314 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



honey to make one poi;nd of wax, but 

 can store that twenty-one pounds in the 

 extracting combs to be extracted. Of 

 course, you will say the extracting combs 

 had to be made; yes, but when once made 

 they may be used for a life time, while 

 the comb for producing comb honey has 

 to be built every year. We are using 

 combs in our apiaries that are at least 

 twenty-five years old, and I do not see 

 but what they are good for another 

 twenty -five years. The idea of old combs 

 discoloring the honey is more of a theory 

 than anything else. In my opinion a 

 colony can make two pounds of extracted 

 honey to one of comb. When fancy 

 com^" sells for 15 to 16 cents, extracted 

 sells for 8 tog cents (these are the prices 

 at time of writing). A good average for 

 an average colony in an average season is 

 100 pounds, and on the basis of two to 

 one, all things being equal, the comb 

 honey colony would produce only fifty 

 pounds. The difference in quantity pro- 

 duced and the difference in prices would 

 make a net income of one dollar more per 

 colony if managed for extracted hone\'. 

 To procure a crop of fancy comb honey 

 everything must be favorable. The col- 

 ony must be in the proper condition, the 

 season right, and the honey flow right; 

 whereas, if the honey flow is short, and 

 we get only a little honey in the extract- 

 ing combs, that which we have is in a 

 marketable shape with no losses. 



In preparing for a crop of honey, either 

 extracted or comb, it must be the apia- 

 rist's highest aim to secure the greatest 

 number of workers for the honey flow; 

 these may be secured by having abun- 

 dant food for spring stimulation, good 

 young queens and plenty of room for the 

 queen, so brood rearing may always be in 

 progress. One must always be on the 

 alert that the bees have room for work at 

 all times; as myrids of workers idle 

 mean heavj' losses in quantity of honey 

 obtained, hence losses in profits. 



Although it costs a little to provide 

 each colony in the apiary with a queen 

 excluder it is more profitable, as time is 



saved in extracting full combs of honey 

 instead of partly filled ones, containing 

 honey and brood. Then, too, the honey 

 extracted from full combs, well sealed, 

 presents a more palatable appearance 

 than honey extracted from combs with 

 unsealed brood, having in the extractor 

 honey and "those worms" together, as 

 the larvte are sometimes spoken of by 

 those who visit the apiarj'; and we as 

 apiarists should strive to have the honey 

 house, extractor and Everything about, 

 as clean and tidy as possible, thus mak- 

 ing the honey more appetizing; as it is 

 our business to educate people to eat hon- 

 ey; especially when we keep bees, with 

 the view of producing honey for sale. 

 The honey should be ripened upon the 

 hives, for it to have the best flavors. 

 Pick an apple before it is ripe aud the 

 flavor is lost; extract honey before it is 

 ripe and the best flavors are lost. Then 

 let us ripen the honey on the hives as the 

 best quality always brings the best prices. 

 Richland Center, Wis., 

 Mar. 15, 1900. 



RODUCING EXTRACTED 

 HONEY AT A GOOD TROFIT. 

 BY H, P. MINER. 



To the question: Is bee-keep- 

 ing a safe and profitable investment, or 

 can one expect a fair living from it, if 

 rio^hily pursued ? 



I most emphatically sayjir^.' If a per- 

 son has a liking for the business, is in- 

 dustrious, not afraid of work or stings, 

 has push, energy and good sound "hoss 

 sense," he cannot find any rural pursuit 

 that will bring him more income for the 

 capital invested or time spent than will 

 bee-keeping; supposing, of course, that 

 the apiary is situated in a locality where 

 honey producing flowers exist. 



Perhaps it may be well for me to say 

 that it has been only eleven years since I 

 first had an attack of bee fever, and ten 

 years since the first bees were purchased; 



