206 



THE AMERICAN ME-KHEPeS. 



December 



Keeper wrapper was insured against 

 turning red for a year or so to come; 

 whereupon we sent a copy of the photo 

 to him with a request that he favor our 

 readers with an account of his experi- 

 ence with, and opinion of plain sec- 

 tions, which was promptly granted. 

 Accompanying the article, published in 

 this number of The Bee-Keeper, was 

 the following note: 



"Editor Hill: — Regarding the honey 

 sold to Barnsdall & Co., I would say: 

 That in the plain sections was stored 

 by strong, young colonies, made up of 

 two or more swarms, while that in old- 

 style sections was from old colonies, 

 most of which had swarmed; which ac- 

 counts for the difference. I have some 

 fancy honey in old-style sections quite 

 equal to any in the plain ones. 

 "Fraternally yours, 



"M. L. MAIN." 



The American Bee-Keeper is always 

 and emphatically in favor of progres- 

 sion, but progression does not consist 

 in adopting every new idea that is pre- 

 sented. If we are favorably impressed 

 with any new idea, it is well to deter- 

 mine its merits by personal test on a 

 small scale and with due discretion. It 

 is often well to do likewise in cases 

 which do not commend themselves fa- 

 vorably to our judgement. 



USING BARRELS FOR HONEY. 



The American Bee- Journal has lon^ 

 been emphatic in its condemnation of 

 wooden packages for honey, and in a 

 recent issue expresses surprise that any 

 bee-keeper should persist in using bar- 

 rels for extracted honey. The chief ob- 

 jections, as seen by the Journal, are 

 that the barrels absorb a large amoun*^ 

 of the honey. They are unwieldy to 

 handle, as compared with the sixty- 

 pound can, and the inconvenience of 

 liquifying when the contents become 

 granulated. 



In cases where the original package 

 is used to retail from, the latter ob- 

 jection is well founded; but as ex- 



tracted honey is rarely retailed in bulk, 

 this is really unimportant, as it appears 

 to us. As to the great amount of honey 

 soaked up by the wood, there is no 

 necessity for this loss where barrels are 

 properly prepared, by waxing thor- 

 oughly, before filling. 



One very good reason why some bee- 

 keepers continue the use of barrels, is 

 that a saving of 25 to 35 per cent, 

 in cost of packages is too important 

 to yield. And a large crop of honey is 

 handled much easier in barrels than in 

 square cases, and the wooden package 

 will not "rust out," as cans are apt to 

 do if kept near the sea coast. 



The can has its advantages; but, "the 

 time when barrels will be generally 

 condemned," which the Journal hopes 

 soon to see, we think will not be seen 

 by the present generation. 



Do you want a good agricultural 

 journal to visit your home every we«k 

 during the coming year, and the month- 

 ly American Bee-Keeper also, for $1? 

 If so send us the dollar at once and 

 begin with the new year. The Modern 

 Farmer and Busy Bee and The Ameri- 

 can Bee-Keeper for 1899, both for the 

 price of the former. 



QUALITY OF SOUTHERN HONEY. 



Gleanings for Nov. 15 replies to our 

 editorial on this subject thus: 



"The editor of The American Bee- 

 Keeper protests (and rightly too) 

 against the statement wherein I am 

 made to say in the report of the Omaha 

 convention, that 'Southern honey has a 

 strong ilavor which is liked by some.' 

 Of course, there are always chances for 

 inaccuracies in reports; and while the 

 reporter look my rambling remarks 

 with ordinary accuracy, he made me 

 say some things that I did not intend 

 to say. What I actually said, or at least 

 thought I said, was that some Southern 

 honey has a strong flavor. 



"In the general discussion, we were 

 talking about the peculiar flavors of 

 different honeys, and why some pre- 

 ferred a kind of honey that another 

 disliked. I mentioned the fact that 



