on their merits I'll help dump them 

 overboard. 



APICULTURAL EXHIBITS AT OMAHA. 



Elsewhere in this issue we present a gen- 

 eral interior view of the Apicultural Building 

 at the Omaha exposition. I have already giv- 

 en photos of the G. B. Lewis Co.'s and the 

 Root Co.'s exhibits, both of which show in 

 the general view. 



The first exhibit in the foreground is that of 

 the Leahy Mfg. Co. At the left is the Lewis 

 Co.'s exhibit, and back of that still, as shown 

 by the sign, is the Nebraska honey exhibit. 

 Other exhibits are shown further down — one 

 from L. D. Stilson, and others whose names I 

 do not now recall. Clear to the further end 

 of the building, just over the doorways, on a 

 sort of balcony, are several observatory' hives, 

 with entrances through the wall. On the 

 right are exhibits of honey from the various 

 States; and in the very foreground, not shown 

 in the picture, is an extensive exhibit of E. 

 Kretchmer, a view of which I will give a little 

 later. 



This building, as will be seen, is not only 

 large enough to accommodate all the various 

 exhibits, but it was very artistically arranged 

 and decorated inside. 



No other exposition management has ever 

 shown to bee-keepers the same consideration 

 as has the Omaha; and now, having secured 

 recognition to such an extent, we ought to be 

 able from now on to obtain similar recogni- 

 tion from other exposition authorities. But 

 in order to obtain it, it will be necessary to 

 send such men as Whitcomb, Stilson, and 

 Abbot — men who not only know what they 

 vpant, but are able likewise to obtain what they 

 ask for. 



The list of prizes that were awarded by the 

 judge to the various exhibitors is given be- 

 low. I may be paidoned for remarking that 

 the Root Co. carried off its full quota of gold 

 medals, as well as other prizes. 



The following premiums were awarded in the 

 Apiarian Department of the Trans-Mississippi at 

 Omaha by Hon. Eugene Secor, of Forest City, Iowa: 



Bee Hives. — Emerson T. Abbott, .St. Joseph, Mo., St. 

 Joe hives: bronze medal. Douglas Co.. Omaha, Neb., 

 improved Langistroth hive; bronze medal. E. Kretch- 

 mer, Red Oak. Iowa: collection of bee-hives, gold 

 medal. G. B. Lewis Co., Watertown. Wis , collection 

 of bee-hives; gold medal. Leahy Mfg. Co., Higgin.s- 

 ville. Mo., collection of bee-hives'; silver medal. The 

 A. I. Root Co., Medina, O., collection of hives, gold 

 medal. 



Apiarian Implements and Supplies. — E. Kretchmer, 

 Red Oak, la., gold medal. G. B. Lewis Co.. Water- 

 town, Wis., gold medal. Leahy Mfg. Co., Higginsville, 

 Mo., silver medal. The A. L Root Co., Medina, O., 

 gold medal. 



Bee books and Bee-literature. — E Kretchmer, Red 

 Oak, la., honorable menlion. 



.\lsike-clover Comb Honey. — L. G. Clute, Greeley, 

 la., bronze medal. 



Heartsease Comb Honey. — L. D. Stil.son. York, 

 Neb., silver medal. L. G. Clute, Greeley, la., bronze 

 medal. 



Dandelion Comb Honey. — L. G. Clute, Greeley, la., 

 honorable mention. 



Alfalfa Comb Honey. — E. Kretchmer, Red Oak, la., 

 silver medal. Hon. G. W. .Swink, Rocky Ford, Colo., 

 silver medal. Lovesy & Bourk, Salt Lake City, Utah, 



