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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Half-Poniul Sections for Honey. 



At the Michigan State Convention 

 the subject of putting up comb honey 

 in sections containing only a half- 

 pound was considerably discussed. It 

 will be remembered that Mr. Ripley, 

 of the tirm of Crocker & Blake, honey 

 dealers, of Boston, Mass., who visited 

 the Bee .Journal office last Septem- 

 ber, then remarked that in the East- 

 ern cities comb honey was required in 

 still smaller packages than those con- 

 taining one pound. It has also been 

 discussed at some other conventions, 

 and several of our most enterprising 

 bee-keepers have determined to put 

 up some of their crops of comb honey 

 next year in sections containing but 

 one-half pound. 



Mr. James Heddon, of Dowagiac, 

 Mich., intends to adopt some of these 

 small packages, and announced that 

 intention at the convention in Kala- 

 mazoo, two weeks ago. Dr. C. C. 

 Miller has, by request, been figuring 

 out the proper size for such a section, 

 and thinks about 10 to a Langstroth 

 broad frame will be about right in size. 

 Mr. T. F. Bingham stated, at the same 

 convention, that a good plan to deter- 

 mine the right width of comb neces- 

 sary to use a 4ix4i section, was to 

 shave down some honey that was 

 candied, until the proper thickness 

 was ascertained, to make the right 

 weight. We requested him to make 

 the experiment, and have received the 

 following from him concerning his 

 experiments : 



PENNY PACKAGES OF HONEY, 



OR "THE SECTION OF THE FUTURE." 



Agreeably to request, I have made 

 a few measurements, to ascertain at 

 what thickness comb honey could be 

 made, so that a 4ix4i- section would 

 weigh one-halt pound. 



The result is, three-fourths of an 

 inch. Such honey would cost the pro- 

 ducer more than if the sections were 

 thicker— as such a section would cost 

 the same essentially as if it held one 

 pound. The expense of foundation 

 for 100 pounds would be more also. 

 These two items are all that 1 now see 

 that militate against their use. 



They would meet the wants of the 

 market in the cities and larger towns, 

 and find an unlimited sale every wliere. 

 One such piece would supply any mod- 

 erate sized family with a much cov- 

 eted luxury for tea, at a moderate 

 cost. I need not say how nicely it 

 would cut for the plate. It would 

 be simply " too flue." It would cut 

 twelve pieces over one inch square, 

 or nine a little larger. Some might 

 think this too .small a piece, but it 

 would be ample for anyone in my 

 family, or any other that has honey 

 always on the table, and it is reason- 



able to presume that with such comb 

 honey, few families would be long 

 without it. It would largely take the 

 place of canned fruit, as it would com- 

 pete in price and economy, and avoid 

 the risk of lead and tin poisoning, and 

 stale fruit. 



To the producer there are some 

 points to balance the extra expense. 



1. It would ship with perfect safety. 



2. No separator would be needed. 



3. Twice as many bees could be en- 

 gaged in lengthening the foundation. 



4. It would ripen faster and better. 

 No watery caps would be on such 

 combs. 



I am aware that many producers 

 would prefer, before trial, thicker 

 combs, and sections of smaller dimen- 

 sions, holding the same weight of 

 honey, but such combs would be like 

 all other combs of greater thickness, 

 the cells would not be made at right 

 angles with the septum. It is well 

 known that deep cells always incline 

 upward, wiiile cells designed for brood 

 or short cells are always straight. 

 This is one reason why their combs 

 cut without much dripping or waste. 



Broad Frame koidiny eight hnlf-pound 

 or pound »SeciJons of Honey. 



I have taken 4ix4i sections, prefer- 

 ably, on account of the fact that those 

 who have used them would not be 

 compelled to materially change their 

 supers or crates. Other forms might 

 be desired and, perhaps, would be 

 more beautiful. Art has favored rect- 

 angles measuring in width I tlie length 

 or height, as most desirable tor pict- 

 ures and paintings. The same might 

 be true of comb sections. For sucli 

 as would prefer different forms, I will 

 give, as the weight of one ^4 pound of 

 honey, the measure of the same in 

 cubic eighths of an inch, viz., about 

 4992. The section would be 4ix4i in. 

 by nine-eighths wide outside. 



T. F. Bingham. 



Mr. Bingham, in the above article, 

 gives some very strong reasons for re- 

 taining the size of section as it is now 

 used for the one-pound, 4ix4i, but, of 

 course, having the combs much thin- 

 ner, and dispensing with separators. 



Mr. A. I. Root, editor of Gleanings 

 in Bee Culture, in a private letter to us 

 on the 12th inst., says he prefers them 

 " six across a broad frame and two 

 deep," and then adds : " this will be 

 right for the half-pound sections, ac- 

 cording to my mind, at present." — 

 Also, in reply to a query of ours, since 

 meeting him at the convention at 

 Kalamazoo, he remarks : " I do think 

 conventions are great promoters of 

 acquaintance and fraternal feelings 



among bee-keepers." To this let us 

 add, " and ascertaining the require- 

 ments of progressive apiculture and 

 taking measures to adopt them." 



Whatever may be demanded of us 

 in the manner of mai-keting honey ,we 

 must cheerfully and readily adopt, and 

 we are often much better qualified to 

 judge of the practicability of the 

 methods to be employed, after having 

 thoroughly discussed the matter " in 

 convention assembled." 



If the half-pound sections are made 

 the same size as the one-pound, viz.: 

 434x434, they can be used in the " su- 

 per," similar to the Heddon surplus 

 arrangement, without any alteration. 

 There are very many good reasons for 

 adopting that size, and if there are 

 serious objections, let those who dis- 

 cover any disadvantages, state them 

 in the Bkk Journal, so that a wise 

 decision may be arrived at. 



Some years ago, Mr. Bingham gave 

 an amusing address at the Michigan 

 State Convention, on " Penny Pack- 

 ages for Honey," which, though it was 

 then but a fanciful pleasantry, clearly 

 foreshadowed the coming demands for 

 marketing honey in very small pack- 

 ages. Then, "six-pound boxes "were 

 the popular packages for comb honey, 

 even with Mr. Bingham, if we mis- 

 take not; and large barrels, containing 

 from 500 to 800 pounds, for extracted 

 honey, at wholesale, and glass jars at 

 retail, were thought ''just the thing." 



The small sections of enticing comb 

 honey, and beautiful little pails of ex- 

 tracted honey, have driven the glucose- 

 honey peddlers to the wall, and no 

 less than two of these larger houses, 

 running scores of wagons in this city, 

 have already gone out of the business; 

 and now we hear that four more of 

 the smaller fry, running 6 or 8 wagons 

 each, will close up their business at 

 the end of this year. There can be no 

 doubt but that the small packages of 

 pure honey have done more to kill off 

 the adulterators of honey than any- 

 thing else could have done. 



Time was when the two-pound sec- 

 tion was considered too small to suit 

 the ideas of apiarists, but now even 

 those containing one pound are voted 

 to be too large. Truly, apiculture is 

 progressive— advancing quite as fast 

 as any other pursuit. 



Any step that will aid in populariz- 

 ing the consumption of honey, and 

 bring it into universal demand will be 

 welcomed by apiarists everywhere,— 

 no matter if it be a half-pound section 

 for comb honey, or a five cent pail for ^ 

 the extracted. 



