264 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



comb is made by machinery and then 

 filled with glucose or some other cheap 

 substance, and are then capped by 

 means of hot irons, smeared with wax 

 or paraffine, being-drawn over them. 



Some even claim that they have seen 

 it done. 



To me, the idea is simply absurd; 

 but to settle the discussion, will you 

 please give us the benefit of your 

 knowledge on this subject, through 

 the columns of the "Api?" 



ANSWER BY A BEEKEEPER. 



We have heard the same statement 

 made several times, but were never 

 able to obtain any of the so-called 

 manufactured honey. A young man 

 informed us that honey was so manufac- 

 tured, as he was t nployed by parties 

 who dealt in it. s the young man 

 does not know pure from impure honey 

 we suspect he may be mistaken about 

 it. We often go to Boston and when 

 there again will make an eflbrt to find 

 some of the vile stufl". 



LETTER BOX. 



Arlington Heights, Mass. 

 Dear "Api." 



This has been a very good season 

 with us. Began the year with three 

 colonies, sold two and increased to 

 four and one-half. Have taken thus 

 far 79 lbs. and expect about 25 more. 

 Located as we are on a high hill and 

 most of the nectar being at the foot, 

 it has to be "tugged up." Have no 

 difliculty in disposing of our honey at 

 20 cents to neighbors. 



Sliall remember with pleasure our 

 visit to the Experimental Bee Farm 

 and trust it will be a grand success. 

 Enjoy the regular visits of the "Api" 

 very much and think we have a treas- 

 ure in the bound volumes. 



Chas. G. Wheelock. 



lioseville, III. 

 Dear Sirs: 



In answer to an article by Mr. Arthur 

 Todd in the June number of your jour- 

 nal I wish to say that beekeeping is 

 just the most suitable employment that 

 "can be found for sick and weakly 

 women. Why! it just imparts new 

 life to at least one person who for 



twenty years has kept her bed three- 

 fourths of the time ; but who, after 

 giving much of her time both body 

 and mind to the care of the bees, 

 with the help of a hired girl now 

 cares for one large apiary and her hus- 

 band cares for anotlier and the apiary 

 of which she has the charge proves 

 equally profitable with the other. 



Women who are anxious to make 

 money to further the Lord's work 

 should study up beekeeping as through 

 such a course one can accomplish this 

 object. 



An Invalid. 



Carversville, Fa. 

 S. M. Locke & Co. : 



In August last Ave had a very heavy 

 freshet in the creek running through 

 our village, and among the losses was 

 my whole apiary of fifteen colonies. 

 The unusually high water was caused by 

 the breaking of dams situated above the 

 village. I recovered ten of the hives, 

 with part of the frames, which were 

 washed about one-half mile from here, 

 and succeeded in saving two colonies, 

 nearly all of the bees being drowned. 

 And strange to say, one of them con- 

 tained the Italian queen purchased 

 from you about a month previous. I 

 put her with the bees (about two 

 quarts), on four frames of foundation 

 in a new hive, and by feeding have got 

 a pretty good colony. The other hive 

 only washed away a few rods, but the 

 fi'ames were spilled out of the hive. I 

 replaced them early in the morning, on 

 the old stand, and they are doing pretty 

 well. The fermenting honey and pol- 

 len from the rest of the recovered 

 hives, soon attracted robbers, and for 

 a few days there was trouble in the 

 camp ; at the end of a couple of days, I 

 put on my bee hat, took my smoker and 

 made an examination of the ruins, when 

 I found them all torji to pieces, with 

 the exception of the before mentioned 

 Italian queen, with her few surviving 

 bees who had left the wet combs and 

 clustered in the cap of the hive. I also 

 liad about 200 lbs. of comb honey in one 

 and two lb. sections on the hives, which 

 was all lost. 



I will cheerfully distribute any circu- 

 lars or copies of the " Apiculturist," 

 you may see proper to send to ray 

 address. 



Very respectfully yours, 



Gko. E. Clossno. 



