68 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Jan. 29, 1903. 



remarked: '* In cream you get a more val- 

 uable substance, because ordinary cream con- 

 tains more than .50 percent of fat, and butter fat 

 ie as easily digested and absorbed as the fat 

 of cod-liver oil, besides being much more 

 palatable and considerably cheaper. 



The lecturer also spoke highly of the value 

 of chocolate and Everton coffee, because in 

 both you get a combination of fat and sugar 

 without water. Unfortunately it is diflicult 

 to make people believe in the great value of a 

 diet within their reach. They will turn away 

 from such commonplace things as milk and 

 eggs, and go to any amount of trouble to pro- 

 cure costly preparations having only a tithe 

 of their value as food. The lecturer's good 

 opinion of cream, honey, chocolate, and cof- 

 fee will be received with enthusiasm by the 

 rising generation, it not by their elders. 



It Is gratifying to see that the medical pro- 

 fession are assigning to honey the important 

 place it once occupied as an article of food 

 and medicine. It certainly does not seem that 

 the inclination to gag on the part of the 

 patient aids in the assimilation of cod-liver 

 oil, and it something at less cost can be sub- 

 stituted tor it, at the same time substituting 

 a pleasurable sensation for the gagging, com- 

 mon-sense would approve the substitution. 



And the same common-sense would ap- 

 prove the substitution of honey for malt ex- 

 tract, however highly the latter may be es- 

 teemed, if the honey " is a better source of 

 sugar " at one-fourth the cost. 



May the tribe of Dr. Hutchinson increase ! 



^ YVeekly Budget. I 



Mr. Morlet Pettit, who was present at 

 the Chicago-Northwestern convention, has 

 begun a report of that convention in the Cana- 

 dian Bee Journal, which shows that Mr. 

 Pettit has his observer and his condenser both 

 in good working order. 



The Death op Rambler— John H. Martin. | 

 —The following we take from Gleanings in 

 Bee-Culture for Jan. 15: 



THE RAMBLER SICK IN CUBA. 



Mr. J. H. Martin, better known as " The 

 Rambler," has been very sick with fever; but 

 from the last account he was on the mend. 

 He is getting to be pretty well advanced in 

 life, reaching (33 last December ; and the last 

 time I saw him (in California) I could see 

 that age was beginning to tell on him. He 

 has been working hard in Cuba, securing a 

 crop of honey, and we trust he will now save 

 his strength sufliciently so we shall have the 

 opportunity to enjoy again his good-natured 

 chats. 



Later, Jan. 13. — The sad news has just 

 been cabled us by our Manager, Mr. de Beche, 

 that Mr. Martin is dead. Of course, there 

 ■*ere no particulars ; but the run of the fever 

 was evidently too much for him, and the end 

 came all too unexpectedly. 



Rambler's hosts of friends will sincerely 

 regret to learn of his death. We hope to be 



able soon to give a picture of him and some 

 biographical notes in these columns. 



The Apiary of V. H. Fisher appears on 

 the first page. When sending the engraving, 

 Jan. 17, he wrote as follows: 



I started in the bee-business in 1894, with 

 one colony, and now have nearly 50, besides 

 having sold a number. 



The picture does not show all the hives. 

 The building is a honey-house, for storage of 

 honey, hives, supers, extractor, tools, etc. 



A folding bee-tent is also shown, piles of 

 supers, and a solar wax-extractor near me, 

 when I was holding a large frame of honey. 



The hives are all improved 10-frame Lang- 

 stroth, made by myself, as I am a carpenter by 

 trade, and a manufacturer of hives in a small 

 way, putting in all my spare time in winter 

 and rainy days in the shop making them. 



I have a 3-hor,se- power gasoline engine saw- 

 ing machine, and other wood-workiqg machin- 

 ery in the shop. I make an improved gable 

 cover for hives, which is first-class. If kept 

 thoroughly painted on both sides it does not 

 warp, check, or leak. 



