Part 11.] HOXEY PRODUCTION. 67 



has practically no sugar; and her common people, at least, 

 have to depend on saccharine, — something that has absolutely 

 no food value, but, on the contrary, is regarded as a cumulative 

 poison. 



There is likewise a scarcity of sugar among the allies, not- 

 withstanding that five times as much has been shipped from 

 the United States and the West Indies to Europe as was 

 shipped before the war. 



The only other substitute for sugar that has any food value is honey. 

 Not enough honey is produced to supply the shortage of sugar, either in 

 the United States or in Europe. Unlike sugar, honey, up until recently, 

 could be bought in slxiy quantity provided one had the price. "When the 

 war started in, in 1914, prices on honey began to sag. The very finest 

 liquid clover honey could be had in car lots at 5^ cents, and some of the 

 southern grades were begging for customers at If and 2 cents a pound. 

 To-day the best table extracted clover and alfalfa, and mountain sage, 

 is bringing 20 cents in car lots, where it can be had at all, and there is a 

 probability of its advancing higher before the next crop is ready. This 

 means that the average farmer or back lot beekeeper owning a few bees 

 can get in a retail waj- from 25 to 30 cents for extracted honey, and from 

 40 to 50 cents a pound for his comb honey. This is on the supposition 

 that he knows the market and does not give his honey away at the old 

 prices that prevailed during peace times. 



There never was a tmie in the history of the world when there was a 

 greater demand for sugar and honey than now. Except in limited local- 

 ities the average farmer cannot grow the sugar beet; but every farmer 

 can keep bees anj-where in the United States. It becomes, therefore, 

 a patriotic duty on the part of every citizen, whether he owns a farm 

 or whether he has a back lot where he can keep a few bees, to help 

 make up for the sugar shortage by producing hone3% No matter 

 what we hear about the sugar shortage being relieved, it is as sure as 

 fate that sugar will be scarce; for the vast quantities that are being 

 shipped to Europe, where prices are higher than here, will make the 

 commodity scarce in this country, and of course will create a strong 

 demand for honey. 



But there are other forms of sugar besides those found in 

 the sugar cane and the nectaries of flowers from which the 

 bees gather their sweets. The sugar in fruits is in the best 

 form possible for direct assimilation. Like honey, fruit sugar 

 is more easily digested than cane or beet sugar. It likewise 

 becomes a patriotic duty of every citizen of the United States, 



