252 



TEE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



September 



sac for this purpose I do not believa 

 that Nature intended that any mater- 

 ial changes should take place while 

 there ; most assuredly the honey is 

 slightly acted on by the secretions of 

 the compound racemose glands of head 

 and throax, to aid digestion and re- 

 gui'gitation. 



The milk from goats feeding on 

 Laurel bushes contains -no poison 

 whatever, as I could discover ; it may 

 be because they only eat very little, 

 and far apart. 



My bees never visit the Laurel blos- 

 soms ; they crown themselves with 

 something better. 



There are two kinds of Laurel, one 

 being considered more poison than the 

 other. Mountain Laurel (Kalmia 

 latifolia) and Cherry Laurel (Lauro 

 cerasifolia) ; the two are similar in 

 size of growth, shape and color of 

 leaves, also are evergreen. Mountain 

 Laurel has a cluster of bright pink 

 flowers, while the flowers of Cherry 

 Laurel are white ; the both are wild, 

 Spanish plants, and contain great 

 abundance of Hydrocyanic Acid 

 (Prussie Acid), which is deadly poison^ 

 but often used in pharmacy, diluted. 

 The leaves of Cherry Laurel are ex- 

 tensively used in Mexican cooking, 

 and commonly sold on the streets with 

 other aromatic herbs. 



I believe it is the honest duty of all 

 bee-keepers to be more studious about 

 the poison plants, and ascertain from 

 which source the bees gather the hon- 

 ey. Jasmine, Digitalis, Oleander, 

 Nightshade, etc., are all dangerous 

 and poison garden plants, Avhich 

 should be substituted by others more 

 profitable and as beautiful. I hardly 

 think bees wull visit such poisonous 

 plants unless compelled to do so by 

 absence of all others, and during a 

 sudden check in the honey flow. 



Jesus Maria, Mexico. 



(From Gleaningsi. 



SUPPLYING THE HOME HONEY 

 MARKET. 



BY F. A. SNELL. 



In about five weeks after my first 

 visit is made to town No. 1, 1 again 

 take a trip to the same place with a 

 supply of honey. On arrival I first 

 call at the grocery where I left my 

 honey to be sold on commission. The 

 grocer informs me that he has sold 

 quite a large part of my honey, and 

 would like to have a new supply. 

 This time he is ready to buy, and I 

 sell him quite a lot of the comb, and 

 also some of the extracted. After this 

 time I sold him hundreds of pounds 

 each year so long as he remained in 

 business, and, later, to his successor. 



The others with whom I dealt on 

 my first trip were next seen, and found 

 ready for a new supply. When room 

 would permit, and a number of cases 

 of honey were taken, I would place 

 the cases three or four deep, the small 

 at the top, which we all know presents 

 a very neat view of the honey combs 

 through the glass in the side of the 

 case. One case was set to one side, 

 from which to retail. 



The grocers have, without excep- 

 tion, been pleased with my arrange- 

 ment of the honey when so placed. 

 Pails or cans are also placed where 

 they may attract attention, the label 

 being always placed in full view of 

 those entering the store. 



I have found it yery useful to give 

 each grocer some hints as to where 

 the honey snould be kept during cool 

 weather in fall and winter, so that it 

 may not deteriorate, I have found 

 that, nine times out of ten, if I say 

 nothing about the matter, the honey 



