AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



657 



destroyed in this way over two bushels 

 of ants and eggs, and where we could 

 use it we have destroyed them with boil- 

 ing water. Chickens also pick up many 

 of them, but it would be very desirable 

 to get something that would clean them 

 out entirely. 



They are small, black ants, about 

 S/IQ of an inch long. It is impossible 

 to keep them out of a jar or can of any 

 kind, unless it is tightly corked, or a 

 cloth tied around it. Ours is the worst 

 locality known for these ants. 



Salt Lake City, Utah. 



§oine Suggestions Against Dis. 

 cussing Honey Adulteration. 



Written for the American Bee Journal 



BY A. C. TYRKEL. 



The discussion about the adulteration 

 of honey, in my opinion, cannot be con- 

 demned in too severe measures. 



The idea of bee-keepers advertising to 

 the world, through the bee-papers, that 

 honey is adulterated, is preposterous 

 and absurd. 



How indignant we were when a cer- 

 tain Professor gave vent to his little 

 pleasantry (pleasant lie), about the 

 manufacture of comb honey from par- 

 afiSn, and language was not forcible 

 enough to express our contempt for the 

 author thereof ; but what has already 

 been published on the above subject 

 will be more damaging to the pursuit 

 than all that Prof. Wiley ever said or 

 published upon the subject of adultera- 

 tion. 



Take a fine selection of pure comb and 

 extracted honey to your merchant, and 

 say to him : " In this degenerate age 

 comb honey is filled with sugar syrup, 

 and the extracted article is largely glu- 

 cose — let me sell you some pure honey." 

 Will he buy ? No. But with a little 

 modification, that is just what many 

 illustrious honey-producers are saying 

 to the world — giving it the widest pub- 

 licity possible. Is it because they want 

 to say something f 



In the name of common-sense (if there 

 is such a thing) how can we educate the 

 "dear people" to eat honey — no, our 

 manufactured (?) stuff? Give us the 

 names of the persons or firms putting 

 the manufactured material on the mar- 

 ket. 



Who ever saw a sign over a church 

 door bearing this strange device ? — " Do 

 not enter here, and partake of the bless- 

 ings of Christianity, for thousands of 



so-called professing Christians are base 

 deceivers, hypocrites." Whoever read 

 in twelve consecutive numbers of church 

 periodicals a caption in large head-lines 

 like this ? — " Another good brother 

 strayed from the fold." Are the names 

 and addresses of church members who 

 have been guilty of selling shoddy goods 

 and adulterated articles of commerce, 

 well knowing them to be such, published 

 to the world ? and do they seek to build 

 up the churches, to induce sinners to 

 enter the fold, by continually deploring 

 the wickedness of the flock ? I think 

 not. Bee-keepers appear to be trying 

 to build up a business by cussing the 

 cussedness of other bee-keepers. 



Did you ever notice the weah points of 

 a mowing-machine brought prominently 

 before the would-be purchaser by the 

 manufacturer or agent? Did you ever 

 see all the large berries put in the bot- 

 tom of a basket of fruit offered for sale ? 

 Did you ever see all the wormy apples 

 placed on top of the measure ? Did you 

 ever see a farmer put all his best wheat 

 in the bottom of his wagon-bed, the 

 small potatoes on top of his load brought 

 to market ? I guess not. Did you ever 

 see eggs in a grocery labeled: "These 

 eggs are not fresh." Nay, verily. Did 

 you ever see at your green grocers, fruit 

 labeled, "Picked last week ;" stacks of 

 pails of gelatine called "raspberry or 

 strawberry jelly ?" Yea, verily. 



I am at a loss to know why at this 

 time bee-keepers are singled out and set 

 up as a target to be beaten down and 

 ruined by the poisoned darts of their 

 enemies, whilst others guilty of graver 

 offences are not molested. Granting, 

 for argument's sake, that syrup is sold 

 for honey, it is exasperating to us who 

 have never sold an ounce of honey not 

 strictUy pure, to be even suspected of 

 adulterating our honey. I repeat again 

 that the evil can never be righted, for 

 prominent bee-keepers have confessed 

 that honey is adulterated — no more con- 

 vincing testimony can be produced in 

 court. 



How can we best protect ourselves ? 

 By placing our bee-papers under lock 

 and key, and not allow our neighbors to 

 read them as formerly. We can sell no 

 more bees, for honest men will not com- 

 pete with those who can produce an in- 

 ferior article at half the cost. I think 

 Eastern producers must feel happy (?) 

 over the havoc they have wrought, if all 

 they have heretofore published is true. 



Man never has, nor can he ever induce 

 bees to store any substance in combs in 

 the least injurious to the system in suffi- 

 cient volume to pay for the labor of pre- 



