April 28, 1904. 



THE AMERICAiN BEE JOURNAL. 



3il 



which, some consumer put it, "seems to be all sugar." 

 But wherever the consumers were acquainted with the meth- 

 ods of production and the quality of the article, the sale was 

 unlimited. There would be no end to the sale, and prices 

 would be very good, and, in fact, as high as those of comb 

 honey, if all the people could be convinced by plain evi- 

 dence that the honey offered is pure and wholesome. 



It is true that there is suspicion, as well, regarding the 

 purity of comb honey, and we often meet people who look 

 upon sealed comb in sections with distrust, as if they ex- 

 pected to see a trace of the mold in which it was cast ; but 

 this very unreasonable suspicion which has been brought 

 about by silly newspaper stories, is easily overcome. It is 

 sufficient to call the attention of the consumer to the con- 

 stant irregularity of the combs in sections — of which no two 

 are alike — to convince them that no human hand has ever 

 built them, filled them and sealed them. For the combs of 

 the bees are another example of the wonders of Nature — 

 variety in uniformity. 



With extracted honey, the only evidence that the buyer 

 can have of the purity of the honey he purchases is his own 

 palate. If he will taste honey and adulterated sweets, 

 side by side, he can soon be convinced, by the sweetness of 

 the former and the lack of it in the latter ; but how many 

 consumers rely on their own sense of taste ? 



So in the selling of extracted honey we have to stumble 

 every day on fresh obstacles. In every new field we have 

 the same objections, the same accusations of dishonesty, 

 however groundless they be. It takes years after years in 

 the same market to put the stamp of genuineness on our 

 goods. But when this is achieved, the sales are easy and 

 large. In our immediate vicinity, some 35 years ago, it was 

 difficult to get rid of a few hundred pounds of extracted 

 honey. To-day more than five times the number of bees 

 are kept, and although extracted honey is harvested in large 

 quantities it sells readily. But every one who will begin 

 the production of this article will have the same objections 

 to overcome, in his surroundings. 



There is another danger in the production of extracted 

 honey, and that is the harvesting and selling of an unripe 

 article. When the honey-extractor was first discovered it 

 seemed as if all that had to be done was to make the rounds 

 of the apiary every other day and remove the surplus. By 

 such a method a very large amount of nectar was harvested, 

 but it was soon ascertained that this nectar was unfit for 

 keeping. The only method by which we can make sure of a 

 good article is the method of leaving the honey on the hive 

 long enough to ripen it partly, at least. Honey harvested a 

 little too soon may be bettered by keeping it for the rest of 

 summer in a hot place where it will have a chance to evapor- 

 ate its extra moisture, but it is preferable to leave this work 

 to the bees as long as possible. In dry, hot seasons, a fair 

 result may be expected by artificial ripening, but in cool 

 climates or wet honey seasons it is difficult, if not impossi- 

 ble, to obtain any results that prove entirely satisfactory. 



There is however a difference not only in the atmospheric 

 conditions but also in the kinds of honey. Some grades of 

 honey ripen readily, and rarely seem to be overloaded with 

 moisture. In this vicinity, I will refer to Spanish-needle 

 honey, which seems to be fully ripened almost as soon as it 

 is taken in by the bees ; while basswood honey, though har- 

 vested in the hottest weather and kept through August and 

 September, very often proves too thin for regular granu- 

 lation. When honey is insufficiently ripened it is in danger 

 of fermentation, which more or less damages its flavor. It 

 does not granulate evenly, hardening in lumps that become 

 surrounded by the more liquid portion of the nectar. Al- 

 though in this shape it may be very palatable and desirable 

 for prompt use, such honey will not safely pass through the 

 following summer. 



One of the oldest and most practical bee-keepers of 

 America, L. C. Root, son-in-law of Mr. Quinby, was the 

 first bee-keeper, to my knowledge, who attracted our atten- 

 tion to the fact that ripe honey was slow to granulate, and 

 that the grades that granulated latest in the season and with 

 the finest grain were the best for keeping. This has proven 

 correct. When our crop of clover honey hardens in a regu- 

 lar mass, resembling butter in texture, with no liquid por- 

 tion separated from it, we may be sure that the honey is 

 well ripened and safe to preserve, if not exposed to moisture 

 later. But when the grains are coarse, resembling lumps 

 of sugar, with more or less liquid surrounding them, we 

 have a honey that although good for present consumption 

 will not be likely to stand the changes of temperature wit'i- 

 out danger of fermentation. Hancock Co., 111. 



c 



Nasty's Afterthoughts 





' Old Reliable " seen through New and Unreliable Glasses. 

