41st YEAR. 



CHICAGO, ILL, APRIL 4, 1901. 



No, 14, 



^ Editorial Comments. >k 



Freight-Kate on Comb Honey. — We understand that there 

 is tu ln' an :iM('iiii)t made to raise the freight-rate on comb honej", one 

 railroad company desiring to malte the rating double first-class on comb 

 lioney in boxes with glass fronts, whetlier the glass is exposed or not. 

 The present rating is \]i times 1st class. The proposed raise is " daub- 

 ing it on a little too thick," we think, and the bee-men, the commis- 

 sion men, and the bee-keepers'-supply men should line up and see If 

 something can not be done to prevent such a prohibitory rating. 

 Really, such a rating would well-nigh strangle the honey -business 

 from a shipper's standpoint, especially on long hauls. For instance, 

 the rate from California points to Chicago would be S^e.OO per 100 

 pounds, making it impossible for Western producers to market their 

 comb honey in the Central or Eastern States. Such an advance in 

 freight would injure the bee-men by making their business unprofit- 

 able, the commission men by greatly decreasing consignments, and the 

 supply men, directly, by tending to drive the glass-front shipping- 

 case out of the market; and indirectly by making the honey -business 

 so unprofitable as to greatly curtail the demand for all lines of supplies. 



Of course, the rating of " 1st class " on shipments in close boxes 

 will still remain, but that will be of little value from the fact that 

 honey can not be exposed for sale in such boxes, which would neces- 

 sitate shipping in one kind of a box, and repacking in another kind 

 at destination. 



We consider the proposed move a great injustice to a class of men 

 who deserve better treatment. There should be sent in at once earnest 

 protests from every one interested, as far as possible. Especially can 

 the large commission houses present the matter of injury to shipments 

 in glass-front boxes as compared with that to close packages, and 

 an exhibit of that kind would have considerable weight, especially as 

 it can be shown that the glass-front box is the safer package, on 

 account of the contents being in plain sight, thus insuring safe 

 handling. 



The next meeting of the Western Classification Committee will be 

 held May 7th, at Hotel del Monte, Monterey, Calif., so that petitions 

 and protests against the threatened raise in freight-rate on honey 

 should be forwarded at once to Mr. J. T. Ripley, chairman Western 

 Classification Committee, Room 604 GreatNorthern Bldg., Chicago', 111. 



Eating Honey and Butter. — A Stray Straw in fileanings in 

 Bee-Culture reads thus: " Dr. Fauehet, La Nature says, replaces cod- 

 liver oil with butyroniel, composed of two parts of fresh butter and 

 one part of honey, beaten together. He says it is more readily 

 accepted by children — a thing not hard to believe.'' 



Editor Root then follows with this comment: " I remember my 

 mother used to give me honey and butter when I had a cold. If there 

 is any virtue in such a combination it might be a good idea for us 

 parents to give our children bread and butter and honey, and lots of it. 

 ' Honey and butter shall he eat,' the good Book says, and its advice 

 is always good.'' 



This reminds us that a certaia family of our acquaintance in- 

 formed us recently that they liad eaten more honey than usuivl the 

 past winter, and had been much healthier in eonseiiuence thereof. We 

 haven't the least doubt that if more whole families would consume 

 more honey in their regular daily diet they would all feel much better 

 in every way. 



Granulated .Sugar and t;iucose. — Mr. Thos. \Vm. Cowan, 

 editor of the British Bee Journal, but now residing in California, .sent 

 us the following comnuuiication early in January, but owing to our 

 "deluge," and also moving to our new location, it was overlookt 

 until a week or two ago : 



Editor American Bee Journai. : — On page 810 of the American 

 Bee Journal for 1000, alluding to granulated sugar, Mr. E. E. Hasty 

 endeavors to explain what he thinks I mean when I say " much of the 

 granulated sugar of conmicrce is adulterated with glucose." Altho as 

 a rule I do not notice criticisms, recognizing the right of every one to 

 his opinions, and do not care to be drawn into any controversy re- 

 specting such criticisms, yet in this ease, having a pleasant recollec- 

 tion of a personal visit to and talk with Mr. Hasty, 1 think it is due in 

 courtesy to him to explain that I meant exactly what I said, because 

 glucose is found in commerce both in the liquid and solid state. 



On page 760 (1000) it will be found that, in explaining how glu- 

 cose was made, I said, " The solutions are evaporated to a syrup con- 

 sistency and sent into the market under the names of glucose, corn 

 syrup : or to dryness, the solid product being known in eonunerce as 

 grape-sugar." It is this dry glucose or grape-sugar that is used to 

 adulterate granulated sugar, " the very dry white sugar " which Mr. 

 Hasty alludes to. It is difficult to detect the adulteration by simply 

 looking at the sugar. Raw or brown sugar is similarly adulterated. 

 The presence of glucose when mixt with raw or refined sugars may be 

 generally known by paying attention to the following points: 



1. Sugars mixt with powdered or granulated corn glucose, on 

 solution in water invariably leave white particles of glucose undis- 

 solved. 



3. On submitting a commercial sugar containing glucose to the 

 polariscope test, it will be seen that the reading does not remain con- 

 stant, but gradually becomes less until a point is reacht when the 

 diminution ceases altogether. If the solution is observed immediately 

 after preparation as little as three to five percent of glucose may thus 

 be detected. 



There are other methods of analysis, but they are only suited to 

 the chemist's laboratory, and would not interest your readers. lean 

 assure Mr. Hasty that it is not at all uncommon to find both raw sugar 

 and refined dry granulated sugar adulterated with glucose. 



With respect to pollen in honey, I can only say that in the large 

 number of samples that I have exaniiued, more or less pollen was 

 found in every instance, and the presence of pollen-grains has fre- 

 quently assisted me to determine with accuracy the source of the 

 product. 



If, and when, I have the time and inclination I should like to 

 critici.se Prof. Cook's criticisms of my book, " TheHoney-Bee," but 

 altho I have a persenal regard for him, I do not find that he has 

 adduced anything which would cause me to alter any of my views ex- 

 prest in that book. Yours truly, 



Tnos. Wm. Cowan. 



To Drive Ants I'roni the Lawn.— Fine coal ashes sprinkled 

 about the burrows of ants will cau.se them to leave. Ashes may be 

 used on the lawn without injury to the grass. Sifted ashes are best, 

 but those fresh from the stove, shaken from the stove-shovel, will 

 answer the purpose very well. — April Ladies' Home Journal. 



Shall Bees Be Taxt ? is a question that arises every now and 

 then. Opinions differ. If one were to judge from what appears in 

 the bee-papers on the subject, one would be likely to conclude that the 

 great mass of bee-keepers were of the opinion that bees should not be 

 taxt; because those who hold such opinion have a feeling that they 

 are wronged by such taxation, and one who feels himself wronged is 

 more likely to speak out than one who is satisfied with things as they 

 are. One of the strongest presentations of that side of the case 

 appeared in the Progressive Bee-Kecper under the signature of D. L. 

 Tracy. Mr. Tracy takes the ground that they should not be taxt un- 

 less the tax be refunded in years of failure. In such years an assessor 

 can not fairly value a colony of bees. But he rightly says that such a 

 proviso would lead to great complication ; hence, bees should not be 

 taxt at all. 



Unfortunately this reasoning would apply toother things as well 

 as to bees. A farmer may have a failure of crops, but he is expected 



