GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



May, 1918 



ri EADS O F GRMI^n PfFROM^QjrDIFFE RENT FIELDS 



the flowers. At first thought it might seem 

 possible that the young bees from the old 

 hive might carry the disease to the new 

 hive; but apparently they carry no honey 

 with them, for we have yet to learn of their 

 spreading the disease in this way. 



Sugar Beets Having recently re- 



fer Producing ceived quite a num- 



Bee Feed. ber of inquiries con- 



cerning the advisabil- 

 ity of beekeepers raising beets to obtain 

 syrup for feeding the bees, we referred the 

 matter to the Ohio Agricultural Experiment 

 Station. From the reply by Chas. E. Thome, 

 we quote the following: 



' ' The information we have respecting the 

 making of syrup from the sugar beet leaves 

 us in doubt as to whether it is practicable 

 to make an acceptable syrup in a small way. 

 It is true that Farmers' Bulletin 823 of the 

 U. S. Department of Agriculture, claims that 

 this may be done, but I doubt whether the 

 author of that Bulletin has had practical 

 experience in the matter. The literature on 

 this subject in our library indicates that the 

 syrup will have an objectionable flavor 

 which cannot be avoided without some 

 chemical treatment. 



' ' Our chemist, Mr. Ames, has had con- 

 siderable experience in the testing of beets 

 for sugar, in which the juice was extracted 

 and evaporated in a small way, and h© has 

 found this disagreeable flavor very persist 

 out. I am quite sure that the method of 



boiling down the syrup described in the 

 Bulletin referred to would result in a tarry 

 product, "vhich would be unusable." 



It may readily be seen that if the beet 

 syrup contains gums, this would preclude 

 its extensive use as a bee feed. Moreover, 

 we have always felt that the place for the 

 beekeeper to raise sweets is right in his 

 beehives. Let us concentrate our energies 

 where they will bring most paying results. 



«$= 



Defends Comb- 

 Honey Production. 



Perhaps you wi'.l re- 

 member that not long 

 ago the Government 

 Avas advocating the production of comb hon- 

 ey. In 1909 I changed and have been pro- 

 ducing extracted honey ever since. 



I don 't think you have looked ahead or 

 you would not be quite so emphatic. I haj)- 

 pen to be acquainted with all these men, 

 menbers of the Jefferson and St. Lawrence 

 Couiity (N. Y.) Beekeepers' Association, 

 quoted by Mr. Holtermann in March Glean- 

 ings, and I know that if they changed from 

 comb honey to extracted, it would not be 

 very long before they would not have a 

 colony of bees. Do you ask the reason'? 

 Because they would takq all the honey and 

 not feed the bees. I find it is more work 

 than anything else to see that the colonies 

 run for extracted honey do not starve. As a 

 rule we do not have much of a fall flow; and 

 if they are not fed with combs of honey or 

 .sugar syrup, they will starve before .January. 



Wrong again. At the present price of 



Apiary of Geo. B. Howe, Black Uiver, N. Y. 



