202 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mar. 



but little or no honey in it. It has this advantage- 

 it causes no robbing, and our own bees take it up 

 so quickly that the neighbors" bees don't get much; 

 and what they do get they will need, and it will do 

 them good. I think many of the ways of feeding 

 in the hives waste more than we lose in feeding 

 out of doors, especially the butter-dish feeders and 

 inverted tin cans, and the loss of heat to the bees, 

 and loss of time in feeding. We have fed that way 

 what we were obliged to feed for several years, and 

 like it better than the other way mentioned. But 

 we don't like to feed bees at all— rather they would 

 keep enough of their own honey. 

 Roseville, 111., Mar. 1. Mrs. L. C. Axtell. 



Thank you, Mrs. A. When 1 spoke of 

 leaving the sections on until the weather 

 was cool, I did not think of your fall honey. 

 We are exceedingly glad lo hear of your 

 good report last season ; but as you did not 

 tell us how many colonies you have, we are 

 at a loss to know what the general average 

 per colony was. — I confess I never thought 

 of getting bees to take sorghum before, by 

 first starting them on some containing part 

 honey ; but since you mention it, from what 

 I know of the habits of bees 1 can readily 

 understand how it would work. Outdoor 

 feeding does certainly come nearer natural 

 stores than any other way ; but with us it is 

 very apt to start up quite an excitement, 

 and get the neighbors' bees as well as our 

 own in the habit of hanging around ; and 

 our final decision was, as you say, that we 

 preferred to dispense with feeding in any 

 shape or manner, if it could be avoided. In 

 your next, will you tell us how far off you 

 placed the feedmg-trough— that is, how far 

 from the hiv^sV 



THE BEST BEES FOK BUSINESS. 



HINTS ON MARKETING HONEY. 



While the pure Italian, the Carniolan, the Cypri- 

 an, and the Syrio-Italian, each has its advocates, I 

 maintain that the bee for business is to come ex- 

 clusively from neither race nor necessarily from 

 any cross of any two races; on the other hand, our 

 coming bees may be the progeny of any queen, 

 from the most esthetic " four-banded orange-color- 

 ed Italian" to the lowest plebeian-bred black 

 queen. 



Mr. A. says that, by many years of careful breed- 

 ing, a wise selection of progenitors on both sides, 

 observing every precaution necessary to the high- 

 est development of a particular race or cross, he 

 has obtained a generation of workers unequaled 

 for their business qualiflcations. Mr. B. maintains 

 that, while he believes in a judicious, scientific cul- 

 tivation, he can not be convinced that any race of 

 bees can be perfected as a whole, every bad quality 

 being entirely eliminated; his observation and ex- 

 perience proving satisfactoiily that, in every apia- 

 ry, there are apt to be non-paying colonies. Do we 

 not observe this same condition in all animal life? 

 However carefully bred, individuals will have their 

 weaknesses. Perfection will not come to the race 

 in its entirety. Weaknesses will continually crop 

 out. The horse, the mule, the cow, all domestic 

 animals, are illu.strations of this philosophy. 



In my apiary of 6'J colonies I have a hybrid colo- 

 ny that is worth any two Italian or Carniolan colo- 



nies in the yard, and I have as fine specimens of 

 these races as can be found. The industry of this 

 particular colony is so remarkable that they really 

 seem to gather honey when there is none to be had 

 in the neighborhood— at least they do so when all 

 others are nearlj' at rest ; but when you go to cap- 

 ture their " honeyed sweets," make discretion the 

 better part of valor, and get your armor on ! 



I'p to the summer of 1888 I had a thoroughbred 

 black colony that 1 would not have exchanged for 

 any Syrio-Italians. I was able to breed a la Cook. 

 This queen kept her colony strong in bees for five 

 years, wintering always in a two-story L. hive as 

 they stood on their summer stand, without any 

 winter protection whatever. Last season she was 

 superseded by a queen that I now intend to re- 

 move on account of her weaknesses; hence I be- 

 lieve that individual colonies of any race may be 

 better than any race as a whole; that we can not 

 breed out the bad qualities of any particular race 

 and replace them by the good of all other races, 

 any more than can we unite the individual good 

 qualities of all races of men, forming one perfect 

 man. 



In conclusion, I will say that, were 1 to select a 

 few colonies from several apiaries of different 

 races, my judgment should not be biased by race 

 or color, but made wholly upon their " previous 

 servitude." 



MARKETING EXTRACTED HONEY. 



Making a rough guess, I would say that I have 

 had more extensive experience in selling the above 

 commodity personally to and talking with retail 

 grocers concerning it, then perhaps any other bee- 

 keeper. My time not occupied in apiary or school- 

 room is spent " on the road," traversing four States 

 in part, talking "my lile out," nearly, on honey, 

 with hundreds of grocers from village to city. I 

 give you what I have gleaned below in conclusions, 

 not occupying space in detailing my reasons, un- 

 less you care for my views in another article. 



1. Extracted houej' should neocr be sold in )cO(id- 

 en packages. 



3. The bulk of extracted honey in grocers' hands 

 should be in Root's 60 lb cans with gates. 



2. Candied extracted honey is sjJeable only when 

 the dealer thoroughly understands it, and has the 

 confidence of his customers. 



4. Nothing should ever be added to destroy its 

 tendency to candy. I can produce knock-down ar- 

 guments to substantiate this. 



5. Honey liable to candy should not be left with a 

 grocer who doesn't understand this, can not ex- 

 plain it, or knows not how to remedy it. 



6. Only the very best honey that will not candy 

 (isn't granulate better nomenclature?) should be 

 put into sealed packages. 



7. The great bulk of our honey must be sold with 

 " no charge for package," directly or indirectly. 



HONEY FOR DYSPEPTICS. 



I have just noticed what Chas. Dadant says on 

 page 130: "Dyspeptics can not eat honey without 

 increasing their distress." I have customers who 

 take it for dyspepsia, and I am in the habit of say- 

 ing of well-ripened thick honey, " If this makes you 

 sick, I'll pay the doctor's bill," recommending it for 

 weak stomachs. I myself have a bad caeeof indi- 

 gestion, and I eat honey in season three times a 

 day, and lick my fingers between times. 



St. Albans, W. Va., Mar. 3. J. C. Capehart. 



Friend C, I think I pretty nearly agree 



