394 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 15. 



with the existing state of affairs as we bee- 

 keepers are, and is ready to co-operate heartily 

 in any feasible plan to remedy the trouble 

 Mr. Segelken's valuable article on page 263 is 

 in evidence on this point. 



I believe that three grades will be nearer 

 right than any other number, always remem- 

 bering that this refers to " finish " only. 



Now as to directions for loading and firing 

 this combination. It would seem as if there 

 would be little need of any thing besides the 

 pictures; but perhaps it is better to say too 

 much than too little in this case. 



First, select a sample "No. 2" section by 

 comparing with the pictures, which will rep- 

 resent the poorest section allowed to be pack- 

 ed. Then select the other two samples in the 

 same way, or the better way of comparing 

 sections until the three graduate evenly, which 

 these pictures fail to do exactly. Now you 

 have before you three pattern sections, which 

 represent the poorest allowed in each grade. 

 "Fancy" will consist of the finest-looking, 

 best filled and capped sections to be found in 

 the crop, but none presenting a poorer appear- 

 ance than the sample section. No. 1 will con- 

 sist of sections just a shade below " Fancy," 

 and in like manner none poorer than sample 

 section. No. 2 will consist of sections a shade 

 poorer than No. 1, but none poorer than sam- 

 ple, the rest of the crop to be extracted for 

 bait sections. Color and quality are to be des- 

 ignated by name. For example, Fancy 

 White, or No. 1 White, Fancy Mixed, or Fan- 

 cy Buckwheat or No. 2 Dark, etc. 



The advantages of this system are many and 

 varied. If adopted generally we should know 

 what is meant by quotations Honey packed 

 this way can be sold by count or weight as 

 preferred. The retailer would find no culls 

 left on his hands, or salable only at a reduced 

 price, as is the case where all sorts — good, 

 poor, and indifferent are packed in the same 

 crate. 



There, Mr. Editor, the matter is up for de- 

 bate. Let us hear from the brethren. 



Groton, N. Y., April 24. 



[Having been the first I believe who suggest- 

 ed grading by photos or pictures, the idea 

 having come to me in conversation with Mr. 

 S. A. Niver, who was showing me how he 

 graded his honey by setting off pattern sec- 

 tions, I feel greatly interested in this matter. 

 A mere printed description of the grade ad- 

 mits of too much variation of interpretation 

 by different ones. A picture is absolute. 



It seems that this idea of picture grading 

 was before the Colorado State Bee-keepers' 

 Association that met in Denver Nov. 30 and 

 Dec. 1 and 2 last. Instead of taking the 

 scheme of the Washington grading as the basis 

 they threw that aside and adopted a distinct 

 method, and it is set forth in the two following 

 very simple rules : 



No. i. — Sections to be well filled; honey and comb 

 white; comb not to project beyond the wood; wood to 

 be well cleaned; sections to weigh not less than 21 lbs. 

 net, per case of 21 sections; but cases in lots must 

 average 22 lbs. net. 



No. 2. — Includes all amber honey not included in 

 No. 1; to be fairly well sealed, and not to weigh less 

 than 18 lbs. net, per case of 24 sections. 



Culls. — All cull honey shall be sold in the home 

 market. 



This scheme of grading is made the subject 

 of an article by F. L. Thompson, in the Bee- 

 keepers' Review, supplemented by some half 

 a dozen pictures of each grade. As there is 

 very little if any buckwheat or dark honey in 

 the Wett, the idea of a fancy amber or a fancy 

 buckwheat is not considered necessary or fea- 

 sible. A No. 1 honey, according to this grad- 

 ing, is one which is w T ell filled, and zuhite, and 

 a No. 2 is one which is off in color, or defec- 

 tive in filling. 



Such a scheme would not be practicable in 

 the East, where buckwheat is more highly 

 prized by a large class of consumers than the 

 best white honey that was ever produced. The 

 general basis of the Washington grading must 

 be preserved, whereby there can be a Fancy 

 No. 1 and 2 Buckwheat, Fancy No. 1 and 2 

 Amber, Fancy No. 1 and 2 White. With this 

 general scheme in view it appears that the last 

 convention of bee keepers in York State au- 

 thorized Mr. Niver to formulate a plan of 

 grading comb honey by the picture method; 

 and the pictures set forth the result of his 

 work. In a private letter some little time 

 ago, he said he was not able to obtain 

 ideal sections of any of the classes for the 

 photos, for the market had been pretty well 

 cleaned out; but after a good deal of hunting 

 he finally found what would be fairly repre- 

 sentative, according to his notion, of each 

 class. Contrary to the Colorado system of 

 grading, each one of the classes or grades 

 above shown would apply equally to dark am- 

 ber and white comb. 



Mr. Niver believes in picking out, if I un- 

 derstand correctly, pattern sections that are 

 belou> the average in general appearance, of 

 each grade. When I visited Mr. Morton he 

 (Niver) showed me several thousand pounds 

 of " Fancy " with the cells sealed next to the 

 wood; but he did not believe in making seal- 

 ing to the wood an essential feature, as that 

 was carrying matters a little too far, for the 

 reason that the great bulk of otherwise fancy 

 honey produced by the average bee keeper 

 would have to be thrown into the No. 2 grade, 

 and would have to be sold, as a matter of 

 course, for less money. 



If there is any criticism I could offer, it is 

 that No. 1 and Fancy are too near of a grade. 

 If I were grading I am not sure but I would 

 put No. 1 with Fancy, and vice versa. There 

 ought to be a greater difference. Still, if one 

 will look sharply he will see that No. 1, while 

 it is perhaps a trifle whiter, is not as well fill- 

 ed as the Fancy. I refer to the tall sections. 



In view of the fact that the general scheme 

 of grading is so very different from that of 

 the York State bee-keepers, it might be neces- 

 sary to have an Eastern and a Western grading. 

 Owing to the difference in localities I do not 

 see how we can well avoid having two classes 

 of grading. The bee-keepers of New York 

 would never be satisfied with the Colorado 

 system; for "a mighty howl " would be raised 

 as soon as it has proposed to put their fancy 

 buckwheat into the second grade. In certain 

 portions of York State, buckwheat is almost 



