14 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



calling attention to the importance of 

 "locality," the conditions that prevail in 

 different localities, and the importance of 

 "locality," the conditions that prevail in 

 different localities, and the importance of 

 believing in, and with, Doolittle shout- 

 ing, "hosts of bees when any and all hon- 

 ey flows are on." I had supposed that 

 all intelligent bee-keepers were aware of 

 the importance of having "hosts of bees" 

 when "honey flows are on," but I'm 

 more than pleased to learn that Doolittle 

 is on the "up grade," and that although 

 he may think "unqueening" and "local- 

 ity" cut no figure (?) in the production 

 of honey, he has finally found out that 

 "hosts of bees" are of importance in 

 honey production, and is "shouting" for 

 them. It is said that "large bodies move 

 slowly," and here is an exemplification 

 of the fact; but oh my! when they do get 

 under motion it takes a good deal to stop 

 them; and when they get to going in 

 such a laudable enterprise as "shouting, 

 hosts of bees" etc., we should feel like 

 cheering them on in their upward course. 

 In the Progressive for August, Mr. S. 

 P. Cully says:— 



The locality question has been discuss- 

 ed and discussed upon until it seems to 

 have become a fad or hobby with some 

 writers, and a by-word or joke with 

 others. Still, in spite of exaggeration and 

 belittlement, it has a rank of importance 

 that should be as well and as clearly de- 

 fined as may be understood — especially 

 by the ABC class. Closely related to 

 locality is the variations of the seasons in 

 each locality, and also the gradual changes 

 of conditions brought about by changes 

 in the local flora. It is important, yes, 

 essential to any marked success, that the 

 bee-keeper adopt a system of general 

 management suited to his locality. * * * 

 Surely it would be folly to leave the con- 

 sideration of locality out, or even in the 

 background, when devising or adopting 

 his sj'stem of management. * * In 

 other words, the general system should 

 be devised with reference to the locality, 

 its sources of honey, its probable honey 

 flows, its climate, etc." 



Other prominent honey producers and 

 writers for our bee-journals are just as 

 emphatic regarding locality as is Mr. 



Culley, and to cease to urge this impor- 

 tant element in the production of honey, 

 and shout only for "hosts of bees" would 

 seem to indicate a forgetful ness of a most 

 necessary factor in the success of our 

 specialty. 



It is not wise to take for granted that a 

 person who has made a success in honey 

 production in a locality where the honey 

 flow does not begin till mid-summer, is 

 qualified by experience to tell how to 

 make a success of the same business where 

 the flow, although but light much of the 

 time, begins before the frost is out of the 

 ground in the spring and continues till 

 frost cuts off the supply in the fall. 



Again, in the September Progressive, 

 Mr. Culle}' calls attention to the impor- 

 tance of our environment by saying: — 



The locality in which we have always 

 kept bees has exerted an important in- 

 fluence upon our opinions — has, in fact, 

 formed, shaped and moulded our views * 



* * i> 



Of course, this fact shaped his manage- 

 ment of his apiary, and the same should 

 be true of all bee-keepers. For me to 

 attempt to produce comb honey in my 

 locality, with profit, when compared with 

 extracted honey, would be utter folly, 

 when I can get a fair crop of the latter 

 nearly every season and dispose of it at 

 home for a fair price, when the produc- 

 tion of comb honey would prove a failure 

 in a large majority of seasons. 



FOOD VALUE OF HONEY. 



In thinking over the good that may be 

 done by addresses on bee-keeping in our 

 public schools, as referred to in the be- 

 ginning of this article, I recall the splen- 

 did address of Prof. Wiley, (chief chem- 

 ist for the r. S. Department of Agricul- 

 ture) given at the recent Philadelphia 

 convention of the United States Bee- 

 Keepers' Association as reported in the 

 American Bee Journal for November 23rd, 

 page 741, in which he spoke of the value 

 of honey as food. Prof. Wiley said: — 



While honey may supply the place of 

 starch or butter in the animal economy, 

 it cannot supply the place of protein (that 



