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THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



could be a staple, it turns out that I was cor- 

 rect, although the truth was not the most 

 acceptable to my co-laborers. To following 

 what seemed to be bold facts, rattier than 

 pleasant theories, do I credit much of my 

 success as a honey producer. If "oil- 

 finished " facts are against me, the sooner I 

 "know and own and feel it," the better I 

 can meet them and offset their pernicious 

 influence. Nothing has so damaged our 

 pursuit, and so injured its followers, as the 

 writings of those who wrote themselves to 

 fame by writing UP the business rather than 

 telling the plain truth about it. " How I 

 secured 200 lbs. surplus per colony," and 

 "How I sold my entire crop (which was 

 probably about 30 lbs.) of honey, for 40 cents 

 per lb.," and all such slush, most of which 

 was more or less fabulous, has worked great 

 Injury to the business and its devotees. 



As to helping out by adopting other busi- 

 ness, do this only when this other business is 

 to be the side-issue, and apiculture still the 

 specialty. You know that I can devote side 

 attention to electricity, and on that subject 

 give my advice to our paid manager and 

 draw my dividends; advise and direct my 

 hired editor and make my paper pay, but all 

 this time bees and their product is my main 

 work and line of thought, and wherever you 

 learn that apiculture has become a side 

 issue with me or anyone else, you may surely 

 look for another departure from the business. 

 Our calling is one which is in no fixed 

 groove, and one which will not bear our de- 

 sertion from all its details. You say what I 

 have many times said, in articles in past bee 

 journals, and which I have not the time to 

 look up now, that we must look to short-cut 

 plans, methods, devices, and implements, 

 and you very correctly place first importance 

 on the hive. Most hives are good for bees, 

 but few are fit for bee kee23ers who hope to 

 produce honey at a profit at present and 

 probable future prices. 



Don't worry about adulteration, for no 

 bee keeper who can produce honey at a 

 profit at present prices can afford to adulter- 

 ate ; he can and must produce the pure arti- 

 cle at less cost. The adulterations of city 

 dealers have never harmed us at all. Neither 

 consumers or expert chemists have been able 

 to tell the" straight from the mixed article. 

 A northern Michigan bee keeper was prose- 

 cuted for selling adulterated honey, because 

 the stuff was so high colored and pungent. 

 But it turned out to be pure and the innocent 



bee keeper was acquitted of crime, but con- 

 victed of trouble and lawyer's fees. Chas. 

 F. Muth's honey was adulterated because he 

 lived in a big city, said the chemists at 

 Washington, but we know Mr. Muth, and all 

 know, and still know better. Most of the 

 adulterators of the past have concocted a 

 wholesome and attractive article, attractive 

 both in appearance and taste, and pushed its 

 sale with a vigor which more than made up 

 for the increase in quantity, so far as dam- 

 aging our interests is concerned. Nearly all 

 that work is past, and the first big crop we 

 bee keepers get will end all that is left. 

 The recent short crops may have caused 

 some city dealers to stretch out their stock 

 of honey by the mixture of sugar or glucose 

 in order to supply a demand previously 

 worked up when honey was more plentiful, 

 and it is directly to our interest that such 

 demand should be kept supplied to keep it 

 alive and growing. The few samples of 

 these mixed goods which I have seen have 

 been fine, and not by the quality did I sus- 

 pect they were not pure honey of fine quali- 

 ty, and I can truthfully tell you I am a judge 

 of honey. I have had every opportunity to 

 become such. But some will say that we 

 should fight glucose on the grounds of its 

 not being a wholesome diet. I don't believe 

 it is unwholesome, but if you think so, and 

 desire to become a philanthropist and mar- 

 tyr, go for it where it is used one hundred 

 tunes more than with honey, in cane syrnps 

 and confections. In these it must be making 

 terriffic ravages upon human life. Attack it 

 there and save j^rejudice against our product. 

 There are lots of other points pertinent to 

 this well selected topic, but this essay is long ■ 

 enough. 

 DowAGiAO, Mich., Nov. 21, 1892. 



[Let no one imagine our Dowagiac friend 

 is defending adulteration. As I understand 

 him, he thinks that adulteration has done 

 bee keepers no harm, while the everlasting 

 talk about the matter has done harm. In 

 my opinion it would be better if honey had 

 never been adulterated, but most of the 

 methods that have been used to stop it have 

 simply called the attention of the public to 

 the matter without stopping it. This is cer- 

 tainly poor policy. This subject was once 

 quite thoroughly discussed in the Review, 

 but if any one wishes to show where Mr. 

 Heddon is at fault, its columns are open.— 

 Ed.] 



