266 FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 



Oil commission. Judgment must be used as to limiting commis- 

 sion men (o a certain price. Some commission men will sell off 

 promptly at any price offered, and when sending to such men it 

 is best to name a certain figure, below which the honey must not 

 be sold. I have sold in my home market, as well as in towns 

 near by, and have shipped to nine of the principal cities, and it 

 would be an impossibility for me to say what would be my best 

 market next year. Prices vary according to the yield in dif- 

 ferent parts of the country. If shipping to a distant point in 

 cold weather, I keep up a hot fire to warm the honey twenty- 

 four hours before shipping. If very cold I wait for a warm 

 spell. 



LOADING SECTIONS WHEN SHIPPING. 



On a wagon, the length of a secfion should run across the 

 wai;()U — on a car, lengthwise of the car. Convenience of pack- 

 ing ill a wagon, however, is of first consideration, for with care- 

 ful driving it matters little which way the sections are idaced. 

 On the other hand, no matter what the inconvenience, I would 

 have the sections in a railroad car so that when a heavy bump 

 comes the sections must take it endwise. I always prefer, if 

 possible, to load the honey directly into the car myself. Then 

 I know that it will carry well unless Ihe engine does an unrea- 

 sonable amount of bumping. 



PACKING SECTIONS IN A CAH. 



\'ery likely a number of cases of honej' packed in a crate 

 do not need any special care in loading; but if I can make sure 

 that the honey will go through to its destination without any 

 reloading, I prefer to put the cases in the car one by one. If 

 the number of cases is so small that there is no need to pile one 

 ease on another, then the eases are put in one end of the car 

 and kept in place by a strip of common inch lumber nailed on 

 the floor. If there are enough cases so they must be tiered 

 up, then the lower tier has a strip nailed on the floor as before, 

 but each of the upper tiers is fastened differently. On each 

 side of the car is nailed a cleat to support a fence-board which 

 runs across the width of the car, resting flat like a shelf on these 

 cleats. Another cleat is nailed on the side of the car over the 



