1906 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



223 



sions were used in order to have the wire 

 cloth cut to advantage. The cage was made 

 collapsible by making each side and each 

 end in the form of a big picture- frame with 

 wire cloth tacked on. The top was a similar 

 frame except that it was covered with plain 

 white muslin to afford a shade. The several 

 panels of the "picture-frames," if we may 

 use the expression, were carried to the fair- 

 ground in the flat. The table or platform 

 was then prepared, when the four panels 

 and the top were set in place, and secured 

 by means of ordinary wood screws. Your 

 humble servant stards by the side of the 

 cage looking at the colony of bees which has 

 been on exhibition during the two days of 

 the fair preceding, while my son snaps the 

 shutter of the camera. 



1 wculd call your attention to a little door 

 on the side next to me. through which the 

 apiarist can pass in and out. Loose straw 

 was strewn on the fl^orof the cage to avoid 

 crushing the bees when they dropped down. 



Fig. 2 shows the same during one of the 

 days of the fair, and represents the usual 

 crowd that hovered around to see the won- 

 derful stunts of handling live bees inside of 

 a cage. There was generally a fair bunch 

 of people present whenever the apiarist was 

 inside. 



Fig. 3 shows how we rigged up a Hght 

 spring wagon, with a top and shelving for 

 the sal > of honey. For small fairs this does 

 very well. 



The three other views show the crowds 



that hovered around our exhibit and bee- 

 cage at the Akrcn fair. 



Fig. 4 shows the stand at the moment 

 when the crowds had stepped away just 

 enough to allow the camera to get a general 

 view of the exhibit as a whole. 



Fig. 5 is the same exhibit just after the 

 crowd was passing by before we could get 

 the cage in front. But it by no means 

 shows as large crowds after the cage was 

 set out in front. Here the jam was so 

 great that we often blocked the roadway. 



Fig. 6 shows the same exhibit from the 

 rear, with the demonstrating- cage as it was 

 before it was moved forward; but, as previ- 

 ously explained, it was difficult to get the 

 crowds back so the cage might be seen. 



I am satisfied that this method of adver- 

 tising and seUing honey is one of the very 

 best that has ever been proposed. "While it 

 is comparatively new in this country, it is 

 one that has been used to a considerable ex- 

 tent in Europe; and I expect, during the 

 late summer and early fall, to urge every 

 subscriber, so far as possible, to make such 

 a demonstration at his nearest county fair. 

 I wish they would try it at least once. If 

 they are then not able to sell a large part 

 of their crop without sending it to a big 

 city I shall be surprised. The operator in 

 the cage should be the honey-producer him- 

 self. He should be prepared to tell the 

 tiuth about honey, all about the queen, the 

 bees, and the drones; something about bee 

 diseases and the habits of the bees in gen- 



FIG. 4. -THE ROOT CO.'S HONEY-SELLING STAND DURING A LULL IN TRADE. 



