440 



THE^ MMKRicarf BEE jovmums^. 



kmhmttmtt 



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have f of an inch, or suflScient space 

 to allow two bees to pass at a time, if 

 one was carried on the back of the 

 other. 



Every observing comb-honej' pro- 

 ducer well knows that under condi- 

 tions which frequently happen during 

 our honej- harvests, if these separators 

 are misplaced the least bit, so as to 

 leave a little more than J of an inch 

 between the top edge of the separator 

 and the line of the edge of the top- 

 bars of the sections, the troublesome 

 extended cells will result. Where the 

 wide frames, or storing cases, are not 

 to be reversed, even with a 3i-inch 

 separator, I prefer to put it 1-16 of an 

 inch nearer to tlie top than the bottom 

 of the inside of the sections. 



Dowagiac, Mich. 



HONEY. 



Is it Digested Xeetar? If IVot, 

 What is It? 



Written fw the Rays of Light 



BT J. E. POND. 



I am not a scientist, neither do I 

 wish to provoke an acrimonious dis- 

 cussion, still I ask in all seriousness. 

 What is honey ? 



In daj's past we have been told it 

 was the nectar of flowers from which 

 the water has been evaporated by the 

 bees. This answer would seem " to 

 fill the bill ;" still, when viewed on a 

 strict scientific basis, it does not, for 

 the reason that it does not quite 

 " come up to the mark," in that it does 

 not " tell the whole story." 



Next we hear of some digestive pro- 

 cess that this nectar undergoes in the 

 stomach of the bee ; this again does not 

 satisfy us, for the reason that it neither 

 explains that "digestive process," or 

 offer any proof of the same. 



Then we have the bee-sting or 

 "formic acid" theory, which, while 

 plausible, is not satisfying ; no proof 

 at all being offered. In fact, all and 

 ever}' idea advanced is theory, and 

 theory only. 



Now what is the fact ? Is there any- 

 way by which the truth of the matter 

 can be arrived at ? Diluted sugar, 

 when sealed uj) in the comb, comes 

 out as sugar ; if scented or perfumed 

 in any way, that distinct scent or per- 

 fume remains. Now if sugar-syrup 

 undergoes no change while being car- 

 ried to and deposited in the hive, what 

 evidence is there that the nectar of 

 flowers undergoes any change while 

 in transportation to the hive or after 

 being deposited therein ? Can any one 

 explain, if any digestive change does 

 take place, just what that change is ? 

 or why it does not attect sugar-syrup 



or other artificial food, as well as the 

 nectar of flowers ? 



As I said at the beginning, I am not 

 a scientist. I am after information. 

 I do not want theories, though, but 

 facts ; I want to know if any one does 

 k7iow anything jjositively about the mat- 

 ter ; or whether any one has by any 

 experiments conducted .on purely sci- 

 entific principles, ascertained any facts 

 that they dare give as such, that ex- 

 plains the matter fully and completelj-? 

 That is, Can auj- one tell us why sugar 

 syrup remains such, while nectar un- 

 dergoes a chemical change in the 

 stomach of the bee, while in process 

 of transportation ? 



For myself I believe as a matter of 

 theory, the " formic acid " exponents 

 have the best of it ; but who can say 

 that they are right or wrong P 



North Attleboro, Mass. 



One Hundred Years Ago. 



(Tune— 4 Thousand Fathoms Deep.) 



Our's a land baptized in blood. 



One hundred years ago ! 

 Brave and grand, it proudly stood, 



One hundred years agro ! 

 In Freedom's name it scaled the height, 

 Of peace, and truth, and moral might. 

 And planted there its starry sign. 

 Its honored flag— our flag divine ! 



One hundred years ago ! 



One hundred years ago 1 



Wives and mothers mourned their slain. 



One hundred years ago ? 

 Bore this cross of cruel pain 



One hundred years ago ! 

 God's will it was that heart and hand. 

 Should strike the shackles from our land. 

 And cause ttie power of pen to trace 

 Eternal rights tor all the race 



One hundred years ago ! 



One hundred years ago ! 



Loyal, earnest, gathered few. 



One hundred years ago I 

 Planting better than ye knew. 



One hundred years ago I 

 Sixty millions now we count. 

 Who daily drink from freedom's fount 

 And kneel before the shrine 

 Ye built by deeds divine 



One hundred years ago ! 



One hundred years ago ! 



—Ella Dare, in the Inter-Ocean. 



SEPARATORS. 



Tiieir Use a l^ecessity in Produc- 

 ing Comb Honey. 



Written for the Western Plowman 



BY C. H. DIBBERN. 



As to separators : I claim that no 

 strictly A No. 1 honey can be produced 

 without them. What I mean is, that 

 it is so perfectly built in the sections 

 that all can be glassed on both sides if 

 wanted. I always thought that honey 

 produced with separators was whiter, 

 and there is good reason for this, too, 

 as separators get fully half of the 

 travel of the bees. 



I know that many otherwise good 

 bee-keepers diSer from me on this 

 point, and even claim that they can 



have comb built almost as straight 

 without separators. I have never seen 

 such, and I cannot produce honey 

 without separators that is satisfactory 

 to me. If only a small quantity for 

 one's own use is produced, it would 

 make little ditt'erence. When thou- 

 sands of sections have to be handled, 

 however, combs should be so straight 

 that any two should fit up against each 

 other without the comb interfering. 



I imagine that in the near future, 

 grocers will be more discriminating on 

 this point, when thej' once fully realize 

 the difference. They may be imperti- 

 nent to ask, " Did you use separa- 

 tors ?" and, if not, refuse to buy, or 

 "dock" you one to three cents per 

 pound. Some have contended that 

 not nearly so much honey would be 

 stored if separators ai-e used ; but ray 

 experience is that it makes no differ- 

 ence. I certainlj' do not want any 

 surplus honey stored without separa- 

 tors. 



Diridins Colonies. 



A party writes me and asks why I 

 do not divide my bees, and thus get 

 around the nuisance of natural swarm- 

 ing ; and claims that it is much the 

 best way. Now, I had the " dividing 

 craze " some 15 years ago, and it 

 proved no " howling success," either. 



The objections to dividing about 

 swarming-time, are many and well 

 founded. Take a good, strong colony, 

 that might be expected to swarm soon, 

 and storing nicely in the sections, and 

 what is the result ? The bees are 

 divided, each half, if rightly done, 

 and a queen given has double the 

 space needed in the brood-chamber 

 that will be filled before there is any 

 more storing in the sections. Perhaps 

 if the hive had been left alone, it 

 would not have swarmed for two or 

 three weeks, and perhaps not at all, 

 and storing surplus would have been 

 going on all this time. It is not divid- 

 ing that we want, but rather contract- 

 ing and doubling up. 



Xlie Kind ot Sections. 



I am often asked what kind of sec- 

 tions I prefer to use, and if it is really 

 necessary to use separators ? I have 

 tried many kinds of sections, and 

 studied the matter a good deal, and 

 although I use several sizes, I prefer 

 the white-wood one-pound dove-tailed 

 sections. They are so immaculately 

 neat, and the demand seems to be 

 more for that size, so that honey in 

 such sections sells for one and two 

 cents more than lai'ger sections. 



Now the question arises, can we pro- 

 duce honey as cheaply in the one- 

 pound as in the two-pound sections ? 

 I have studied this matter for some 

 years, and have come to the conclu- 

 sion that there is little difference as to 



