1898 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



735 



HAND-HOI,ES OR CLEATS. 



While at Dr. Miller's last week I could not 

 help noting how much easier it was to lift 

 hives having cleats for handles than those 

 having hand-holes only. Dr. Miller has been 

 a strong advocate of cleats; and after trying 

 the two forms — the cleats and hand-holes — I 

 am afraid I shall have to acknowledge that 

 the former is better, although I have always 

 talked the other way, because the hand-hole 

 looked neater, and did not stick out in the 

 way. I do not know, but I think we can de- 

 vise a combination of cleat and hand-hole that 

 will be both neat in appearance, and yet give 

 a good firm grip on the hive. We are at work 

 on different models now. 



BROKEN COMB HONEY IN TUMBLERS. 



During one of the discussions at Omaha, 

 the practice of putting up broken comb honey 

 in tumblers bj' bee-keepers was most severely 

 condemned, for the reason that glucose-mix- 

 ers put a little chunk of comb honey into a 

 tumbler of glucose, and then labeled it " Pure 

 Honey." This latter, going out into the mar- 

 kets, disgusted consumers, and they naturally 

 think that, if honey tastes that way, they 

 want no more of it. It was urged that some 

 good bee-keepers practiced putting up broken 

 comb honey in tumblers. But that made no 

 difference. They should be severely scored 

 by the bee-keepers. They could put up their 

 broken comb honey in tin pails; but even 

 then it was urged that they sell it around 

 home. I think myself that no bee-keeper 

 should put up his broken comb honey in tum- 

 blers, for the very reason that such a package 

 is at once suggestive of glucose. 



APICULTURAL EXHIBITS AT THE OMAHA EX- 

 POSITION. 



The apicultural display at Omaha was the 

 largest and finest of any thing that had here- 

 tofore been given anywhere, not even except- 

 ing the World's Fair. The building itself, 

 75x138, devoted exclusively to apiculture, was 

 hardly adequately represented by the illustra- 

 tion that I gave on page 628. If there was 

 any industry that received proper recognition 

 at Omaha, in proportion to its size, it was that 

 of apiculture; and I have no doubt the credit 

 for all this is due largely to the untiring ef- 

 forts of Messrs. Abbott, Stilson, and Whit- 

 comb — especially the latter. These men are 

 born fighters; and when they ask for some- 

 thing they ask for large things. It seems 

 they were turned down the first time or two, 

 but the requests were pressed, almost to the 

 nature of a demand, and finally our friends 

 were rewarded. 



The supply manufacturers' displays were all 

 good, and the general arrangement of the 

 honey exhibits excellent. In marked con- 



trast with the exhibits at the World's Fair, 

 there was a pleasing variety. It will be re- 

 membered that, at the Chicago apicultural 

 show, every thing was confined to show-cases 

 of a certain size prescribed by the exhibition 

 managers. This had the effect of giving a 

 sameness to all the displays of honey. I hope 

 in our next issue to show you half-tones of 

 one or two of the exhibits. 



WHY HONEY DISAGREES WITH SOME PEOPLE. 



At the Omaha convention, a great deal of 

 discussion grew out of the fact that honey 

 makes some people sick. Some thought it 

 due to the presence of bee-sting poison. In- 

 stances were cited to show that honey from 

 bee-trees made the bee-hunter sick, because, it 

 was argued, the bees, being angered, spill 

 their poison over the face of the honey, and 

 therefore render it unfit to eat. But the ma- 

 jority of the convention dissented from this 

 view, taking the ground that a large amount 

 of honey, such as a hungry bee-hunter is apt 

 to indulge in, is likely to make him sick, espe- 

 cially if he is not used to eating honey. Our 

 systems become accustomed to certain foods ; 

 and a certain large dose of any strange food 

 is liable to cause trouble. Those who use 

 honey largely, experience no ill effect, but, on 

 the contrary, a decided benefit. 



HONEY FROM CALIFORNIA TAINTED WITH 

 FOUL BROOD. 



A PROMINENT bee-keeper in California 

 writes, " Be careful as to whom you buy honey 

 from. Much honey from foid -broody apiaries 

 is sold, and consumers are careless by expos- 

 ing drips from cans and sections, only to 

 spread the disease. I know this froin obser- 

 vation.'' 



It might seem to some, perhaps, and espe- 

 cially to Californians, that such a fact should 

 not be published in a bee-journal, as it might 

 have a tendency to hurt the sale of California 

 honey. As nearly all the buyers are commis- 

 sion men or honey-dealers who do not take or 

 read bee-journals, I don't see that it will do 

 any harm. But b.e-keepers do buy from each 

 other ; and this warning may be just timely 

 enough to prevent the spread of that fearful 

 disease in some localities that are now entire- 

 ly free, even in California. In the mean time 

 the bee-keepers of that State should, in con- 

 ventions, see what can be done against such 

 inexcusable carelessness ; and if there is no 

 law to prevent such work, let there be one en- 

 acted as soon as possible. We might as well 

 face the fact that foul brood is spreading in 

 certain localities in the United States. Con- 

 cealing it would do vastly more harm than 

 good. However, if Gleanings is wrong in 

 this position it will cheerfully retract. 



QUALITY OF sweet-clover HONEY. 



At one of the earlier sessions of the Omaha 

 convention quite a discussion arose over the 

 quality of sweet-clover honey. Some thought 

 it rank and unpleasant ; others, especially 

 those in the vicinity where it is produced, 

 pronounced it the finest honey in the world. 



