190G 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



1585 



DK. BIGEl.OW .S (JO.MB-HONKY (JAKTONS. 



problem of selling honey. They at least 

 know how to make it attractive. I recalled 

 that I hail seen in the catalogs something 

 abont honey-cartons. I resolved to get a few 

 and put my sections in the two stores beside 

 the glories of pickles, and in the presence 

 of that redolent twenty-cent candy, for I re- 

 garded honey as both a staple for the table 

 and a confection. I wrote to several manu- 

 facturers and obtained samples. Imagine 

 my dismay I My superb honey in such a 

 dress as that: Not one was tit to associate 

 with cans of pickled beets and sweet corn. 

 or boxes of twenty-cent candy with the pink 

 rilibon and the picture of the pretty girl. I 

 had more respect for the beets, the picture, 

 and for my honey too, than to put it out in 

 such a garb. "This kind of carton," I said, 

 " belongs to the age of boot-box observation- 

 hives." 



Readers of this magazine know how I have 

 contended for polished oak, the best work- 

 manship, and the most ingenious devices for 

 observational and experimental hives. The 

 best seems to me not too good for honey-bees, 

 and the same principle applies to their prod- 

 ucts. So I wrote to the manufacturers and 

 told them plainly that I didn't regard their 

 cartons as good enough — at least not for my 

 honey. Doubtless they are worth all they 

 cost, and for those who like that kind of 

 carton it is doubtless about the kind of car- 

 ton that they like. 



But I wanted something that would cost 

 more and be worth more. I wrote to manu- 

 facturers of apiarian supplies, and was told 

 that those were all they hail- and after com- 

 plainiu'.f that they were not appropriate 



dresses for good honey, I made up my mind 

 that I would get butchers' straw paper and 

 wrap up each section and tie with tow string 

 before I would use those antiquated parodies 

 of the box-makers with their smudges of 

 printer's ink. I obtained the addresses of 

 several manufacturers of folding cartons to 

 be used for choice proprietary articles. The 

 cartons which I tinally decided upon cost only 

 thirteen dollars for one thousand, especial- 

 ly made and printed to order. The labels 

 for the top of the sections cost three dollars 

 per thousand. Of course, additional thou- 

 santls would be cheaper. The cartons and 

 the labels are printed in blue and gold — 

 Ijlue the favorite color of the bee (ascertain- 

 ed by psychic tests), and gold, emblematic of 

 their products. On the l)ai-k of the carton is 

 a cut of my apiarian laboratory, printed in 

 blue — that color because I like to fancy that 

 all the bees in the country would prefer to 

 make their home here, or anywhere else 

 where the bees (regardless of their products) 

 are studied and appreciated for themselves. 



On the next lot I shall have some emboss- 

 ing (costing about $2.00 per thousand more) 

 and a violet ribbon (another color liked by 

 the bees). I envy that candy- box — a pretty 

 girl that likes honey and bees. Such a very 

 choice carton would cost not over two cents 

 apiece. I have found a ready market at 

 thirty cents a section — five cents more than 

 the regular market price. 



Now. my big honey-man, or my little hon- 

 ey-man (and woman too), or you big manu- 

 facturers, do you really like my carton? I 

 hope you won"t, for then you will say that 

 you "can beat him all to pieces," and you 



