566 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



last year that would have weighed less 

 than 16 pounds, but theie were quite a 

 number however, that, if they had been 

 sorted out of the heavier grades, would 

 have had to have been sold at a less price 

 then we got for our crop straight; and 

 this difference would have had to have 

 been made up by an additional price being 

 charged for the better grades. Now, the 

 question is, which is the better way? 



GRADING AND PREPARING GOMB HONEY FOR 

 MARKET. 



From the time the honey is taken off 

 the hive, until it is cased up and ready for 

 market, we keep our comb honey covered 

 up, away from the light and the flies. The 

 light tarnishes the basswood sections, and 

 shipping-cases. 



As our comb honey is taken off with 

 bee-escapes, there will be no trouble 

 about the sections being sticky with honey, 

 as the bees have already cleaned them, 

 when freeing them of bees. 



We have found nothing better, for 

 cleaning off propolis and the small parti- 

 cles of comb, from sections, than a large 

 bladed jack-knife. To work to the best 

 advantage, it should be ground to a 

 smooth edge, free from "nicks," but not 

 too sharp, as, if it is too sharp, it will cut 

 into the wood too readily. 



Every section is cleaned perfectly. Not 

 only is the propolis and particles of comb 

 cleaned off, but the travel-stain is also 

 mostly scraped ofp. 



Usually we make three grades of our 

 comb honey; a fancy, a No. 1, and a 

 No. 2. 



Generally speaking, our fancy grade 

 needs the least cleaning. Then comes 

 the No. 1, which is in a little worse con- 

 dition; then the No. 2. This last grade, 

 usually the last to come off the hive, will 

 have more propolis than either of the 

 other two grades. 



We open a super of honey, and take 

 out the first section. A glance tells us 

 which grade it belongs in. If it should 

 grade fancy, we take particular pains to 

 see that it is cleaned, not only of propolis, 



but the wood is also scraped until it is 

 white. 



The No. 1 is cleaned with nearly the 

 same care as the fancy. 



The No. 2 is cleaned of propolis, and 

 particles of comb, but we do not take the 

 time to scrape the wood. 



Five no-drip shipping-cases are placed 

 in the best positions, for convenience. 

 Two are for the No. 1 and fancy grades; 

 one for the No. 2, one for the "shipping- 

 culls;" then there are some culls, caused 

 by accident, or by being attached to the 

 separators, etc. This last mentioned 

 grade can be given to the neighbors, or 

 chopped up with the cappings. 



The grade we call "sflipping-culls," are 

 those not attached to the section sufficient 

 to stand shipment. They are mostly the 

 product of the slow flow, during the last 

 end of the season; and when grading this 

 part of the honey especial care is taken 

 not to get any of these in with the honey 

 that is to be shipped. Sell shipping-culls 

 at home. 



In weighing cases, pile 1 on the scales 

 and weigh; then divide the product by 10, 

 which will give the weight of one. This 

 is near enough, and saves weighing each 

 case separate. 



Now we wanteverythingneat and clean 

 about our comb honey. You know we are 

 going to wrap every case in paper before 

 shipping; and we do not even want to soil 

 them with writing, or figures. There is 

 not a particle of use of having anything 

 written on a case, except the net weight. 



This net weight is marked on a piece of 

 card-board ; just the simple figures, nothing 

 else. 



Then, just as likely as not, the jobber 

 who sells to the grocer, would just as 

 leave the grocer did not know how much 

 the cases weighed. In this case, with a 

 jack-knife, he pries out the one small tack 

 that holds the mark, and there you are, a 

 perfectly clean case, no marks, nor other 

 indications that the case has ever been 

 weighed. This is the way the jobbers 

 want it, when they sell by the case. 



