The bEe-keepers' review. 



249 



enjfaj^e rooms for anybody exce])t those 

 we are sure will come. 



I.st me sugj^est that all siu'li as desire 

 eiitertaiiimenl write Mr. Hahman <//" (W(V, 

 or as s<-K)u as Ihey have decided to attend 

 the convention, so as to be sure and 

 it\u/i hi in by August 15 or 20, and tell 

 him what you wisli jirovided. Mr. Hah- 

 man's addre.ss is Harrowgate Lane, Sta. 

 I-., Philadelphia, Pa. 



The rhiladelphia .Association proposes 

 to find good lodging-places for all who 

 notify Mr. Hahman, and t)reakfast at the 

 lodging-places if possible; and dinner and 

 sui)])er can be had at some of the numer- 

 ous restaurants near the place of holding 

 the convention, which will be in Frank- 

 lin Institute, at 15 South 7th Street, be- 

 tween Market and Chestnut Streets. 



.\. B. M.vsoN, Secriiarv. 



BARRELS FOR HONEY. 



How lo I'se Them — Some Reasons for Tlieir 

 Use. 



It is quite likely that, for the majority 

 of bee-keepers, the 60 lb. tin is the best 

 package for extracted honey, but there 

 may be conditions under which the bar- 

 rel is a more desirable package. Mr. 

 Dadant tells in the .\merican Bee Journal 

 why barrels may sometimes be desirable, 

 and also how to use them in the best way. 

 Here is what he says: — 



In a recent number of the American 

 Bee Journal I see an editorial criticising 

 the use of barrels as honey-packages. 



I will readily agree that tin makes a 

 much more convenient receptacle, yet 

 barrels have .ser\ed us so long, especially 

 to keep honey for several years, that I 

 cannot help .saying a word in their favor. 

 We have, many times in the past, kept 

 honey as long as three or four years in 

 barrels without any trouble. 



The important thing is to have good, 

 tight barrels, sound an<l well dried. The 

 great mistake many bee-keepers make 

 when putting their honey in barrels is to 

 treat them as if intended for wine or vin- 

 egar, or other wood-soaking liquid. A 

 barrel which needs to be soaked in order 

 not to leak, is not .safe for honey. Only 

 the very best hardwood barrels should be 

 used for honey, and among these, those 

 that have been treated to a coat of glue, 

 as for coal-oil or alcohol, arc the safest. 

 These are entirely impermeable, and un- 



less they have been soaked and again dried 

 they will not leak. If they have remain- 

 ed in a dry place when not in use, all that 

 needs to be done is to tighten the ho()])s 

 on them just before using them, and 

 keep them as before— in a dry place. 

 We have used some barrels over and 

 over again for 10 or 15 years without any 

 loss. 



.\s to taking the barrel apart to take 

 out the honey, it is an easy job, and does 

 not injure the barrel in the least if pr'jp- 

 erh' done. When we speak of barrels, 

 we mean iron-bound barrels, for wooden 

 hoops are unsatisfactory, always. To 

 open a barrel of granulated honey all 

 you need is a strong gimlet, a hoop-cha.se 

 and a hammer or mallet. The barrel is 

 set on end, the head is thoroughly cleans- 

 ed, and the gimlet screwed into the cen- 

 ter of it. Then a couple of marks are 

 made on the edge of the head to corres- 

 pond with similar marks on the chime, 

 so that the head may be replaced in the 

 same position as first found, after the bar- 

 rel has been emptied. The hoops are 

 then chased off, the staves spread a little, 

 and the head is lifted off by the help of 

 the gindet. The honey may then be 

 scooped out with a ladle, a scoop, a shov- 

 el, or even a spade, according to its den- 

 sity. After it has been entirely emptied, 

 the head is replaced in e.xactly the posi- 

 tion it occupied. A barrel treated in this 

 way may be used over and over again 

 without ri.sk. This is not theory, but 

 a practical fact, and the first thing I 

 teach a new clerk who is expected to 

 handle honey and put it up in different 

 packages is how to remove a barrel head 

 properly. 



It is true that if we use the 60-pound cans 

 we are saved some trouble, but I do not 

 believe I would trade good barrels for 

 those 60-pound cans when harvesting 

 honey which may have to be put into 

 small receptacles, according to the cus- 

 tomers' wishes. For instance, if we have 

 a crop of 2o,oocj jjounds of honey, and 

 put it all in 60-pound cans, we may have 

 orders for some io-])ound or 5-pound, or 

 even smaller cans. You will ask. Why 

 not put it up in different sizes? We have 

 tried it, but this has to be done during 

 the harvest, when we are busy, and then 

 we do not know how much should be put 

 up of each different size of packages. If 

 it is all in 60-pound cans, when we take it 

 out, to put, say 3,<j<K) pounds in small 

 sizes, we have 50 of these cans to empty. 

 It is a great trouble to wash them, and it 

 is not advisable to leave them sticky with 

 honey for a season. If you wash them, 

 they will not dry inside and will rust. 



