BEE KEEPERS. 437 



est except from a scientific point of view. But I want honest honey makers to 

 know that science is ready and able to protect them in the production of their 

 goods whenever the public and the law are willing to help her. 



Just at this moment the carrier brought me the Indiana Farmer for January 

 17th, and I stopped writing to read the agricultural news from home. In the 

 second paragraph in the column devoted to the Apiary, I read as follows : "Honey 

 is selling to-day as cheap as a good quality of molasses, yet there are thousands 

 of children throughout the land who have never had a taste of honey. We find 

 the children a very good advertising medium, especially for the home market. 

 Try it." 



- But why is honey so cheap ? Because much of it that is sold is nothing more 

 than molasses. I am no opponent of cheap honey, but first of all let us be sure 

 that it is honey. It is to the interest of the bee culturist as well as of the children 

 to secure this first of all. Concerted and energetic action on the part of the bee 

 keepers of the country will speedily bring this result about, and then the brand of 

 "American honey" will be a token of purity in the markets of the world as it is 

 now a sign of adulteration. The unjustly accused and condemned may appeal in 

 vain to Caesar, but I feel that it will not be a useless task to have made this plea 

 before such a tribunal as this is. 



DISCUSSION. 



/. N. Cotton, of Traders Point. Is there any bee keeper that has had any ex- 

 perience with comb produced artificially and honey put in it? 



Secretary Daughertij. Comb foundation is sometimes made out of paraffine I 

 have experimented with some made with paraffine, but never have been able to 

 work that made with paraffine but slightly. Mr. Root tells us such is done some- 

 times, but it won't stand heat, but will- drop down. 



Mr. SchoU The Professor's address has been interesting to us, and I hope it 

 will be discussed some before leaving it. This artificial honey is manufactured in 

 the east. We don't find much of it further west than Pennsylvania. If the Pro- 

 fessor should test honey, be sure you give him samples of the right kind. We 

 should send samples to him direct from the hive, and not let it pass through other 

 hands. 



Mr. Muth. It is not the producers but Eastern dealers, as far as we know. 

 There is a great deal of it manufactured in Bufi'alo, New York and Chicago, and 

 even in Louisville, and we know something about it in Cincinnati. 



Mr. Cotton. The Professor made a statement that the bee could not live with- 

 out this pollen in the hive, and found that after extracting all this from the hive 

 the bees would live. 



Mr. Muth. Some claim that bees do better without pollen. Some feed sugar 

 ayrup in winter with success, but not more so than we do with honey and pollen. 

 Honey left in the hive induces them to breed, and some think that pollen is the 

 cause of diarrhoea. It is not so with me. I leave all the pollen in, and winter 

 well. A number extract honey and give them nothing but sugar syrup to young 

 bees. The larvae feed with pollen and honey. 



