Oct. 4, 1906 



839 



American Hee Journal 



the top of the generator, and by the time it trickles through 

 the 3 generators, it comes out vinegar 



It is very essential that the generators should be cor- 

 rectl) packed with shavings, kept perfectly level, and charged 

 with greatest regularity, so that the stock will be equally 

 and regularly distributed. One of the most important things 

 is to keep it drawing, for if the tire gets low, the bacteria, 

 after they have no more alcohol to work on, will turn 

 around and destroy all the acidity in- the generator ; in the 

 course of a few days putrefaction will set in, and the gen- 

 erator will be dead. It will then take weeks to restore it to 

 its former condition. 



Vinegar can also be made by the quick process, in small 

 quantities, by using rolling vinegar generators. 



The chemical changes in the manufacture of vinegar are 

 alike in both processes, but in the quick method advantage 

 is taken of the oxidizing action of the vinegar fungus. By 

 vastly enlarging the surface of the liquid exposed to the 

 air. at the proper temperature, we can reduce the time oc- 

 cupied from about one year to 4 or 5 weeks. 



At the present price of honey, pure honey-vinegar can 

 be manufactured on a large scale for about 15 cents per 

 gallon, and perhaps cheaper. I have sold honey-vinegar for 

 40 cents per gallon. 



If any present would like to convince themselves that 

 vinegar made in so short a time is first-class I will gladly 

 give them a small sample to take home to try. I am sure 

 a trial will convince them that honey-vinegar, made in the 

 way described, is not only good, but as good as the best. 



H. M. Arnd. 



Mr. Cummings — Mr. Arnd said in his paper to leave it a 

 year in a barrel. I think that this can be aided a good 

 deal by having the barrel swung, and every time you pass 

 near the barrel, swing it and it mixes it. Trie air in 

 that way gets in and it oxidizes it more rapidly. 



Mr. Strong — I have an uncle in Ohio who. some 20 years 

 ago invented what he called a vinegar generator. This one 

 Mr. Arnd speaks of is what was then known as the shaving 

 generator. My uncle got what he claimed to be an improve- 

 ment on that. It was simply a series of shelves, raised one 

 tli other, and the fluid was passed over them and 

 exposed to the air. It dropped from one shelf to the other 

 and was continually passing back and forth until it got to 

 the bottom, when it was good vinegar. The strength of the 

 vinegar would depend upon the height of your generator. 

 If it was not long enough it would require passing through 

 again, but the result was good, strong vinegar by the time it 

 had passed through. 



Mr. Arnd — That process had the same chemical action 

 exactly. If you put it on shelves or a long trough, or any- 

 thing else, it would be all the same. 



Mr. Hintz — I have had some experience in making vine- 

 gar from honey, usually made from washings of the cappings, 

 and I have never succeeded in making vinegar that was 

 good and strong, and which gave good satisfaction to my 

 customers until it was about 2 years old, and now I find 

 vinegar at that age seems to be liked very well — so well 

 that they return and get it a second and third time. 



Mr-. Honaker — I believe vinegar made with pickles in 

 small quantities will keep just as long as any other. We 

 make it by putting sweetened water in 20-gallon jars and 

 put a fine cheese cloth over that. We keep them in an up- 

 stairs room for about a year, and we have the best luck 

 with it. 



RIPENING EXTRACTED HONEY — DIFFERENCE IN QUEEN-CELLS. 



"Should extracted honey be further ripened or evaporated 

 by artificial heat?" 



Mr. Hershiser — Let the honey stay in the hive until it is 

 thoroughly ripened by the bees. Don't remove it until they 

 get through with it. Only use artificial heat where bot- 

 tling the honey. 



Mr. Lathrop— I agree with Hershiser. 



"Before shaking the bees to present swarming, how can 

 a bee-keeper tell the difference between queen-cells, if built 

 under the swarming impulse, or for superseding?" 



Mr. Taylor — For superseding they are generally a small 

 number and about the same age, while for swarming there is 

 a considerable number of different ages. 



