324 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAU 



at its destination in good order, under 

 ordinary circumstances. 



Another point is, that honey should be 

 shipped only in the original crates. We 

 received one lot of honey from Central 

 New York this season, where the shipper 

 had crated six to eight original crates 

 into one large crate. This, of course, 

 was too heavy a package to be handled 

 carefully, and, no doubt, received rather 

 rough handling. The result was, that 

 we received the honey all broken down, 

 and the shipper was out 4 to 6 cents per 

 pound on it. A sad lesson, indeed ! 



Last, but not least, "What is the right 

 time to ship comb-honey to market ?" 

 We have always advised early shipping, 

 say, during September and the first part 

 of October. Our experience teach us 

 that the early shippers obtain best 

 prices, and get quickest returns, be the 

 crop large or short. In all our experi- 

 ence we have 7iever known the market 

 to advance during November and De- 

 cember, but it usually declines as the 

 season passes along. 



A vote of thanks was extended to Mr. 

 Segelken, for his able essay, and it was 

 ordered to be placed on file. 



C. H. Killmer — I heartily endorse all 

 that Mr. Segelken has said ; we are both 

 in the same market, and the demands 

 are the same. 



I. L. Scofield said, in reply to a ques- 

 tion, "We appreciate what Mr. Segel- 

 ken has said, because he has told us 

 what the consumers demand. We want 

 a section that we can use with paper 

 boxes, have glassed, or ship to market 

 without glass." 



H. Segelken — The condition of our 

 market has changed from what it was a 

 few years ago. The demand for glassed 

 goods has increased during the past two 

 years, so that we now advise that 50 

 per cent, of first-grade white honey be 

 glassed. We believe that the demand 

 for glassed goods will be permanent. 



Chas. Israel — The increased demand 

 for comb-honey glassed, is mainly on 

 account of shipment. Consumers think 

 it reaches them in better condition. 



I. L. Scofield — Comb-honey will stand 

 shipment better in paper boxes than in 

 any other package. The paper acts as 

 a cushion, and prevents the honey from 

 breaking. For a number of years I have 

 shipped large quantities, put up in that 

 way, and seldom, if ever, have a comb 

 broken if properly handled. 



P. H. Elwood— We have to meet the 

 demands of the market ; but we, as bee- 

 keepers, should be very careful about 

 going to extremes. If we should all glass 

 our honey next year, there would be a* 



glut in the market, and the price would 

 be lowered. The wisest thing to do, is 

 to put a certain amount in paper boxes, 

 and ship a certain amount glassed and 

 unglassed. For example, a couple of 

 years ago, the New York markets de- 

 manded unglassed sections, and nearly 

 all bee-keepers sent it to market in that 

 shape, or in paper boxes. The result 

 was, there was a scarcity of glassed 

 goods, and they brought a higher price. 



O. L. Hershiser — No doubt, the trade 

 changes in regard to size, and style of 

 package, but it does not, or has not 

 changed in regard to weight of sectiojis. 

 The demand has been for light weight 

 for a number of years. 



The subject of bee-escapes was then 

 taken up. 



C. H. Dibbern, of Milan, Ills., pre- 

 pared an essay on this subject, but on 

 account of a blunder of some postal 

 clerk, it did not arrive in time. 



G. H. Ashby — I have had a little ex- 

 perience with bee-escapes, and as far as 

 that goes, they are a success. My api- 

 ary is located very near the highway, 

 and sometimes the bees were trouble- 

 some to passers-by, but since using the 

 bee-escape, I can take off every pound 

 of both comb and extracted-honey with- 

 out any disturbance whatever. 



D. H. Coggshall — I smoke the bees, 

 and shake out of the clamps or 

 supers what I can get out handily, then 

 stack them up in the bee-house, and put 

 a small colony of bees (with a queen) on 

 top, and by morning the bees will all be 

 out of the sections. 



Adjourned until to-morrow morning. 



MORNING SESSION— JAN. 24, 1891. 



The Convention was called to order at 

 9 a.m., by President Elwood. 



The Secretary then read an essay 

 from Samuel Cushman, of Pawtucket, 

 R. I., on "Artificial Heat to Promote 

 Brood-Rearing." 



N. D. West— Nothing I have ever 

 tried in the line of artificial heat, in or 

 around the hive, to promote brood-rear- 

 ing, has been of any value to me. 



G. H. Ashby— I generally have no 

 trouble to get the bees early enough, but 

 for the last few years I have been 

 troubled to get the honey. The flowers 

 have secreted but little nectar, and we 

 have had too many bees that are only 

 consumers. 



W. L. Coggshall— I have never experi- 

 mented with artificial heat, but in early 

 Spring, when we have cold nights, I take 

 a basket of dry sawdust and sprinkle a 

 handful at the entrance of each hive, 

 this helps to keep up the temperature of 



