ADVANCED BEE-CIJLTURE. 



73 



one day set apart as "Bee-Keepers' Day," 

 giving the date in advance in the bee 

 journals, then all bee-keepers will be 

 present on the same day. When possi- 

 ble to do so, it is an excellent plan for 

 two or three, or more, exhibitors to club 

 together and take a tent, or a portable 

 house, each bringing his share of bedding, 

 provisions and utensils, and live a la 

 picnic during the fair. Some of the 

 happiest hours of my life have been spent 

 in going through just such experiences 

 with boop companions. 



I doubt very much whether the exhibi- 

 tion of bees at fairs is of any great advan- 

 tage to the pursuit. The most that can 

 be said in their favor is that they attract 

 attention. But there is certainly no ne- 

 cessity for exhibiting full colonies. A 

 single-comb nucleus with a queen and a 

 few drones and workers, together with 

 brood in different stages of development, 

 can be made to show more that is really 

 interesting than can be shown with a full 

 colony. 



Of course, it is impossible to go on and 

 cover, in detail, all the points in regard 

 to making an apiarian exhibition at a 

 fair, as circumstances vary greatly, but 

 I will give a few hints. Extracted honey 

 must be shown in glass. Not in common 

 green glass, but in white, flint glass. 

 Have tin foil caps over the corks, and 

 small, tasty labels. Aim to get a white 

 or light colored background for extracted 

 honey. A dark color gives it a muddy or 

 dull appearance. A pyramid of extracted 

 honey, in bottles, in front of a window, is 

 a beautiful sight; the light "shimmering 

 and glimmering" as it passes through 

 the bottles and their contents. Comb 

 honey must be in cases with glass next 

 the comb. There is seldom a fair ground 

 with no bees near it, hence, no honey 

 should be exposed. All honey should be 

 shut up close and no stickiness left on 

 the outside of packages. Wax should be 

 molded into fanciful shapes. Honey and 

 wax should be piled up in pyramids, or 

 in some striking shape. Let the beginner 

 not try to show a great multitude of 

 things, but let what he does show be as 



good as it is possible for him to show. 

 Competition is so very keen, at least 

 where the premiums are liberal, that 

 it is folly to expect premiums upon 

 second-class products. 



Now that I have reached the subject of 

 premiums, it may be well to give what I 

 call a "model" premium list. It is near- 

 ly the same as used by the Detroit Expo- 

 sition, and by the Michigan State Fair. 

 I may have placed the premiums at a 

 higher figure than most societies would 

 care to use, but the amounts can be easily 

 reduced, keeping the proportions as they 

 are. 



1st 2d 3d 

 Most attractive display of comb 



honey $35 20 10 



Specimen of comb honey, not 

 less than twenty pounds, 

 quality and manner of put- 

 ting up for market to be 



considered 10 5 



Most attractive display of ex- 

 tracted honey 35 20 10 



Specimen of extracted honey, 

 not less than twenty pounds, 

 quality and manner of put- 

 ting up for market to be 



considered 10 5 



Most attractive display of bees- 

 wax 20 10 



Specimen of beeswax, not less 

 than ten pounds, soft, bright 

 yellow wax to be gi,ven the 



preference 6 3 



Single-comb nucleus Italian 



bees 10 5 



Single-comb nucleus black 



bees 10 5 



Single-comb nucleus Syrian 



bees lo 5 



Single-comb nucleus Carniolan 



bees 10 5 



SWEEPSTAKES ON BEES. 

 Display, in single-comb nuclei, 

 of the greatest variety of the 



different races of bees 10 5 



Collection of queen bees of 



different varieties 16 8 



Honey vinegar, not less than 

 one gallon, shown in glass.. 6 3 



