46 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Jan. 15 



pelled to ask tor lower rates to the large honey 

 markets ol Chicago and Kansas City. 



Among our western honey-producing States, ( 'ol- 

 orado takes first rank, and we would come In com- 

 petition with its immense honey product. 



We understand that the distance from Denver to 

 Kansas City and Chicago over the"Santa F^ rail- 

 road is virtually the same distance as those cities 

 are from Roswell. 



The. carload rate from Denver to Chicago on 

 " comb honey in boxes with glass fronts " is 97 cts., 

 and on "extracted honey in tin cans, boxed," is 75 

 cents per cwt. 



We earnestly desire to obtain the 97-cent rate to 

 Chicago that Denver honey-shippers pay on comb 

 honey In boxes with glass fronts. 



We also ask for a 66?^-cent rate to Chicago on ex- 

 tracted honey, that being 1200 per carload of 30,000 

 pounds, which is about two-thirds of the rate that 

 we have asked you to make on our comb honey, 

 and it is about (and perhaps above) the average 

 proportional rate from other States. For example, 

 the California rate on extracted honey is just one- 

 half as much as its rate on comb honey. This we 

 have just learned from the Santa F6 railroad office 

 in Chicago. 



Another reason why we desire a lower rate on ex- 

 tracted honey is, for some unknown reason to us, 

 honey is darker in color here than the Colorado 

 honey, and, though equal in quality, the price is 

 Invariably cut down from one to one and a half 

 cents per pound on account of this amber color. 



Another package mentioned In the Western Class- 

 ification on which we should like proportional 

 rates is on "comb honey in boxes," no glass. 



We further desire rates to Kansas City that would 

 be about proportional to what we have asked for 

 Chicago. 



It would be desirable, frequently, to send both 

 comb and extracted honey in the same car to make 

 up a full carload. This is done elsewhere, and each 

 kind is billed out at its own rate; and we ask that 

 this feature shall be arranged to accommodate us. 

 We have been assured that you have taken a kind- 

 ly interest in helping out various industries in the 

 Pecos Valley. And now that we are in need of help 

 we come to you for assistance, and shall be ever 

 thankful for such aid as you can give us. 

 On behalf of the convention. 



R. B. Slease, President. 



Heney C. Barron, Secretary. 



A committee was appointed to secure the 

 names of large shippers in tlie valley for the 

 purpose of annexing them to the above pe- 

 tition. 



The convention also petitioned the county- 

 commissioners to fix the price of colonies of 

 bees for taxation at $1.00 per colony. Mr. 

 Barron writes that this petition will also 

 probably be granted. All this goes to show 

 that the "New Mexicans " are hustlers, and 

 that when they go after a proposition they 

 go after it to win. A pull, a long pull, and 

 a pull all together, counts for bee-keeping 

 as for any thing else. — Ed.] 



FULL SHEETS 



VS. STARTERS 

 DATION. 



OF FOUN- 



The Melted-wax Plan for Fastening Foundation 

 in Sections, 



BY LEO ELLIS GATBLY. 



GATELY'S method of FASTENING FULL SHEETS OF 



FOUNDATION IN A WIDE FRAME OF FOUR 



SECTIONS. 



Not only is the foundation we use of ne- 

 cessity pure beeswax, but in the process of 

 manufacture it is freed from all dirt and 

 sediment, becoming more refined than the 

 average article. Beeswax itself will not 

 withstand the high temperature from a col- 

 ony without sagging unless it is entirely 

 freed from this dirt and sediment. In my 

 opinion it is highly important that we em- 

 phasize to consumers the fact that no other 

 wax has yet or probably ever will be found 

 which can be used as a substitute for this 

 purpose. 



It is impossible to estimate the actual 

 value of foundation in comb-honey produc- 

 tion, as so much depends upon the extent 

 to which bees are naturally secreting wax; 

 also on the volume of the honey-flow, etc. 

 The extra amount of surplus usually secur- 

 ed when full sheets are used, over and above 

 that obtainable with small starters, I have 

 found to vary from 5 to '2b per cent. Tak- 

 ing into account the fact that bees are at 

 times involuntarily secreting wax, 

 the foundation still affords a great 

 saving, for this involuntary secre- 

 tion is rarely more than sufficient 

 for drawing out foundation into 

 comb. The amount of honey con- 

 sumed in the elaboration of comb 

 is not as important, however, as 

 is the saving of time, which foun- 

 dation makes possible in provid- 

 ing storage room. 



In the production of comb honey 

 the use of full sheets of foundation 

 cut to fit will result in a larger pro- 

 portion of fancy honey than by 

 any other method. The two sec- 

 tions of honey appearing in the 

 engraving show well the usual dif- 

 ference resulting between the use 

 of full sheets and starters. The 

 sections containing the full sheets 

 may thus be placed in a higher 

 grade, although the eating quali- 

 ties are identical. 



The illustration also portrays our 

 method for putting in foundation 

 by the melted-wax plan. The 

 foundation is not put in until aft- 

 er the sections are placed in the 