The latter part of the past season was first- 

 class for honey (too wet early) ; I had supers 

 fairly well filled that were put on Sept. 13 and 

 14. This was eight or ten days later than I 

 have ever put on supers, and the sections were 

 filled. I obtained about a ton and a half of 

 comb and extracted honey from 30 colonies, 

 spring count. 



The prospects seem good for the coming 

 season, as the bees went into winter quarters 

 in good shape, with plenty of stores. Every- 

 thing points to early swarms. 



V. H. Fisher. 



Report of the Ontario Bee-Keepers' Convention, 



Held at Barre, Ont., Canada, Dec. 16, 17 



and 18, 1902. 



REPORTED BY MORLEY PETTIT. 



(Continued from page S4.) 

 WEDNESDAY — Morning Session. 



PRODUCTION AND MARKETING OF EXTRACTED 

 HONEY. 



The subject assigned me by the committee is not one 

 which I would have chosen, but as so much has been said in 

 the past, and that by men of wider experience and a more 

 thorough knowledge of the business, it might not be amiss 

 for me to touch on some points which might raise a discus- 

 sion, and in that way be of more service than would a 

 lengthy essay, no matter how well put together. 



First, in the production of honey, it is conceded we 

 must have the bees to start with. Then we must have the 

 man, and as neither one can produce extracted honey with- 

 out the other, I would say the man is of far more impor- 

 tance than the bees. A first-class man will do far more 

 with an apiary of inferior bees than could a useless man 

 with the same number of colonies of the best strain of bees ; 

 and both together can not produce honey if there is no nec- 

 tar to be gathered, as many of us have found to our disap- 

 pointment. Granted all these conditious are favorable, 

 what then ? 



First, we should aim to produce an article which will 

 sell itself, if possible to do so. 



Second, produce as much of it as possible. Quality first, 

 quantity second, every time. What is " quality ?" Flavor 

 first, always ; then body and color, or color and body, as 



circumstances require. This for the home market. For 

 shipping purposes I would put color first in quality, flavor 

 second, and body third. Why the difference ? For ship- 

 ping purposes honey must be attractive and catch the eye, 

 and there is a pretty general idea abroad that lightness in 

 color is a sure indication of superior quality, and we must 

 please the eye. Now, if we can combine the richest flavor 

 and firmest body with the lightest color — almost or quite 

 water-white, if you wish — we will have the ideal honey. In 

 actual practice, how many get that ? You who have been 

 selling honey of different shades direct to consumers may 

 answer that question. Why should not a fine-flavored 

 honey, which is a rich straw-color, or an amber color, stand 

 ahead of a water-white which is lacking in flavor? 



Question : How can we secure the highest flavor with 

 the lightest-colored honey every time ? Localities differ. 

 Seasons differ in the same locality, and so does the flora in 

 the same locality. Pure clover honey differs in shade in 

 the same locality in different years, and so does it differ in 

 different localities in the same year. Why is this 7 How 

 should such honey be graded ? I would say flavor should 

 stand first. Allowing honey to be well ripened in the hive 

 gives a finer, firmer body. Does it give a richer flavor ? I 

 think it does. 



Second, the marketing. This is a matter needing our 

 most careful attention. If it is the home market, just show 

 the would-be purchaser some of that first-class honey, and 

 it is sold — at least as much of it as they need for the pres- 

 ent. A word of caution here: Don't sell too much honej' 

 in one house at one time. Let them clean up their dishes 

 every few weeks. A jar of granulated honey on the top 

 shelf of the pantry is not likely to help sell a very fine 

 liquid article which comes to the door. Better let them 

 want honey a few days. Supply a good article at a fair 

 price, and you are tolerably sure of your customers, unless 

 you keep them waiting too long. 



Is the honey to be shipped and sold to strangers ? Well, 

 I give it up. There are commission men — good men and 

 true, at least some of them — perhaps they don't know much 

 about handling honey. Then there are men who are want- 

 ing to buy all the honey in sight, but are not prepared to 

 pay much — there has been such an enormous crop. Ar 

 they any help in marketing our honey ? Then there ar 



