1900 



GIvEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



357 



referred to the fact that the Association in 

 Chicago is already being regarded by the Chi- 

 cago adulterators with a wholesome respect. 



As the months roll on I believe bee-keepers 

 will have great cause to congratulate them- 

 selves that so strong and effective an organi- 

 zation is doing such splendid work, and that, 

 too, without a dollar of government aid or 

 assistance from any State. Why bee keepers, 

 many of them, and progressive ones, too, are 

 holding back their dollars, is somewhat of a 

 mystery. The membership, if I am not mis- 

 taken, is a little above 500 ; but it ought to be 

 5000, and then, my, oh my ! the adulterators 

 would be scrambling to get out of its way. If 

 they scramble now in some sections, what 

 ■would they do if we had a larger member- 

 ship and a larger financial backing? I have 

 always spoken a good word for the Associa- 

 tion, and I shall keep on doing so until the 

 progressive ones see the advantage of pulling 

 with their united strength. 



STANDARD SECTIONS, AND THEIR AVERAGE 



RELATIVE WEIGHTS WHEN FII,I,ED WITH 



HONEY. 



The same size of section when filled with 

 honey varies in weight from year to year ; but 

 last year Dr. Miller found that the 4'4^x4Xx 

 \y% bee way ran a trifle under 15 ounces, or 

 exactly 14.94 ; the 4j4'x4,'4xl>< plain averaged 

 a little under 14 ounces, or exactly l;-5.83. It 

 has been claimed that the 4x5x1 y% plain aver- 

 ages a trifle over 15 ounces, and, when well 

 filled, an even 16. I was not a little interested 

 in a comparison of the figures showing the 

 cubical contents of each set of se^-tions. 



The 4^x5x1^, taking the outside dimen- 

 sions, has cubical contents of 29.22. 



The 4x5x1^, 27.5 cubic inches. 



The 3^x5>^, 27 r\. 



But there is a greater difference in the ratio 

 of the inside cubical contents because the 

 sections are yi thick ; and therefore to get the 

 exact figures we should deduct yi inch from 

 the perpendicular and horizontal dimensions— 

 the ihickuess in every case remaining the 

 same. The figures will then stand as follows : 



4x5x1^, 24.5 cubic inches. 



3>^x5xl>^, 24 04. 



4^x4'4^xl>^, 24, even figures. 



Understand that the figures given above are 

 all for />/a/;/ sections, which allows for '(of 

 the bee space being in the sections and % of 

 it in the fence. 



Going back to Dr. Miller's data for the 4^x 

 4^x1 >^ plain, we find that 345 such sections 

 averaged up each 13.83 ounces. As the 35'sx5 

 xl}^ has the same exact cubical contents with- 

 in .04 of a cubic inch, we would naturally sup- 

 pose that that section would hold the same 

 amount as the \%-s.\% plain, or a trifle under 

 14 ounces. I do not know now just where to 

 look for it, but I believe some one has claimed 

 that, notwithstanding the cubical contents of 

 the two sections were the same, the tall box 

 •was a trifle lighter when filled with honey. 

 This might be accounted for on the ground 

 that there is slightly more Diargiii in a tall 

 box for the same contents than in one that is 

 square. The more margin, the more shallow 



or partly built, or uncapped cells, and hence a 

 corresponding reduction in weight. 



As the 4:%x4%xl)4 plain, according to Dr. 

 Miller's figures, hold — say in round numbers — 

 14 ounces of honey, and as there are 24 cubic 

 inches to that size of section, then one cubic 

 inch holds i^^ of an ounce of honey. But we 

 could hardly use this ratio when we compare 

 a square with a tall box, on account of the 

 difference in the length ofc margin around the 

 honey, although approximately it might give 

 us a fair idea. 



I have given this set of figures in the hope 

 that our readers will weigh up their sections 

 this summer, and then divide the total weight 

 by the number of sections to get at the aver- 

 age. Furnish us with the sets of data so that 

 we may know how these averages run in differ- 

 ent localities and under different managements. 



In the mean time I may call attention to the 

 fact that the 4x5 is supposed to run more near- 

 ly a pound than any other section on the mar- 

 ket, and yet it actually holds only ^ of a cu- 

 bic inch more than the 4'i( plain. If we add 

 /^ ounce to the 13.83 ounces, the 4x5,. theoret- 

 ically, would hold just 14.12 ounces, which 

 would make it considerably lighter then than 

 the 4^4^x4^x17-^ beeway ; but the actual re- 

 sults show that the 4x5x1^ plain runs little 

 heavier. It must be admitted there is some- 

 what of a contradiction between cubical con- 

 tents and actual weights themselves in honey. 



Why the 4x5x13/^ should average so much 

 heavier than the 3f^x5xl^ or 4_!4^x4>^xl^ 

 when there is practically only }4 cubic inch 

 difference is a little hard to understand, be- 

 cause we have figured that a cubic inch holds 

 about {.i ounce of honey. 



A 4% plain by l-^s holds a good plump 

 pound, and we supply such sections to Geo. 

 E. Hilton and others. To make the 4%-s.A% 

 plain hold as much as the same section bee- 

 waj^ we should have to make it about If'g inch 

 thick instead oi \%; but in doing that we 

 find a difficulty in getting six rows of sections 

 in the or.linary super, and leave room enough 

 for a fence on the outside of each outside row. 



SNAP SHOTS FROM THE CHICAGO CONVEN- 

 TION ; QUALITY OF SWEET CLOVER 

 HONEY. 



Quite an animated discussion took place at 

 one of the sessions in regard to quality and 

 quantity of sweet clover produced in and 

 about Chicago ; for it transpired that a very 

 considerable portion of honey produced in the 

 city limits was of that kind. Some likened 

 the flavor to vanilla ; others thought it had a 

 disagreeable tobacco twang. Some thought 

 it an excellent honey, and others were very 

 sure that it ought not to be put on the market 

 as first grade ; but nearly all agreed that a 

 small amount of it mixed with other honeys 

 was not detrimental but rather an advantage 

 to the flavor. 



I noticed in Colorado that alfalfa honey 

 having a slight flavor of sweet clover was very 

 pleasant and agreeable to the taste. Indeed, 

 I formed a strong liking for it, and now try to 

 keep it in the house as a choice tidbit for my 

 bee-keeping friends. 



