914 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 1. 



BARRELS VS. TIN CANS FOR HONEY. 



A Strong Plea in Favor of Tin Cans. 



BY EIvIAS FOX. 



Friend Root : — I can truly indorse all that 

 was said in favor of tin cans as against barrels 

 for the shipment of honey, at the Chicago 

 convention, as per jour issue for Oct. 16. I 

 have had quite a little experience along this 

 line myself, and have decided never to use a 

 wooden package for extracted honey again. I 

 began putting it up in wooden packages with 

 wooden hoops ; and I found by letting them 

 stand a short time the hoops would loosen up, 

 and, unless watched very closely, and hoops 

 tightened, there would soon be a leak, no 

 matter how good the cooperage ; and, even in 

 shipping, the hoops would loosen. Then I 

 had my cooper use iron hoops, and my expe- 

 rience was the same, by letting the packages 

 stand for any length of time, notwithstanding 

 we selected the choicest and most thoroughly 

 seasoned staves, and the cooperage was per- 

 fect ; and the packages were made up a year 

 before using, and kept in a dry place, and 

 hoops retightened, and filled dry. If there 

 was a piece of heading a little cross-grained 

 the honey would ooze through the pores and 

 even through the end of the staves, and almost 

 invisible knots, no larger than a pinhead. Of 

 course, so far as the loss was concerned from 

 leaking, it was nominal. But if you count the 

 amount of honey absorbed by the wood, and 

 the leakage together, it would equal if not 

 overbalance the difference in the cost of the 

 two packages. Then, again, think of the nas- 

 ty sticky packages to handle, and hands and 

 clothes daubed with it ; and when barrels are 

 in this condition, and rolled along, as advo- 

 cated, dust and dirt will stick to the leaking 

 spots and make an unsightly package, aside 

 from smearing depot platforms and car-floors, 

 to attract bees, flies, etc. 



The barrel side of the debate say if a case is 

 dropped, the solder will loosen and a leak 

 would result, and that the cans are too un- 

 wieldy and too heavy to handle. A man 

 should not be so awkward as to drop a pack- 

 age. But suppose he is, and the package 

 should be a barrel. About the time you had 

 it up to the wagon-box, and the head should 

 burst out, which would leak the worse ? As 

 to the cans being a little too heavy, I would 

 say they are ; yet I have moved, alone, 6000 

 lbs. in two-can cases in a day ; had ten rods 

 to carry it to the wagon, two miles to haul it, 

 and piled it up five cases high, and my conso- 

 lation paid me for the extra work in knowing 

 there was not a drop of leakage, and no hoops 

 to loosen while I slept. 



We can not be too neat in handling and 

 marketing extracted honey. So I say, give 

 me new 60-lb. cans, and I will guarantee my 

 honey to reach a«j' market in such a condi'.ion 

 that i shall not be ashamed of it, and no loss 

 ■from leakage or absorbing. If we want a 

 cheaper package for dark honey, there are 

 plenty of second-hand cans and cases to be 

 bought as cheaply as barrels. 



Hillsboro, Wis. 



[It is very important to have a good grade 

 of square tin cans. Last season there were 

 some on the market of a cheaper quality, and 

 some trouble was experienced from such cans 

 breaking or leaking. 



The boxes holding two cans ought to have, 

 the hand-holes about half-way down. This 

 raises the bottom of the box above the knees 

 while it is being lifted and carried, so that the 

 burden does not interfere with walking. The 

 trouble heretofore has been that the hand holes 

 were made only half or two thirds through 

 the wood, and were near the top of the box. 



We will use our influence to have all can- 

 makers have the hand-holes changed to the 

 center of the ends ; and such holes should go 

 clear through the wood. So made the boxes 

 can be handled without bumping the knees in 

 walking. 



From our own experience we are satisfied 

 that the market will soon insist that the light 

 grades of extracted honey shall be shipped in 

 cans. All that is used for manufacturing pur- 

 poses, of a darker or poorer quality, will prob- 

 ably always be sent in barrels. — Ed.] 



BARRELS vs. SQUARE CANS FOR HONEV. 



On page 812 it is said it was admitted that 

 barrels were slightly cheaper than the cans. 

 Possibly location may cut some figure as to 

 cost. Let us see. We here in Florida can 

 buy a well-finished barrel, guaranteed against 

 leakage. The cost of such a barrel will be 

 less than $1.25, delivered at the apiar3^ It 

 takes, say, 6 cans to hold as much as the bar- 

 ral does, and we will say the cans cost 40 cts. 

 each. Then the cost of cans to hold 30 gal- 

 lons of honey would be $2,40 as against $1.25 

 for the barrel The freight on empty cans is 

 more than it is on empty barrels, and the cost 

 of shipping them filled is 95 cents for honey 

 in barrels, against $1.18 in square tin cans. 

 Now, then, it is plain that barrels are much 

 cheaper for us, as we can get no more for our 

 honey in cans than we can in barrels. As for 

 leakage of barrels, it all depends. If your 

 barrels are thoroughly coopered and waxed 

 inside, there will be no leakage ; if they are 

 not, there is trouble ahead. Barrels will be 

 used in this part of the world until we can 

 use cans at the same cost. We may jam our 

 fingers with barrels, and we see no good rea- 

 son why we could not pinch them if we used 

 cans. M. W. Shepherd. 



Mannville, Florida, Oct. 22. 



[While a great deal of Florida honey is fit 

 for table use, much of it is used for manufac- 

 turing. It is generally conceded that, for the 

 latter purpose, hone}' should be put in barrels. 

 There is no chance for argument here, except, 

 perhaps, in localities where wooden packages 

 can not be used owing to the dryness of the 

 climate. Then, of course, tin must be used 

 for all grades. 



You say you can get no more for honey in 

 cans. Are you sure about that? This morn- 

 ing we received an order from a large buyer 

 for 2000 lbs. of extracted table honey. He 

 specified that if it was put in cans he would 

 pay half a cent extra. Again, we bought a 



