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QBORQE W. YORK, Editor. 



CHICAGO, ILL,, SEPT, 15, 1904. 



Vol, XLIV— No, i7. 



c 



Editorial Comments 



] 



The National Convention at 5t. Louis. 



In two weeks the 3Sth annual convention of the National 

 Bee-Keepers' Association will be in session at the Christian 

 Endeavor Hotel in St. Louis. It begins Sept. 27th. It 

 should be the largest meeting of beekeepers ever held in 

 this country. Why not make it a grand reunion ? It's a 

 good thing for those who are engaged in the same line of 

 work to meet and compare experiences. In so doing greater 

 progress can be made by all. 



Better arrange to attend the St. Louis convention, and 

 help to make it a big success. 



Apiarian Exhibits at Fairs. 



These can be made of much interest to the Fair visitors, 

 and of no little profit to those who make the exhibits of 

 bees, honey, and the various implements and methods em- 

 ployed in modern apiculture. It is one of the best ways to 

 aid in educating the public concerning pure honey and its 

 production. And if proper eflforts are put forth with those 

 who manage the Fairs, usually generous premiums will be 

 offered. 



But even if the premiums are not so liberal as they 

 should be, every such opportunity should be embraced by 

 bee-keepers to place before the consumers all the informa- 

 tion possible about beekeeping, and the ways in which pure 

 honey is produced, so that an increased demand may result. 



By all means, bee-keepers should take advantage of the 

 Fair privileges extended to them, and utilize such to the 

 mutual benefit of both themselves and the consuming public. 



The Honey Crop for 1904. 



A final report, or resume of reports, appears in Glean- 

 ings in Bee-Culture for Sept. 1, in the following paragraph : 



Regarding the amount of honey produced this year, the 

 accumulated evidence that has come in from various sources 

 seems to show quite clearly now that the aggregate of 

 honey this season is much less than last. In a way, this 

 may be a blessing in disguise, considering the large amount 

 of comb and extracted honey carried over from last season. 

 If we had had a crop as heavy as last year, the market 

 might have suffered a total collapse from which it might 

 not have entirely recovered. "There is no great loss with- 

 out some small gain " is an old adage that may possibly be 

 true in this case. 



So far as we have been able to learn, although the 

 honey crop is less in quantity this year than last, prices are 



not as yet much if any higher. Here in Chicago the de- 

 mand has hardly begun. But we think a little later it will 

 revive, and that there will be a good call for honey. 



We think it will take a little time to recover from the 

 depressed prices that prevailed last year, when there was 

 such an enormous crop of honey in the central portion of 

 our country. Especially was this felt in Chicago, where 

 the market was fairly flooded with the finest qualities. 

 Still, ordinarily Chicago uses lots of honey, and in a few 

 weeks we believe the demand will be normal again, if not 

 greater than ever before. 



Bogus Comb Honey and the Ladies' Home Journal. 



As a sequel to the paragraph in the June number of the 

 Ladies' Home Journal, mentioned on page 403 of this jour- 

 nal, appears the following in Dr. Walker's department of 

 the September number of the Ladies' Home Journal : 



ATRIFICIAI, PARAFFIN HONEYCOMB. 



Since making the statement in this department in the 

 June Journal concerning paraffin honeycomb, I have re- 

 ceived a number of letters from those interested in the sub- 

 ject challenging my authorities. 



My authorites are these : 



In " Foods : Their Composition and Analysis ", by A. 

 Wynter Blyth, it says: 



" A curiosity of food is a commercial American artificial honey, 

 which is entirely composed of glucose syrup, while the comb is also 

 artificial, and made of paraffin." 



In "Practical Dietetics", by W. Oilman Thompson, 

 M. D., Professor of Medicine in the Cornell University 

 Medical College in New York City, visiting physician to the 

 Presbyterian and Bellevue Hospitals, it says : 



" Artificial honeycombs are now made from paraflin, stamped into 

 cells to imitate the original, which enables the bees to devote more 

 energy to the manufacture of honey and bestow less od the oomhs.'' 



In " Food Analysis", by Leffmann and Beam, it says : 



" A common method of adulteration consists in pouring glucose 

 syrup over honeycomb from which the honey has been drained, and 

 allowing the mixture to stand until it h:is acquired a honey flavor." 



In "The New International Encyclopaedia " for 1903, it 

 says : 



" It is stated that much of the so-called honey which is sold con- 

 tains none of the product gathered by the bee, and Is entirely artificial. 

 Of 66 samples of honey examined by the Massachusetts State Board 

 of Health \a were adulterated with uane-sugar or commercial glucose, 

 or both. One sample contained as high as S8 percent of commercial 

 glucose." 



Notwithstanding these apparent authoritative state- 

 ments, wide inquiry among practical bee-keepers now con- 

 vinces me that paraffin is not used for this purpose, and 

 never has been except in an experimental way. There- 

 fore, the statement made in the June issue was erroneous. 

 What appears to be further evidence of this is the fact that 

 a reward of $1000 for a sample of paraffin comb was offered 

 some years ago, and I understand has never been claimed. 

 I give the above facts so that my former statements may 



