J911 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



17 



the entrance was closed; or it looks to us as 

 though there was some opening in this hive 

 even after the entrance was closed, so that 

 the swarm might have come afterward . You 

 do not say how long it was before October 

 that the entranca had been closed. If a 

 month or more we should hardly expect 

 that the colony would be in a normal con- 

 dition if there were absolutely no opening 

 from which the bees might fly, for the larg- 

 er number of bees would certainly starve. 

 It looks very much as though there were 

 some entrance through which bees could 

 pass; and if this was the case it seems quite 

 clear to us that a swarm unbeknown to your 

 neighbor selected this hive and took posses- 

 sion. We do not know just how many bees 

 there were originally, for a "handful" is 

 rather indefinite. However, even if a queen 

 had been reared it is doubtful if she could 

 have built up a normal colony with so small 

 a start. — Ed.] 



HOW APPEARANCES AFFECT SALES. 



An 



Insight into the Deceptions Practiced 



some of the Bottlers of Food Products; 



what is the Best Shape and Size for 



a Honey-jar? 



by 



BY WESLEY FOSTEB. 



The appearance of food products has 

 more to do with their sale now than ever 

 before since stock packages have so largely 

 taken the place of the bulk products. This 

 has been brought about by a number of rea- 

 sons, among them being that the manufac- 

 turer wishes to derive some advertising 

 through the sale of his goods. For instance, 

 if he put out rolled oats in barrels, no one 

 but the wholesaler, or perhaps the retailer, 

 would know who the manufacturer was; 

 hence the neatly labeled package, which 

 not only advertises the particular brand, 

 but is a better protection for the goods, 

 keeping them free 

 from dust, and sav- 

 ing the retailer the 

 trouble of weighing 

 out the packages, the 

 weight being guaran- 

 teed by the manufac- 

 turer. 



This stock-package 

 business has spread 

 until it takes in al- 

 most every kind of 

 food; but with it has 

 come the chance for 

 deception. Perhaps 

 one manufacturer 

 puts out a gallon can 

 of peaches. A dozen 

 others soon do like- 

 wise, and competi- 

 tion becomes so strong 

 that some sharp can- 

 ner gets up a can hold- 

 ing 3yi quarts. This 

 looks as large as the 



gallon can; and unless a close compari- 

 son is made the difference does not ap- 

 pear. Any way, even if the grocer does no- 

 tice the difference the customer is not like- 

 ly to; so that this particular canner has the 

 advantage, for he can put out the smaller 

 can perhaps 50 cts. a case cheaper, so that 

 his sales are larger and larger. Thus this 

 thing has gone on until we have gallon 

 cans holding only three quarts, and so-call- 

 ed quart cans holding a little more than a 

 pint. There is the greatest anxiety on the 

 part of all canners and preserve concerns to 

 put out a package that will look the largest 

 and hold the least. If any one wishes to go 

 into this matter more in detail, let him pro- 

 cure a bottle catalog from some glass com- 

 pany and note the hundreds of different 

 styles and shapes; or one can get almost as 

 good an idea by looking over the shelves of 

 the nearest grocery store. 



There are several ways of making a jar 

 hold less than it appears to hold, or, in oth- 

 er words, of making it appear to hold more 

 than it does. Perhaps the trick originated 

 by brewers in having beer-bottles made with 

 the bottom blown an inch or more up into 

 the body of the bottle in a bulb of very 

 thick glass. This alone takes out about 

 one-third of the real capacity of the bottle. 

 Another scheme that works well so far as 

 fooling the customer is concerned is to use 

 very thick glass. The long-necked jar 

 should also be mentioned, the neck being 

 covered with a paper label; and if the neck 

 is almost as large as the body of the jar the 

 delusion is all the greater. Moreover, this 

 gives space for the label without covering 

 up any of the goods in the main part of the 

 container. 



A pint jar having a small base, which 

 gets larger toward the top and then draws 

 in abruptly at the neck will have the ap- 

 pearance of holding as much as a quart jar 

 if the latter is short and stubby. This large 

 appearance of a bulb-shaiied jar is well 



HOW DIFFERENT-SHAPED JARS ARE DECEIVING AS TO THE 

 AMOUNT THEY HOLD. 



No. 1 holds one quart of honey; No. 2, one pint; No. 3, seven to eight 

 ounces; No. 4. one pound; No. 5, seven to eight ounces: No. 6, quart 

 measure. 



