Marketing the Honey Crop 
321 
charred, but it is better to have them of some wood softer 
than oak. They must be kept in a dry place and before 
using must be made as dry as it is possible to get them, the 
hoops thoroughly tightened and the barrels tested. The 
inside may then be coated with paraffin as an extra pre¬ 
caution, but it should be 
remembered that the 
barrels must be tight 
first. If the wood in 
the barrel is wet, honey 
will take up this moist¬ 
ure, causing the wood 
to shrink and the barrel 
to leak. The usual sizes 
have a capacity of about 
thirty gallons, but those 
holding fifty gallons are 
frequently used. Unless 
one is producing a cheap 
grade of honey for which 
a cheap package is required, it is better and safer to 
use the 5-gallon tin cans. 
Retail packages for local markets. 
In preparing extracted-honey for the local trade, it is 
customary to put it in cans or tin buckets of 2§, 5 or 10 
pounds capacity. Fruit jars and jelly glasses are also 
commonly used. These containers can be considered only 
as articles to hold honey and are entirely unsuitable for a 
market demanding neat attractive packages. They may 
often be used in less exacting markets and carry with them 
the advantage of being useful after the honey is eaten. 
To the beekeeper, they are desirable on account of their 
low cost in case his market will not pay a good price for his 
honey. Many beekeepers are, however, guilty of putting 
fancy honey into these unattractive receptacles, thereby 
stamping their product as a cheap article. 
Flo. 137. — Crate holding two 5-gallon 
honey cans. 
