1899 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



393 



GRADING BY PICTURES. 



Experience of a Honey-seller and a Honey-produc- 

 er; the Western Grading and the Eastern 

 Grading. 



BY S. A. NIVER. 



Mr. Editor: — The convention of bee-keep- 

 ers' societies of the State of New York assem- 

 bled in Geneva, N. Y., last January, and ap- 

 pointed me as a committee of one to formu- 

 late a plan for grading comb boney by the il- 

 lustrated or picture method, to be submitted 

 for their consideration with a view to adopt- 

 ing some uniform system of packing, mark- 

 ing, and quoting prices. 



plain that it is at the lowest or poorest grade, 

 that dividing line between what shall be pack- 

 ed and marked No. 2, and what shall be sent 

 to the extractor. After that decision is reach- 

 ed it isn't difficult to select the other two, so 

 that the samples will represent the poorest al- 

 lowed in three evenly graduated divisions. 



My experience as a "knight of the grip" 

 and as a producer of comb honey convinces 

 me that the No. 2 in the illustrations shown 

 below ( " or beside or behind our intrinsic ex- 

 istence " ) is poor enough; and in the best in- 

 terests of both producer and consumer, any 

 grade below that should be consigned to the 

 extractor. 



Having decided on the starting-point, the 



FANCY " 



" NO. 1." 



NO. 2." 



■ .. . - ....... - 





" FANCY." 



"NO. 1." 



" NO. 2." 



After studying the subject, and consulting 

 other bee-keepers as far as practicable, I had 

 photographs made of two styles of sections — 

 the standard 4^X4^, and the " Long Idea," 

 in this case 4^X3%", which The A. I. Root 

 Co. kindly prepared for printing. 



This method simply contemplates deciding 

 or guiding us in grading according to finish — 

 that is, filling and sealing, the color and qual- 

 ity having designations of their own. 



The first and most important point to decide 

 upon is the place of beginning; and it seems 



zero, how many grades shall we have above it? 

 As few as possible in the interests of clearness. 

 A glance at quotations in the lending markets, 

 as shown in the bee-publications, reveals a 

 mixed multitude without form, regularity, or 

 clearness. On the same page one firm quotes 

 4 varieties of white honey (and nothing else), 

 while another quotes two kinds of white, and 

 lumps the rest as "dark." The average bee- 

 keeper in this location doesn't extract much 

 consolation from such uncertain sources. 

 The commission man is just as dis.-atisfied 



