lEntered as second-class matter July 30, 1907, at the Post-Office at Chicago, 111., under Act or March ;i, 1S79.) 

 Published Monthly at 75 cents a Year, by George W. York & Co., 118 West Jackson Boulevard. 



GEORGE W. YORK. Editor 



CHICAGO, ILL,, JUNE, 1909 



Vol. XLIX— No, 6 



CdifoHaf ^o(es 



and Comment 



Shipping-Cases of Corrugated Paper 



On another page Mr. J. E. Crane 

 gives particulars and illustrations of 

 a shipping-case that he has been us- 

 ing with great satisfaction for 3 

 years. It is said to be lighter, strong- 

 er, and cheaper than a wooden case. 

 One hesitates to believe that it is 

 stronger than a wooden case, but it 

 bears the weight of a man standing 

 on it, which a wooden case would 

 hardly do. However, it is not so 

 hard to understand its greater 

 strength when its construction is un- 

 derstood. It is the upright parti- 

 tions in the case that give such 

 strength as to allow a man to stand 

 with his full weight on a case. 



Still more important is the fact 

 that the construction practically 

 makes the sections several times 

 stronger. That is, the sections in one 

 of these cases will come unharmed 

 out of a tumble which would ruin 

 thcni in the ordinary case. A wooden 

 case filled with combs fell i8 inches, 

 and every comb but 2 was broken. 

 A paper case fell nearly 3 feet, and 

 not a comb was broken. That is ex- 

 plained by the fact that each section 

 has a separate compartment, and is 

 surrounded on all sides by a cush- 

 ioned wall. 



Dr. C. C. Miller received one of 

 these paper cases, and sums up the 

 arguments for and against it in a 

 Stray Straw: 



That Crane shipping-case of paper — doesn't 

 look so pretty as the old case. You can't 

 make as fine a show with such cases piled up 

 as you can with wood-and-glass cases. In 

 making a big pile, or loading a car, it is not 

 quite so easily handled, and won't pack quite 

 «o smoothly; will take more time to fill sec- 

 tions into the little compartments. After a 

 ra«/- i« filled it will take longer to tie up 



tli.in to tack on a wooden cover. Those are 

 the objections that seem possible. No other 

 objection occurs. On the other hand, we have 

 "a lighter, stronger, cheaper case." Then the 

 item of safety. That is a big item; for those 

 who have not been able to ship without much 

 breakage, an immense item. A single case or 

 any number of cases may be shipped without 

 fastening in a car, and without the heavy 

 expense of carriers. Some may pack a car- 

 Mad of the old kind so as to travel in safety. 

 Kven then, it must be handled in smaller lots 

 when it comes into the hands of the jobber, 

 and then the greater safety of the paper 

 comes into play. 



We have examined a sample case, 

 and, judging from the extensive experi- 

 ence we have had in shipping comb 

 honey, we think the new Crane ship- 

 ping-case is all right. It is very strnnj,', 

 light in weight, and certainly should 

 answer every purpose for which it is 

 intended. We hope bee-keepers will 

 give it a thorough trial, as we are sure 

 they will like it very much. 



Laying-Worker Colonies 



It happens only too often at this time 

 of year that a colony will be found 

 with no brood except drone-brood. 

 There may be a dronc-layiiii; queen, or 

 there may be laying workers. In eith- 

 er case the probability is that most of 

 the bees present are too old to be of 

 much value, and the experienced bee- 

 keeper will generally think that the most 

 profitable thing he can do is to break 

 up the colony unceremoniously, distrib- 

 uting to other colonics the combs with 

 adhering bees. At a time when bees 

 are gathering, these will be kindly re- 

 ceived anywhere. 



But it is hard to make the begin- 

 ner feel that there is any gain in hav- 

 ing one less hive with bees in. If he 

 has 6 colonies, one of them infested 

 with laying workers, the breaking up 



of that one colony will leave him the 

 possessor of only 5 colonies. Such a 

 thought is not to be endured. He says, 

 "It's a very simple thing to give that 

 colony a frame of brood from another 

 colony, and it will rear a queen. 



If you, gentle reader, happen to be 

 that beginner, it may be worth while 

 to say to you that a colony tliat has 

 been queenless for a considerable 

 length of time is not in the best condi- 

 tion to rear a good queen, if indeed 

 it rears one at all. But you will not 

 be persuaded. You'd rather have a poor 

 queen than none at all. You, who are 

 the proud possessor of 6 colonies, have 

 no notion of being reduced to the ranks 

 of those who possess only 5 colonies 

 each. Perish the thought! 



Well, if you will not be persuaded 

 to break up the colony, at least you can 

 make your chances a little better — a 

 good deal better. Swap brood and bees 

 with other colonies. Go to a good col- 

 ony, take from it a frame or two of 

 brood with adhering bees — be careful 

 you don't take the queen — and give this 

 colony a like number of combs with ad- 

 hering bees from the faulty colony. 

 Do this until you have disposed of all 

 tlie contents of the hive containing the 

 queenless colony, putting into said hive 

 the good brood and bees you have taken 

 from the other colonies. Now you have 

 in this hive a stock of young bees with 

 an outfit of brood in all stages, and if 

 the colony is strong enough, and if hon- 

 ey is yielding well, a good queen may 

 be reared. Of course it will hasten mat- 

 ters if a sealed queen-cell is given to 

 the colony. Still better, if you can give 

 a laying queen. Some of the field-bees 

 will return to this hive, and that will 

 be a good thing. 



Abundant Ventilation 



Never was there a time when so 

 much importance was paid as to the 

 importance of plenty of good air for 

 man and bee. It is easy to have a 

 deep space under bottom-bars in win- 

 ter; but in summer the bees may build 

 down combs. J. P. Blunk, in Clean- 

 ings, overcomes this ditificulty by hav- 

 ing an opening at the I)ack as well as 

 at the front of the bottom-board and 

 with this chance for a passage clear 



