AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



105 



Topics or Interest. 



MoreAlioiittlieWlniofCoiiilj-Honey. 



M. M. BALDRIDGE. 



The two-page communication of Byron 

 Walker, in the last issue of the Bee 

 Journal for 1891, is as good proof as 

 I desire that he does not wish, as I an- 

 ticipated, to buy comb-lioney of any 

 grade at 25 cents per pound at whole- 

 sale. Also, that when Mr. W. wishes to 

 buy honey, as indicated, he knows 

 enough, and will find plenty of time, to 

 say so, and without any aid from others! 

 The main trouble with Mr. W. is, as 

 I surmised, he does not like the instruc- 

 tions for grading honey as adopted by 

 Northwestern convention, especially for 

 first grade. And why ? Mainly because 

 a large percentage of what has in the 

 past been classified as first grade comb- 

 • honey, by dealers and producers would 

 have to go into some other grade. Now, 

 this is one of the reasons why those in- 

 structions were prepared as adopted. 

 The intention was to stimulate bee- 

 keepers to produce as much first grade 

 honey as possible, and to protect them in 

 so doing. And this is at it should be. 

 There are some who seem to think the 

 instructions for first grade are too 

 ''superfine." But all should bear this 

 fact in mind, namely, that words mean 

 something— that first grade does not and 

 should not mean second grade nor third 

 grade— that it means "fancy," "pre- 

 mium," "gilt edge," etc., the same as in 

 grain. Please examine the Chicago 

 market reports on grain, and notice how 

 seldom any sales are reported for first 

 grade corn, wheat or oats. When comb- 

 honey is graded by as strict rules as 

 grain, fancy poultry, and dairy products, 

 and the fact becomes known, then the 

 first grade will command a fancy price, 

 say 20 cents per pound wholesale, and 

 ^5 cents to 30 cents at retail— no mat- 

 ter what the other grades may sell at. 

 And why ? Because there is always a 

 class of consumers who are both able 

 and willing to pay a fancy price for 

 first-class goods, and honey, as the 

 writer happens to know from experience, 

 IS no exception. 



Comb-honey of the second grade 

 Should also be good honey— good enough 

 for general consumption, and shonld 

 command as high a price at wholesale or 

 retail as what is now sold as " choice " 

 or "fancy," for, in fact, if honestly 



graded as per instructions* it will aver- 

 age as well and perhaps better in gen- 

 eral appearance. 



I was in hopes that Mr. W., in his 

 reply, would copy the instructions in 

 each grade, and then analyze them sep- 

 arately, and point out their defects, if 

 any. Perhaps he thinks he has done so 

 in substance. 



By this time Mr. W. may be prepared 

 to give instructions for grading comb- 

 honey that will be more satisfactory 

 than those adopted by the convention. 

 If so, I hope he will send them along for 

 publication, so others can see what they 

 are. 



St. Charles, Ills., Jan. 11, 1892. 



Loni-Toniuefl Bees for Eei Cloirer. 



FRANK COVERDALE. 



It has been of much importance to me 

 whether or not we have a strain or a 

 single colony of bees that can reach the 

 abundant quantity of nectar that red 

 clover contains each season. In the 

 year 1886 there was a great honey-flow 

 from all nectar-yielding sources through 

 this territory, and red clover was no 

 exception, and even the first growth was 

 rich in sweet. 



O, how I did long for that honey-bee 

 that could reach the wasting nectar ! 

 Some of the Italian bees could just dip 

 the utmost point of their deficient 

 proboscis only to succeed in reaching it 

 here and there. If the bees could have 

 reached to the bottom of the tubes, three 

 bees could have secured an abundant 

 load each. 



In due season the hay harvest was 

 over, the second clover crop was soon in 

 bloom, and the first crop was not well 

 supplied with nectar. Now, as there 

 was but very little white clover in bloom, 

 the bees made great efforts to reach that 

 rich harvest. When the plant was in 

 full bloom, the grasshoppers began to 

 eat off the tops of the bloom, making 

 the tubes so short that considerable 

 honey was gathered from this source, 

 and I want to say that the Italian bee 

 had a decided advantage, and the close 

 observer will know that we ofttimes get 

 some honey from red clover at the ap- 

 pearance of the grasshopper. 



I think that if the honey-bee had 

 either a biter or a picker, a la Mrs. Har- 

 rison, it would put the same to work, 

 and fill our hives and supers to an over- 

 flow. 



