April, 1917 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



267 



FROM THE FIELD OF EXPERIENCE 



the other. If necessary, the case may be 

 cut in two for shipping only 28 sections 

 alone, just as we do when we ship 15 dozen 

 eggs. 



Honey may be sent in this way in winter 

 as well as in summer; for if it is thoroly 

 warmed when it starts it will go thru all 

 inght, since express is kept i-easonably 

 warm, and not subject to freezing temper- 

 ature. Clean cases and cardboard should 

 always be used, and the effect will be just 

 as good as tho a regular comb-honey ship- 

 ping-case were used with a glass front. 



The illustration also shows my method of 

 crating five and ten pound pails that are 

 sent by parcel post. The octagon heads are 

 made just a trifle larger than the diameter 

 of the pail. Then slats of % material are 

 nailed on, four or eight sides, according to 

 the distance sent. I have sent out many 

 pails with only four slats as shown in the 

 illustration, and have never had a com- 

 plaint. However, I usually put the slats 

 on eight sides when shipping by express or 

 by parcel post fui'ther than the second zone. 

 If pine or basswood lumber is used the five- 

 pound jjail will weigh crated only 6^2 

 pounds, which goes as seven pounds, and 

 costs seven cents in the second zone. 



Ten - pound pails weigh twelve pounds 

 crated, and cost sixteen cents in the second 

 zone. With slats on eight sides the pack- 

 age usually weighs another pound and costs 

 a cent more postage. 



Many times I have an order for two pails 



of the same size. These I crate together by 

 making the heads long enough for both. 



If the material is dressed a little it makes 

 a better appearance, and appearances count 

 for a good deal in the bee business. 



Cambridge, N. Y. George Dodds. 



Store - Box Winter - Cases 



I now have twenty-seven colonies packed 

 in leaves for winter. My plan is inex- 

 pensive, and I believe it is very satisfac- 

 tory. From empty store-boxes I made for 

 each hive two sides of a winter case, 14 by 

 26 inches, also two ends, 14 by 20 inches. 

 These I nailed together without top or bot- 

 tom, and tacked waterproof paper clear 

 around. On setting such a case over the 

 hive there is a space on each side and end 

 of three inches, and four inches on top. 

 To prevent the leaves falling out at the bot- 

 tom I nailed strips of lath across the ends 

 of the case and laid other strips on top of 

 them across the sides. Two pieces of lath 

 the proper length laid side by side just 

 fill the space nicely and allow the case to 

 rest upon the edges of the bottom-board in 

 front, and on a support at the back con- 

 sisting of a couple of nails driven into the 

 end of the bottom-board. 



I packed the leaves between the outer 

 case and hive, and over the top of the hive ; 

 then for a cover I used heavy waterproof 

 paper held on by strips of lath tacked on 

 to the ends and sides. 



Not counting my own labor, the cost for 

 the twenty-seven hives did not exceed $3.00. 



Wauseon, Ohio. Dr. A. P. Betts. 



Great Strides in Tennessee 



Glancing over the Directory of Country 

 Life Officials in Tennessee, I am gi-eatly im- 

 pressed with the gi'eat strides this entire 

 section has made in recent years along agri- 

 cultural lines. Utterly devastated and im- 

 poverished fifty-two years ago, it took a 

 long hard pull under new strange economic 

 conditions to get somewhat " on its feet " 

 again ; but now see. Practically abreast of 

 the states of other sections that had no such 

 tragic experience to recover from, we have 

 a Commissioner of Agriculture who counts 

 among his staff a State Veterinarian, a 

 State Cliemist, a State Entomologist, Feed 

 and Fertilizer Inspectors, and a State Api- 

 ary Inspector. There are specialisls in 



