332 FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 



darkest molasses. The flavor of honey varies according to the flower 

 from which it is obtained. It would be impossible to describe in words 

 the flavors of the different honeys. Vou may easily distinguish the odor 

 of a rose from that of a carnation, but you might find it difficult to de- 

 scribe them in words so that a novice smelling them for the first time 

 could tell which was which. But the different flavors in honey are just 

 as distinct as the odors in flowers. Among the light-colored honeys are 

 white clover, linden (or basswood) sage, sweet clover, alfalfa, willow- 

 herb, etc., and among the darker are found heartsease, magnolia (or pop- 

 lar), horse-mint, buckwheat, etc. 



ADULTER.\TION OF HONEY 



In these days of prevailing adulteration, when so often "things are 

 not what they seem," it is a comfort to know that strictly pure honey, both 

 extracted and comb, can still be had and at a reasonable price. The silly 

 stories seen from time to time in the papers about artificial combs being 

 filled with glurose, and deftly sealfd .over with a hot iron, have not the 

 slightest foundation in fact. For years there has been a standing offer 

 by one whose financial responsibility is unquestioned, of $1,000 for a single 

 round of comb honey made without the intervention of bees. The offer 

 remains untaken, and will probably always remain so, for the highest art 

 of man can never compass such delicate workmanship as the skill of the 

 "bees arrom]ilishes. 



Extracted honey, however, is not in<-apable of imitation. Time was 

 when a tumbler on a grocer's shelf labeled honey might contain honey 

 and it might contain glucose. If you were well eno'.igh acquainted with 

 honey you might tell the difference by the taste; otherwise you had to 

 trust to the honesty of the grocer. Always, however, you could be sure 

 of the genuine article by gettina: it from the beekeeper himself. Rut the 

 pure-food laws have changed ail that, and nowadays you may trust that 

 the label correctly represents what is under it. 



CARE OF HONEY WHERE TO KEEP IT 



The average housekeeper will put honey in the cellar for safe-keeping 

 — about the worst place pofsible. Honey readily attracts moisture, and in 

 the cellar extracted honey will become thin, and in time may sour; and 

 with comb honey the case is still worse, for the appearance as well as the 

 quality is changed. The beautiful white surface becomes watery and 

 darkened, drops of water ooze throngh the cappings, and weep over the 

 surface. Instead of keei^ing honey in a jilace moist and cool, keep it dry 

 and warm, even hot. It will not hurt to be in a temjierature of even TOO 

 degrees. Where salt will keep dry is a good place for honey. Few ]ilaces 

 are better than the kitchen cupboard. Up in a hot garret next the roof 

 is a good place, and if it has had enough hot days there through the sum- 

 mer, it will stand the freezing of winter; for under ordinary circumstances 

 freezing cracks the combs, and hastens granulation or candying. 



