74 



ADVANCED BEE-CULTURE. 



Assortment of honey candies, 4 2 



Pastry made with honey 4 2 



The best specimens of the best 

 honey producing plants, 

 pressed and mounted, not to 

 exceed twenty-five varieties, 15 8 



SWEEPSTAKES. 

 The largest, best, most inter- 

 esting, attractive and instruc- 

 tive exhibition in this depart- 

 ment, all things considered, 35 20 10 



I think bee-keepers would prefer to 

 have "supplies" included in the premium 

 list, but the managers of fairs have de- 

 cided against offering premiums, on ac- 

 count of the difficulty of securing satis- 

 factory decisions. The best we can do is 

 to have a "sweepstakes" premium offered 

 upon the largest and best exhibition; 

 then supplies will count. 



A judge should never be compelled to 

 take an exhibitor's word for anything. 

 L,et the article exhibited show for itself. 

 Don't offer premiums on samples of dif- 

 ferent kinds of honey, when they can be 

 so easily gotten up for the occasion by 

 mixing. Don't put at the head of the 

 list such requirements as: "Honey must 

 be of this season's crop;" or, "Must be 

 the product of the exhibitor;" when 

 there is no way of knowing whether they 

 are lived up to. 



In my experience, one man to award 

 the premiums, and he an expert, has giv- 

 en better satisfaction than three judges, 

 It is difficult, and often expensive, to get 

 three men that are experts, and, even 

 then, the work is not always done so 

 conscientiously, because it is not so easy 

 to place the responsibility, each being 

 able to shield himself behind the "other 

 two." 



Upon this subject of judging, there is 

 one other point often neglected that 

 ought to be printed in connection with 

 the premiums, and that is a "scale of 



points" for deciding in regard to the 

 merits of exhibits. Particularly is this 

 true in regard to honey. Miss West of 

 this city suggested, in Gleanings, the 

 following, and I think well enough of it 

 to copy and recommend it: 



Honey — Color, 5; Body, 5; Flavor, 5; 

 Comb — Straightness, 5; Color of Capping, 

 5; Completeness of Capping, 5; Uniform- 

 ity, 10; Style, 10. PoSSlBl,E, 50. By 

 " Uniformity " is meant the closeness of 

 resemblance in the sections composing 

 the specimen. "Style" includes the at- 

 tractiveness of the section and case, also 

 absence of propolis. 



And now a parting word to the begin- 

 ner. If you make an exhibit at a fair, 

 don't get excited. Don't worry. Keep 

 cool and have patience. Many unpleas- 

 ant mishaps may occur, but don't worry 

 over them; and, above all, don't let the 

 losing of premiums so "sour" you as to 

 spoil your own enjoyment and that of 

 your comrades. When you leave home, 

 have everything in readiness, as nearly 

 as possible, to put right up. Pack every- 

 thing carefully, but in such a manner 

 that it can be easily and quickly unpack- 

 ed and repacked. If possible, go with 

 your exhibition, even if you are thereby 

 obliged to ride in a freight car (I have 

 done it many a time and enjoyed it too), 

 and see your goods handled, or better 

 still, handle them yourself. And when 

 the fair is over, don't "go crazy" to get 

 off the grounds the very next minute. I 

 have known of men sitting up all night 

 swearing and sweating, and fuming and 

 fretting because "their car didn't come," 

 or something of that sort. At the close 

 of a large fair, an immense amount of 

 goods are on the grounds; they have been 

 several days in accumulating, and it is 

 impossible to move them all in an hour's 

 time. Expect to cut at least one "eye 

 tooth" at each fair you attend. 



