886 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 1. 



In an editorial footnote, which I indorse, 

 Mr. Abbott says : 



If there is any thing in the shape of a trust in con- 

 nection with the United States Bee-keepers' l-nion, I 

 am not aware of it. If I knew of any thing of the 

 kind I would not remain a director of the Union very 

 long, for I am down on trusts of all kinds. I believe 

 every man has a right to buy as cheap as he can, to 

 sell for what he pleases, and to conduct his business 

 according to hi.s own judgment, so long as he accords 

 to others the same right; and that whoever tries to 

 prevent him is an enemy of society. 



His reference to a "certain firm" being 

 " taken in " is as unkind as it is uncalled for, 

 for as it stands it is a fling at four man- 

 ufacturers. Two members of the Root Co. 

 were present at this convention. Three other 

 manufacturers — The G. B. Lewis Co., The 

 Leahy Mfg. Co., and E. Kretchmer — r were 

 also represented. I feel very certain that none 

 of the firms would have any thing to do with 

 the Union if it were a trust organization of the 

 character hinted at by Mr. Stolley. If the 

 Union or its officers had been engaged in 

 forming a trust among dealers in and manu- 

 facturers of apiarian supplies, the fact could 

 be easily proven. 



As to the statement that prices of apiarian 

 supplies will be higher, that will no doubt be 

 easily refuted by the '99 catalogs that will 

 probably be out in a few days. 



TIN VERSUS WOOD FOR HONEY. 



I FIND the following editorial in the Atner. 

 Bee Journal for Nov. 10 : 



A short time ago we were again thoroughly con- 

 vinced of the great superiority of tin over wood for 

 making honej'-receptacles. We saw some barrels of 

 honey emptied, which, before the honey was put in, 

 weighed 28 lbs. each. After the honey was removed, 

 tho.se same barrels weighed 40 lbs. 



We are surprised that any bee-keeper will persist in 

 using barrels for extracted honey. He certainly would 

 not if he had to buy honey in them. Besides the large 

 amount of honey which'they soak up, they are hard 

 to handle, and, w^hen once the honey is granulated, it 

 is a big job to dig it out. 



How different are the (iO-lb. tin cans ! They do not 

 soak up any honey, and the honey they contain can be 

 reliquefied very easily in case it has granulated. 



We do hope the time will soon come when wooden 

 barrels for holding honej' will be generally condemn- 

 ed, and that the much lighter, handier, and ever so 

 much better tin cans will take their place. 



Here is another case where locality seems to 

 govern personal preferences. Pretty much all 

 through New York there seems to be a prefer- 

 ence for kegs, half-barrels, and barrels, instead 

 of square cans. I always talked in favor of 

 these latter because I believed them to be less 

 objectionable. There is no tainting of the 

 honey from the wood, as in the case of kegs, 

 and no shrinking of staves resulting in leaking. 



In talking about this same matter with S. A. 

 Niver and W. L. Coggshall, both expressed 

 themselves as decidedly in favor of the kegs as 

 against the square cans. Said Mr. Coggsliall, 

 " Pound for pound, kegs are far cheaper." 



"Yes," said Mr. Niver, "and lots handier. 

 Why, those square cans, two in a case, are reg- 

 ular back-breakers to lift. I just wouldn't 

 have them. You can roll a keg without lift- 

 ing it." 



"But," said I, "don't you have trouble 

 with your barrels leaking? " 



" Not at all. The great trouble," said Mr. 

 Niver, " is that some fools think it necessary 



to put water into the kegs to make them swell 

 tight, and then after the water is emptied out 

 they fill them with honey. It is a serious mis- 

 take, for the staves will shrink after the honey 

 is in the package, as sure as fate. Barrels and 

 kegs should be well made, and the staves 

 should be thoroughly seasoned, and hoops 

 driven up before putting any honey into the 

 barrels." 



When I talked with Messrs. E. France & 

 Son, of Platteville, Wis., about this same mat- 

 ter they expressed themselves as decidedly in 

 favor of barrels, and for about the same rea- 

 sons, as given by Mr. Niver. 



In the far West — Arizona, Colorado, and 

 California — square cans are the only packages 

 that can be used. The hot climate and dry 

 air would render kegs and barrels utterly out 

 of the question. Jumping again over into the 

 State of New York, there are many commis- 

 sion men who prefer kegs and barrels, and oc- 

 casionally a few who would just as soon have 

 the square cans. 



The truth seems to be about this : Barrels 

 and kegs rarely give any trouble by leaking, 

 provided they are well made, well seasoned, 

 and the hoops driven up solidly before the 

 honey is put into them. But there are many 

 ignoramuses who have an idea that the barrels 

 should be scalded out, or, if not scalded, water 

 swished around inside until the staves swell 

 tight. Well, when these chaps put their hon- 

 ey into these barrels, trouble is almost sure to 

 follow ; and this is why, in many markets, the 

 cans are preferred. We always prefer to buy 

 in square cans ourselves. 



Neither do the square cans give entire im- 

 munity from leakage. There are other igno- 

 ramuses who, in nailing on covers to the cases, 

 drive a nail through the can. Of course, there 

 is no leakage for the time being ; but as soon 

 as the can is turned upside down, or stood on 

 end, then there is a "muss." Again, some 

 freight-handlers give the cases such severe 

 dumping as to break the seams of the cans. 



Why don't supply-dealers list kegs and bar- 

 rels in their catalogs ? We have done so, but 

 there is very little call for them, on account of 

 their great bulk, and the consequent freight 

 rate as " empties." And then, moreover, there 

 are usually cooper-shops scattered in various 

 parts of the country, and, of course, bee-keep- 

 ers buy them near home. Square cans, on the 

 other hand, are made in only one or two fac- 

 tories in the United States, and must come 

 through distributing agents ; and for the same 

 amount of carrying capacity they take up less 

 room in a car. 



HONEV SOAKING INTO THE WOOD OF BAR- 

 RELS ; AN IMPORTANT QUESTION. 

 After I had written the foregoing I read over 

 Mr. York's editorial again, and my eye caught 

 the statement that the barrels before the honey 

 was put in weighed 2S lbs., and after removal, 

 40 lbs. If this proportion holds true generally, 

 it is indeed a most seriotis objection to barrels 

 and kegs. But my impression is that the cy- 

 press kegs used in the State of New York do 

 not honey-soak ; and if they do, the trouble 

 could be remedied by pouring paraffine, while 

 hot, around the inside of the barrels. 



