48 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



combs. Twonty-four combs will be 

 found none too many. 



If we practised leaving the honey in 

 the hives until it was capped over by 

 the bees, we should need a much 

 larger number. 



Those who keep but a few stoclss 

 could extract their honey much oftener, 

 and a smaller number of com1)s would 

 suffice, but. an abundant supply during 

 the flush of the season would be pref- 

 erable. 



There is an impression with many 

 that in order to secure honey of good 

 quality, it must be allowed to be cured 

 in the hive before being extracted. 

 We have demonstrated beyond a possi- 

 ble doubt, that it may be cured equally 

 well afterwards, if extracted before 

 being capped over. 



When the largest crop of extracted 

 honey which it is possible to secure 

 from a given number of stocks is taken 

 in best possible shape for market, it 

 will be done by extracting before being 

 capped over, and curing by a process 

 similar to tlie one I described in a 

 paper road one year ago before this as- 

 sociation. 



HONEY EXTRACTORS. 



Much might be said in regard to the 

 honey extractors of the present day. 

 Many of them will answer as now 

 made, for extracting in a small way, 

 but where a large amount of work is to 

 be done in a 'short time, there are 

 many desirable points lacking. They 

 are as a rule made of far too light stock. 

 Without exception they have too small 

 cranks which makes it too hard to start 

 the reel. 



I am speaking of a four comb ex- 

 tractor, as I consider one for a less 

 number of little value. A brake of 

 some kind by wliicli the motion may 

 be easily and quickly stopped is a much 

 needed improvement. The one who 

 shall invent a process by which four 

 combs may l)e quickly reversed in the 

 extractor without being taken from the 

 can will be a public benefactor. 



HONEY KNIVES. 



We have tlioronghly tested every 

 form of honey knife, and And none to 

 equal a thin narrow blade with a 

 curved point. 



IMPORTANCE OF GOOD QUEENS. 



Study well what constitutes a good 

 queen, and see to it that each stock is 

 supplied with one atalltimes, which is 

 performing her part well. Upon the 

 queen more largely than any other one 



thing depends our prospect of success. 

 When we have succeeded in securing 

 very populous stocks by the time the 

 heaviest flow of honey appears, our 

 next eflbrt must be to furnish abund- 

 ant room for the bees to store the 

 honey, either by supplying a liberal 

 number of combs, or by removing the 

 honey suflicientiy often. 



With our present facilities for in- 

 forming ourselves in regard to the de- 

 tails of the difi"erent points I have 

 suggested, I need not dwell minutely 

 upon them. 



Finally, those who Avill prove most 

 successful in producing extracted 

 honey (as in all other branches of bus- 

 iness) will be those who are most 

 thorough in all of the details which 

 bring success. 



The convention then took up the 

 topic of 



MARKETING HONEY. 



Mr. Chapman. — A great many small 

 honey producers will come into our cit- 

 ies and sell their products at 12 to 13 

 cents per pound which has depreciated 

 the market so that the larger produc- 

 ers are obliged to sacrifice their honey 

 in order to meet the demand. 



Mr. L. C. Root. — To me it seems 

 that unless we can do something to 

 make a better market for our honey, 

 we had better make it our business to 

 devise some means to bring forth small- 

 er crops than to secure larger ones. 

 I am willing to work for small profits 

 but when it comes to selling our honey 

 for less than we can produce it I am 

 not going to do it. How are we going 

 to sell our honey to the best advantage? 

 By educating the people up to a knowl- 

 edge of what they want and preparing 

 our honey in the most marketable shape 

 Much may, and must, be done in build- 

 ing up a home trade. Let each bee- 

 keeper do all he can to dispose of his 

 honey in his own locality, and we shall 

 not hear so much of a glutted city mar- 

 ket. 



During the discussion, reference hav- 

 ing been made to a New York firm who 

 adulterated honey, 



Mr. Segklken, a representative of 

 the firm of H. K. & F. B. Thurber & Co. 

 of New York City, said : We admit that 

 we do adulterate honey and claim that 

 we have a right to do so as long as we 

 comply with the requirements of the 

 law. I do not see why Messrs. King 

 and Aspin wall have such a spite against 

 us unless it be because we do not ad- 

 vertise in their journal. 



