1883 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



381 



fowls learning to eat bees, ought to induce 

 us to look carefully into the matter of confin- 

 ing them near the hives. Our poultry have 

 so large a range that they st Idom go near 

 the bee-hives.— In regard to su j-earth, friend 

 T., I believe it is generally held that air, 

 brought from a siithcient distance below the 

 surface of tlic earth, -will always be of the 

 right temperature, neither too hot nor too 

 cold. If tlie bees in the cellar got too warm 

 Avhere there was a sub-earth pipe, I presume 

 the deduction would be that the pipe was not 

 large enough, or that the air was not made 

 to pass through it with suthcient rapidity. I 

 should very much like to try my hand at 

 making a sub-eartli bee-cellar to my liking. 

 — We hud very nice hybrid bees, with black 

 queen-mothers, in the swarms that our far- 

 mers briug iu to us ; and since you mention 

 it, it occurs to me now that the bees are 

 often (piite gentle, as well as good workers. 



^ — ^ — ^^^ 



inARKETIING EXTKACXEO HOM2Y. 



FUIESD D. A. JONES TALKS TO US ABOUT IT. 



Xqj-lIjRIEXD JONES mails us the following, 

 J^ clipped from some paper, he doesn't 

 — ' say what, and with the remark : " You 

 can publish this, if you wish." To be sure, 

 we '• wisl»," old friend, so here goes :— 



Tbis is a subject in which considerable more in- 

 terest should be taken, as it has much to do with suc- 

 cess or failure in apiculture. Jf, after the apiarist 

 has struggled hard throug-hout the summer to secure 

 a large crop of honey, he attempts to place it on the 

 market, and finds the price so low and sales so slow, 

 that no proHts are to be realized, and very poor re- 

 muneration is received for his labor, he loses inter- 

 est in the business, and looks around for some more 

 profitable occupation — perhaps leaving the pursuit 

 in disgust. If, on the other hand, he sells his crop 

 rapidly, and at good figures, realizing handsome 

 profits, he becomes exceedingly enthusiastic, and 

 not only extends liis oioi business, but others seeing 

 his success, also embark iu the fascinating pursuit, 

 and thus our numbers are increased. 



The great evil in connection with the marketing 

 of honey is the manner in which the smnll, unedu- 

 cated bee-keeper places his crop before the public. 

 Nut knowing its value, he places it on the market 

 in such unsalable shape, and in the hands of dealers 

 whose knowledge of the trade and its requirements 

 are as limited as their own, and who will not pay 

 more than two-thirds value for it, besides thinking 

 it a hardship to have to buy it at any price. 



A change is, however, coming over matters, and 

 instead of our having to seek a market, wc are 

 sought after, and are offered far mure at wholesale 

 than we formerly received at retail. Why this great 

 change'? 



Jc is being brought about by the plan of exhibit- 

 ing at fairs and exhibitions, hundreds, thousands, 

 and tens of thousands of pounds of houey, in such 

 attractive shapes that visitors are amazed at the 

 mountains of honey; this department becomes one 

 of the leading attractions of the exhibition, and the 

 honey is largely purchased by the visitors, and taken 

 home as one of ihe *• big" features. 



No one would think of taking honey to an exhibi- 

 tion to compete for prizes, in milk-pans, buckets, etc. ; 

 then why take it to market in ai-y (jther than the 

 best shape? There the competition is even greater; 

 for besides having to compete against other honey, 

 It has to compete against every other imaginable 

 mixture that man can devise, many of them un- 

 healihful, poisonous mixtures, composed largely of 

 glucose, and better adapted to sap vigor and life 

 from the human frame, and fill our cometerlea with 

 premature graves, rather than be a luxury on our 

 tables. Now, if this vile stuff were not placed on the 

 market in a more attractive form, would it take the 

 place of honey ? 4,re our bee-ijeepers golug to sIijiq- 



ber? Are they less intelligent? Can they not de- 

 vise as attractive packages? Can they not devise as 

 attractive labels? Can they not devise packages as 

 suitable in size, and as well adapted to the require- 

 ments of the trade? Can they not devise apian of 

 placing It on the shelves of the retailer, and on their 

 counters, so that it will appear to better advantage 

 than any other goods in the store? The goods that 

 present the finest appearance on the shelves, and 

 are the most pleaslns- to the eye, are the ones which 

 will sell the most rapidly. Kvery merchant wants 

 his place of business ti) outshine that of his neigh- 

 bor, and Ihe brighter and more attractive his dis- 

 play, the better he will be able to obtain his end. 



By our putting up honey in packages, ranglnar as 

 follows: :i oz , 4 oz., S oz., 1 pound, 'Z'/i pounds, and .5 

 pounds, they come within thereaeh of all; the smal- 

 ler slzers are purchased by children, instead of con- 

 fectionery, and these advertise the larger, increas- 

 ing their Siile tenfold. 



A uniform size of p;ickage is also very desirable; 

 lifter placing the honey in tin?, label them, inclose 

 each in a wrapper to prevent the labels from cnaf- 

 ing or being injured in appearance, and then place 

 them in neat cases ready for shipment in the follow- 

 ing siz?s: — 

 13 tins 5 pounds makes a c iso of fiO 



24 



60 



131 



340 



4S0 



P.ickages of half the above quantities could be 

 handled advauuigeously. 



The wholesale merchant may then purchase as 

 many cases nnd hali-cdscs as he may require, and his 

 travelers will carry samples, and dispose of it in the 

 same manner they do all other canned good^, to the 

 retailer, in this way tons of honey are disposed of 

 to merchants in out-of-theway places, which wo 

 would not otherwise reach. Why Is honey not 

 found as are all other ciinned good-!, in our mining 

 districts, in the camps of our soldiers, in the new 

 States and Territories, in the new towns along our 

 newly constructed railroads, and in thousands of 

 other places in America, where it could be sold with 

 profit to both producer and consumer? When will 

 we learn to supply our own market with our own 

 products, instead of allowing foreign goods to take 

 their place, and forcing us to seek a foreign market 

 with smaller profits? 



If this system be properly carried out, honey 

 enough can not be raised in America to supply the 

 demand. 



NEW HAMPSHIRE AND FLORIDA CON- 

 TRASTED. 



BY OUR OLD FRIEND HENRY DANIELS. 



f MOVED from New Hampshire to Amelia Island, 

 Fla., last November, bringing with me a small 

 swarm of bees — a swarm that could not possi-- 

 bly winter north. The express charges were 40 cts. 

 to Boston; came as baggage the rest of the way. It 

 was a small light hive, only three combs, a pint of 

 bees, and a very few pounds of honay. Prom Boston 

 it came by oceati steamer. It was all together ten 

 days on the road. In Fernandina, by shaking the 

 box, I could hear a feeble hum from a seemingly sol- 

 itary bes. I concluded It must be the (fueen alive, 

 and had the curiosity to look; surprising! there was 

 not a dozen dead bees In the lot, but sonje very tired 

 ones. The hlye was placed Nov. 16th in the shade of 

 an orange-tree; and after developments were watchr 

 ed with interest. 



The next day they took up with soutlngr over the 

 island; found the weather all right, but not much 

 honey until January, when the peaches, plums, or- 

 anges, etc., began blossoming, when the honey cjin- 

 menced to flow, and so has continued to tho present. 

 Well, what of the bees? Finding nature so free, so 

 bountiful, 80 continual a succession of the nectar of 

 life, are they following in the footsteps, so to speak, 

 Df the native Uumwity — l?ecorolngr lazy, slothful, 



