70 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



April 



has been in California. While his 

 faith in the future of the bee indus- 

 try there appears to be yet vmsliak- 

 en, he accounts for the large yields 

 which have given California the 

 reputation of having produced the 

 largest crop of honey of any state 

 in the union by illustrating the fact 

 that the area. of that state is more 

 than equal to that of New York, 

 New Jersey, Connecticut, Massa- 

 chusetts, New Hampshire, Maine^ 

 Vermont, Delaware and Ohio. No 

 doubt if all these states were com- 

 bir ed in one, they would, one year 

 with another, record a larger yield 

 of honey than their western com- 

 petitor. : 



AN IMPROVEMENT IN SMOKERS. 



Mr. T. F. Bingham, the urbane 

 and enterprising manufacturer of 

 bee-smokers, is out with something 

 new this season. . His well-known 

 and deservedly popular line of 

 smokers are now being made, for 

 those who desire something especi-^ 

 ally nice and serviceable, with 

 stove and nozzle of sheet brass. This 

 is unquestionably an advance step 

 in the smoker line, and will be ap- 

 preciated by those, who havfe hereto- 

 fore experienced the loss of an 

 otherwise good smoker by the rav- 

 ages of rust, where the coating of 

 tin had been burned from the bar- 

 rel. When moving from place to 

 place upon the salt water a tin 

 smoker is especially short lived, and 

 we became convinced some time ago 

 of the necessity of some material 

 not affected by rust, and as a result 

 have for several years been using a 

 smoker made especially for us of 

 copper, and find the difficulty ent 

 tirely overcome. The brass being 

 stiffer and somewhat cheaper, it 

 will doubtless prove equally if not 

 more satisfactory, and we do not 

 hesitate to commend the new article 



to those contemplating the purchase 

 of a new smoker. In addition to 

 the superior quality of the material,' 

 as stated, the three larger sizes of 

 the Bingham line for 1900 are fitted 

 with a hinged nozzle. ■ A crescent- 

 shaped groove has also been neatly 

 turned out of either side of the bel- 

 lows, which adds greatly to the 

 convenience and comfort of the 

 operator, as the thumb and fingers 

 fit nicely into the depression, and 

 relieve the necessity of a constant 

 grip. . . , •• . 



GRANULATED HONEY. 



Bee-keepers generally through- 

 out the country appear to be awak- 

 ening to the importance of some ed- 

 ucational work among the masses 

 in regard to extracted honey.- 

 There is indeed a degree of igno- 

 rance prevalent in the land regard- 

 ing the nature, care and use of 

 honey, both comb and extriicted, 

 that is amazing ; but the particular 

 point that is at present engaging 

 the attention of the producer is that 

 of educating, the people to the use 

 of the candied extracted article. 



It is quite generally believed that 

 granulated honey is adulterated — 

 that the granules in -the liquid is an 

 adulterant — and the majority of 

 retail •dealers, sharing this igno- 

 rance, are incapable of rendering 

 a true explanation to the prospect- 

 ive buyer, but he will instead most 

 likely, apply the force of his argu- 

 ment to the deliverance ^f his own 

 untarnished name from the menac- 

 ing stigma, laying particular stress 

 upon his personal good faith and 

 innocence in buying the "stuff." 

 This will, of course, be supplement- 

 ed with an apology for having of- 

 fered it to his esteemed patron.- 

 This may appear somewhat over- 

 drawn;' but we have witnessed just 

 such an instance. 



