256 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



November, 



the lieather. Such acts of thoughtful 

 kindness, and evidences of good will 

 are deeply appreciated. 



IS HONEY STRAINED OR EX- 

 TRACTED? 



The drug journals of the country 

 quote "strained honey" to the trade. 

 So long as "extracted" is meant and 

 understood, it probably makes no dif- 

 ference as to the term employed; how- 

 ever, few bee-keepers would care to 

 take strained honey, even as medicine. 

 — American Bee-Keeper. 



We are not familiar with the techni- 

 cal language of bee keepers, but in or- 

 dinary English strained means having 

 passed through a strainer, and what 

 the objection to that is, we do not see. 

 In pharmacy, extracted means taken 

 out by pressure, generally with ma- 

 cei'ation or solution, or by chemical 

 means, and in that sense we hardly 

 think honey is extracted. We would 

 like for the Bee-Keeper, or any one 

 who is better posted than we are, to 

 enlighten us further. In the meantime 

 "strained" remains in our prices-cur- 

 rent. — Southern Drug Journal. 



A brief explanation upon this point 

 may be of interest to many of our 

 younger readers, as well as to our es- 

 teemed contemporary; which, by the 

 way, is one of the best-edited and spi- 

 ciest trade journals that come to our 

 exchange table. 



In the nomenclautre of modern bee- 

 dom the word "strained'' honey is 

 used, as it has been since time imme- 

 morial, to designate that inferior pro- 

 duct resulting from crude methods of 

 production; when combs were cirt 

 from the brood-nests of the colony con- 

 taining cocoons, pollen, dead bees and 

 other foi'eign matter, and the horwy 

 extracted by pressure upon a strainer 

 of some coarse fabric. In i-emote and 

 unprogressive sections of the country 

 this same antedeluvian plan of secur- 

 ing liquid honey is still practiced. The 

 product, by reason of the filth con- 

 tained, is necessarily inferior and un- 

 wholesome; though, as a preservative 

 in the treatment of "honey-cured" 

 hams, or other manufacturing uses, 

 it finds a market at a very low price. 

 Fermentation, to a greater or less ex- 

 tent, is usually evident in samples of 

 "strained" honey. It is rather a hu- 

 miliating fact, to Southern apiarists. 



that the South supplies considerably 

 more than its legitimate pro rata of 

 this inferior product; which became 

 known in the markets, as a result, as 

 "Southern honey." 



In the year 1865 (the very year 

 that thp writer "came to America") 

 INlajor Francesco de Hruschka of Italy) 

 invented the honey-extractor. A new 

 ei*a in apicultural history was thus 

 inaugurated, and the antiquated 

 "straining" and squeezing process was 

 promptly forsaken by progressive apia- 

 rists. 



Major Hruschka's invention consist- 

 ed of a machine by which combs filled 

 with honey were subjected to a high 

 rotative motion — expelling the honey 

 by centrifugal force,without in anywfse 

 defacing or injuring the comb. The 

 empty comb is thus made available for 

 further use by the bees as a receptacle 

 for honey; and is thus continued in 

 use year after year, by modern apia- 

 rists. 



This is the "extracted" honey of 

 commerce; and though it is sometimes 

 passed through a thin strainer, to ar- 

 rest any small particles of wax, it is 

 usually dumped directly into large 

 tanks, where the greater specific grav- 

 ity of the liquid soon forces to the 

 surface any possible bits of foreign 

 matter it may contain, when it is 

 drawn into barrels or other shipping 

 packages.from the bottom, in a perfect- 

 ly clean and clear condition. 



The quality of honey thus produced 

 is, obviously, superior to the old-fash- 

 ioned, "strained" product; and even 

 retains the delicate flavo:- and aroma 

 characteristic of its floral source. 



'PUNIC" BEES. 



One of the surprises of the past 

 month, at The Bee-Keepers' Florida 

 quarters, was the receipt of a "Punic" 

 queen from Mr. Hewitt, the enthusias- 

 tic British champion of this black race. 

 At the same time ^Ir. Hewitt took oc- 

 casion to send us a batch of recent let- 

 ters from persons having this stock; 

 ami if one may judge b.v the tone of 

 the letters in question. the "Funics'' are 

 not without characteristic virtues that 

 should be more generall.v known. 

 These bees were under discussion sev- 

 eral years ago. being called by some 

 "Tunisians," and by others "Funics," 

 but. unfortunately, an international 

 wrangle occurred which resulted in a 



