STATE bee-keepers' ASSOCIATION. 77 



was in barrels. A barrel of honey is stood on end on a 

 sheet of galvanized iron about A feet square laid on the floor. 

 If the honey is not solidly grained, the edges of the metal 

 sheet may be turned up, say two inches, After ending the 

 barrel, it is all removed in pieces, except the bottom-end. 

 The honey is then shoveled into the melting tank. This 

 beats digging the honey out of the barrel. Emptied barrels 

 are worth practically nothing, anyway, so they may as well 

 be torn to pieces, and the honey shoveled, as mentioned. 

 Perhaps the barrels could be sawed or broken up, so as to be 

 burned in the heater, and thus be used as fuel for heating the 

 water to melt the honey. 



The heater and the melting tanks should be connected 

 so that there can be a circulation of water through all of 

 them at the same time, or arranged so that each can be dis- 

 connected at will. 



The honey should be bottled and corked or capped hot, 

 say as near 160 degrees as possible. But great care must be 

 vsed not to let the honey stand long in the melting tanks at 

 a lligh temperature. It should be bottled at once. If not, the 

 flavor and color will be injured. If overheated, or allowed 

 to stand too long at a high temperature, it becomes a dark 

 amber, and somewhat bitter in taste. Of course such honey 

 can be used for baking purposes or for making honey- 

 vinegar, but even for baking I think that better honey would 

 make better cakes and cookies. 



Now, having the honey bottled, and nicely labeled, the 

 next thing is to get it into the grocers' hands. Take a 

 sample jar or bottle (several, if you have various sizes) and 

 call on the grocer. Tell him your prices, and suggest at 

 what prices the honey should be retailed. It is a good thing, 

 also, to leave him a honey circular, giving directions as to 

 the uses of honey and where to keep it properly. Tell him 

 what day you will deliver whatever he orders, and try to 

 have a fair-sized wagon-load before making any deliveries. 

 It is a good thing to make regular calls on the grocers, 

 and see that they are kept supplied. Also, whenever you 

 call leave a self-addressed card (authorized postal size) on 

 which they can write their orders, affix a one-cent stamp, 

 and then mail. Such cards are a convenience all around. 

 If you have a telephone it is well to print your number on 

 the card also. 



Some honey-sellers have found it an advantage to have 

 attractive honey show-cases which they loan to any grocer 

 who will keep their honey for sale. Such case holds perhaps 

 two or three dozen jars, and about as many sections of 

 honey. The idea, then, is to load up a wagon with honey, 

 call on the stores where the honey-cases are, and see that 

 they are kept filled. This plan has worked well. It is rather 

 expensive to start with, but as many grocers have no good 

 place to put honey so that it can be seen by their customers, 

 and also where it will be kept clean, a glass show-case is a 

 good thing for all concerned. 



An individual glass jar has been used with some success 



