THE BEE-KEEPERS* REVIfiW 



113 



Your statement that a majority of the 

 extensive bee keepers are engaged in the 

 production of extracted honey, and that 

 their ranks are being continually swelled 

 by deserters from the ranks of comb 

 honey producers, reveals a condition that 

 is deplorable in the extreme. 



When a powerful and influential bee 

 journal comes out with flaming editorials, 

 setting forth in glowing terms the fact 

 that m.ore money can be made by "keep- 

 ing more bees," and producing extracted 

 honey, its editor throwing his strong 

 personality and irresistible eloquence 

 into the scale as only the editor of the 

 Review can do, it is not to be wondered 

 at that the poor comb honey producer, 

 who has become almost discouraged in 

 trying to solve the problem of swarm- 

 control, allows the prospect of present 

 gain to blind his eyes to the glory of 

 future achievements along the lines of 

 solving knotty problems that obstruct all 

 the avenues that lead to successful comb 

 honey production on a large scale, and 

 looks with tirgd eyes, towards the ranks 

 of the enemy upon whose starry banner 

 is written, in letters of gold, "keep more 

 bees and produce extracted honey," 

 wavers, and is lost. 



When such a condition exists in the 

 ranks of bee keepers, the noble structure 

 that was erected as a monument to the 

 founders of comb honey production long 

 ages before the extractor was known, is 

 shaken to its very foundation, and, unless 

 there remains a small remnant of faith- 

 ful ones, it will soon be as Sodom and 

 like unto Gomorrah, and the noble science 

 of comb honey production, its banners 

 trailing in the dust, will be chained in the 

 darkest dungeon, when our beloved pur- 

 suit will be represented by a band of 

 "honey slingers," with little regard for 

 the instincts of bees or the laws by 

 which they may be so easily controlled. 



SWARM-GONTROL THE ONE THING LACKING. 



This whole difficulty lies in the one 

 simple fact of man's inability, with all 

 his boasted wisdom and superior intellect, 



to control the swarming impulse of bees 

 with economy of labor in the production 

 of comb honey, on a large scale. Every 

 bee keeper knows that v^ith this problem 

 once solved, comb honey can be pro- 

 duced cheaper than extracted, and with 

 the difference between the price of these 

 two commodities it is so easy to see 

 which will yield the greater gain. 



The editor's statement that extracted 

 honey production under existing condi- 

 tions is more profitable than comb 

 honey, while true, amounts to but little 

 when weighed in the balance with the 

 possibility, yea, with the certainty, of 

 future gain by solving the problem of 

 perfect control of bees. 



It seems unavoidable that a change 

 should come at this time, from comb 

 honey production, but woe unto him 

 through whom the offence cometh, for 

 such an unnatural condition cannot long 

 exist in an enlightened land. 



THE EXQUISITNESS OF COMB HONEY. 



What is more strikingly artistic, 

 sublimely beautiful, and exquisitely 

 delicious, than a section of white comb 

 honey in its virgin purity, fresh from 

 Nature's laboratory and bearing her seal, 

 which is a sure guarantee of purity, un- 

 contaminated by contact with the many 

 open vessels through which extracted 

 honey must pass ere it reaches the con- 

 sumer's table. Show me the bee keeper 

 who would stand before an enlightened 

 audience and say that extracted honey 

 can take the place of comb honey. The 

 idea is simply ridiculous. 



ARTIFICIALLY RIPENED EXTRACTED HONEY. 



Honey extracted from the comb and 

 ripened in open vessels loses its essential 

 oils by evaporation. All of this flavor 

 is retained in comb honey by Nature's 

 air-tight seals; and such extracted 

 honey can no more be compared with 

 comb honey than can sorghum molasses 

 be compared with extracted honey. 



It is my candid opinion that those who 

 allow the prospect of present gain to en- 