 By E. E. Hasty, Sta. B Rural, Toledo, Ohio. 



WOMAN — HER POSITION AND WAYS. 



I note with considerable interest, perhaps with a little 

 surprise also, what Mr. Roe says on page 267. Of course, 

 it is a matter of some importance to decide what is a proper 

 subject for playful sport, and what is too sacred for any such 

 treatment. All malignity being barred of course, must 

 Woman in all her moods and tenses — and duds — be forever 

 exempt? I think that only a small minority of intelligent 

 women, such as read bee-papers, will support Mr. Roe's 

 complaints. If a majority of them honestly object, I shall 

 think it time to consider the subject of reforming my style. 

 His largest error is in feeling (I say feelings not thinking) 

 as if the position of Woman, as a prime factor of Civiliza- 

 tion and Faith, is something less than rooted and grounded 

 like the everlasting hills. Practically all good men confess 

 the like of that, Mr. Roe, so don't be nervous. If I shoot a 

 pea at Mt. St. Helens, by blowing it through a tube, Mt. St. 

 Helens isn't going to suffer any serious damage. Even its 

 reputation as the most saint-like mountain in the world is 

 going to be pretty much the same after I shot the pea as 

 before. Most people (seems to me) take this into considera- 

 tion to start with, and therefore do not object to my shoot- 

 ing the peas — would rather I'd shoot 'em than not. 



Mr. Roe rather makes another mistake in thinking that 

 my personal and inner spirit is one of contempt or indiffer- 

 ence. I hardly need (I think) to be reminded that I had a 

 mother, and a baby sister, whose early death powerfully 

 influenced my whole life, and "another, not a sister," who 

 died 18 years ago. For that 18 years I have not once even 

 seen in print that name, which is not written here on this 

 page, without more or less of a thrill. If you don't look 

 out, Mr. Roe, I shall be hauling you up before the bar 

 charged with cruelty. 



Mrs. H.'s costume was pretty. Bridal costumes are apt 

 to be pretty — also preposterous. We might consent that a 

 dress to be worn only once in a lifetime might be prepos- 

 terous were not the " critters " so much inclined to have all 

 their other costumes preposterous, too. Just think once 

 what feminine costumes might get to be if not redeemed by 

 the saving grace of brotherly criticism. 



PACKING-CASES FOR BEES. 



How many are the styles that even so simple a thing as 

 a packing-case is capable of ! Not long ago we had one 

 designed to go through winter without any packing. Now 

 we have one to be left out all summer after packing is taken 

 out. This one also is made to move at two lifts, by ripping 

 the lower 12 inches separate. Nice to obviate the need of a 

 hive-cover — providing, that is, that the tar-paper continues 

 impervious all summer. A. J. Kilgore, page 183. 



■ THE BEE-KEKPER WHO WRONGFULLY CROWDS. 



And SO to mitigate our absolute nothing but talk, we 

 have one State society that will not take as a member a 

 bee-keeper who wrongfully crowds upon a previous apiary. 

 Not bad for a beginning at discipline — and let Idaho have 

 the honor due. Page 196. 



"CONSECUTIVE POLYGMAY." 



Sorry to see " consecutive polygamy " getting started 

 among our bee-editors. Willing to hope that there may be 

 mitigating considerations in the case not visible to a casual 

 glance. Page 196. 



" The Hum of the Bees in the Apple-Tree Bloom " is 

 the name of the finest bee-keeper's song — words by Hon- 

 Eugene Secor and music by Dr. C. C. Miller. This is 

 thought by some to be the best bee-song yet written by Mr. 

 Secor and Dr. Miller. It is, indeed, a " hummer." We can 

 furnish a single copy of it postpaid, for 10 cents, or 3 copies 

 for 25 cents. Or, we will mail a half-dozen copies of it for 

 sending us one new yearly subscription to the American 

 Bee Journal at fl.OO. 