Mr. Rice — I think any practical bee-keeper would know 



by the strength of the colony. If they are going to super- 

 sede, the colony is decreased in number. 



Mr. Holtermann — I asked that question. I don't know 

 with any degree of certainty. 1 consider that a very serious 

 defect in connection- with shaking bees, and I came to this con- 

 vention to try to get some light upon the subject. In going 

 through a large number of colonies you can't very well make 

 a careful examination and find out whether the cells have all 

 got the age before you begin; and as far as the evidence that 

 that colony has depopulated, and so on, I have not succeeded 

 in finding that a satisfactory test. 



Mr. Taylor — If cells are built for superseding at swarm- 

 ing-time it will result in swarming. So that I don't see any 

 particular benefit in knowing one from the other. 



Mr. Holtermann — If you break down the one that super- 

 sedes, you have stopped the superseding. 



BEST HIVE STAND. 



"Which is the best kind of hive stand?" 



Mr. Wilcox — Generally speaking, a stand that will hold 



2 colonies, no more and no less, and of such size and shape 

 as you desire to accommodate your hives, and the location of 

 your ground, and so on. 



Mr. Holekamp — I set my hives on bricks. 



Mr. Wilcox — The objection I have found to that is that 

 moles will undermine one corner and the hive tip over. That 

 is why I want the stand long enough to hold 2 hives. 



Mr. Strong — I have an apiary of ioo colonies, and I put 

 4 bottles under each hive, and that is permanent. They do not 

 freeze or break. 



Mr. Hintz — I build a stand for each colony of bees. 

 I take 2x4x18 inches long, and nail strips about 2 inches 

 wide across those, and I set one hive on each stand. 



ADVERTISING HONEY — MATING QUEENS. 



"What can be done by the National to place honey 

 where it belongs as a food?" 



Mr. Abbott — Advertising. 



Mr. Wilcox — If we placed it where it belongs we must 

 make extracted honey a staple article. To do so we must 

 produce nearly all well ripened honey. 



"I wish to mate queens on a small island, in the lakes, 

 within 4 miles from the shore. Will all the queens mated 

 be absolutely pure?" 



Sec. Hutchinson — I should say they possibly would. When 

 I started in to rear queens I had trouble with mismated 

 queens. I Italianized all black bees for a distance of about 



3 miles in every direction, and after that there was no more 

 trouble. 



Mr. Abbott — I mated Cyprian queens in St Joseph, and in 

 the city I don't think 1 out of 25 missed ; and where my bees 

 were in the countrv, 2 miles out, I don't think 1 out of 

 25 hit. 



COLOR OF RED CLOVER HONEY. 



"What is the color of red clover honey?" 



Mr. Townsend — The same color as white clover. 



Mr. Davenport — A very light amber. 



Mr. Hershiser — I would like to know how they know it is 

 honey from red clover. It blooms at the same time as white 

 clover. 



Mr. Hutchinson — One fall we had 500 pounds from a 

 second crop of red clover, and there was nothing else at that 

 time, and light amber is the color, or dark white. 



Mr. Wilcox — The reason is because red clover does not 

 yield nectar to any extent until the second crop, and the 

 second crop is in bloom in August after white clover is dead, 

 and before buckwheat is yielding much. 



Mr. Davenport — I have known my bees to work very 

 largely upon the second crop of red clover, when there was 

 scarcely any white clover in bloom, and the honey they stored 

 in the hives was amber honey. 



Mr. Hershiser — In answer to Mr. Wilcox, I would saj 

 that the first crop of red clover does yield nectar, but the 

 tubes are so long the bees very seldom get it. 



Mr. Stone — I got a good crop of red clover honey one year 

 from the first crop. Until 1 gol Italian bees there was no 

 in the first crop of red clover, ami after that a good in 

 my neighbors got as much seed off the first crop of red - 

 as from the second. 



Mr. Hutchinson— When our bees got that 500 pounds 



