1896. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



835 



crying down Improvements, that they may control the sale of 

 certain fixtures, because every real improvement opens the 

 way for others, and increases the wants of the bee-keeper. If 

 we were using the box-hive we would not have the extractor, 

 comb foundation, bee-escapes, and many other devices that 

 came with the frame hive. 



Adulterated Honey — Some Experiences. 



BT MKS. L.. HAERI80N. 



In the early part of November I saw a man carrying a 

 large tin pail, going in the direction of the front gate. It was 

 rainiug, and I went out on the porch. He said : " I've honey 

 to sell ; but I see |that you have bees, and will not want any." 

 I requested him to let me see his honey. He came to the side of 

 the porch, and I looked down into his pail. It was light col- 

 ored, and had finely-mashed honey-comb floating iu it. When 

 I enquired about his apiary, he gave an evasive answer, and 

 hurriedly departed. 



One of the neighbors purchased some. He carried it in a 

 large tin pail, with a long-handled dipper to dip it out, selling 

 two pounds for a quarter. I think from the appearance and 

 taste that it is a syrup of white sugar, with a small quantity 

 of white comb honey mixed with it. I'm not familiar with 

 glucose — it may be glucose, white sugar syrup, and mashed 

 honey. A lady told me that white sugar settled iu the bottom. 



This man has been doing a good business, selling con- 

 tinually, canvassing the city thoroughly. We have lately 

 been receiving postal cards, enquiring about white comb 

 honey, wanting to have it cut out of the sections, and shipped 

 in a covered tin pail holding three or four gallons. " Send by 

 express," and he " will remit." We have not sent any. 



Persons who buy this mixture will not be likely to buy 

 again, but he will sell a large amount in a city of 60,000 in- 

 habitants. I hear that he has been lowering his price lately, 

 and offering it for 10 cents per pound. Glucose put up in an 

 attractive package, with a small piece of comb honey floating 

 in it, had a big sale one season ; but died so dead that it never 

 resurrected. 



The adulteration of extracted honey has grown to such 

 large proportions that buyers are suspicious of the pure arti- 

 cle. And many believe that comb honey is manufactured by 

 feeding bees glucose. A buyer once came to our apiary, say- 

 ing, "I want to buy some honey; there is plenty of that 

 ' darned' white stuff in the stores, but I want bees' honey." 

 He was furnished it, pure and unadulterated. 



A woman called to get honey for a sick baby. I showed 

 her extracted honey. She shook her head, saying, "The doc- 

 tor said I must get comb honey and render it out, for loose 

 honey is no good." 



The adulteration of honey benefits small bee-keepers, for 

 those who desire pure honey will go where they know bees are 

 kept, to purchase it, and are willing to pay a big price for it. 



Peoria, 111. 



Sweet Clover — Comb Honey Production, Etc. 



BY O. P. MILLER. 



Bees in this locality did fairly well the past season. All 

 the surplus was gathered from white, sweet, and red clover. 

 Linden or basswood lasted only a few days. Sweet clover did 

 well. This year was my first experience with it. It grew 

 seven feet high on rich land, bloomed continually for three 

 months, and the bees worked on it all the time. People that 

 have eaten of my honey say it is the best they have had this 

 year. 



I notice that Mr. Root does not know whether sweet 

 clover will grow on rich land as well as on poor. In this part 

 of the country it grows wherever it gets a chance — the richer 



the ground the ranker the growth, but everybody fights it as 

 a "noxious weed," and fit for nothing. And I had no little 

 fun made of me for the patch I raised, but when it began to 

 bloom, and people went along the road and scented the fra- 

 grance, and stopped to see from where it came — when they 

 heard the roar of the thousands of bees gathering honey — 

 some of them "changed their tune," and began to inquire for 

 some of the seed. There is only two drawbacks to the plant 

 that I know of: the first is, that it blooms only in alternate 

 years, and the second is the large dead stalks left standing on 

 the ground that has been occupied by the plant. The first 

 probably can be remedied, for I know of a section of public 

 highway where the white clover blooms every year, and has 

 for 10 or more years, without missing a single year. 



This is the first year that I have worked for comb honey. 

 I have studied the question considerable, and as extracted 

 honey has been slow sale during the last few years, I con- 

 cluded to try what I could do in the comb honey line, so I run 

 my apiary exclusively for it, and with the exception of a few 

 colonies that wouldn't work, I got along all right, and to my 

 entire satisfaction. My bees had plenty of stores for winter, 

 and I have as fine a quality of comb honey as any one need 

 ask for; and I am better prepared for another year's work 

 than I was last. Further than that I know now that the 

 theory formed by reading in the American Bee Journal and 

 other bee-papers, is correct, speaking on general principles — 

 some bees, you know, like some men, are as stubborn as 

 mules, and won't work to suit you. If I had time and space 

 I'd tell how I had to punish one colony before it would do any- 

 thing. 



During the past summer we captured 12 swarms and set 

 them to work for us and themselves, and we cut only one bee- 

 tree — the others all came to us, entered Into our hives and 

 went to work. One of them filled 40 sections, besides 10 or 

 12 not sealed over, and also "a 10-frame Langstroth hive. 



I read, three or four years ago, about a plan to rear 

 queens that I tried then, and it proved a success. I wished to 

 try it this year, but could find it nowhere, neither in Doolit- 

 tle's book nor in the American Bee Journal, although I have 

 all the volumes for years back. Somebody that knows would 

 confer a great favor on me by giving a description iu the 

 American Bee Journal before another year. I'd like to rear 

 a few queens so that I can put Italian queens in the stray 

 swarms that come to me. The plan was like this, except that 

 I have forgotten some of the essential points : 



Remove the queen, and in a given time all the cells 

 started and unsealed brood, then in a short time give them a 

 frame of unsealed brood and eggs. I had splendid success 

 with this plan once, but missed it slick and clean this year. 



Guthrie Co., Iowa. 



A New Binder for holding a year's numbers of the 



American Bee Journal, we propose to mail, postpaid, to every 



subscriber who sends us 20 cents. It is called "The Wood 



Binder," is patented, and is an entirely new and very simple 



arrangement. Pull printed directions accompany each Binder. 



Every reader should get it, and preserve the copies of the Bee 



Journal as fast as they are received. They are invaluable for 



reference, and at the low price of the Binder you can afford to 



get it yearly. 



*-.-♦ 



Xlie Kfames and Addresses of all your bee- 

 friends, who are not now taking the Bee Journal, are wanted 

 at this office. Send them in, please, when sample copies will 

 be mailed to them. Then you can secure their subscriptions, 

 and earn some of the premiums we have offered. The 

 next few months will be just the time to easily get new sub- 

 scribers. Try it earnestly, at least. 



Every Present Subscriber of the Bee Journal 

 should be an agent for it, and get all others possible to sub- 

 scribe for it. See offer on page 845. 



