'830 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Nov. 1- 



more "making." Of course, it involves the 

 expense of buying barrels. A good cask hold- 

 ing 52 gallons may be bought for 81.00 or 

 $1.25; a gasoline-barrel for 75 cents. Either 

 will answer; and, when once purchased (and 

 taken care of), will last many years ; so this 

 expense is not so very great after all. 



I have now quite a trade started in vinegar. 

 It is known for miles around that I keep it for 

 sale, and at this season of the year few days 

 pass bv without our selling some. 



I want to mention a peculiar fact connected 

 with my vinegar trade. My best customers 

 are people who make the most cider. But it 

 never keeps long enough with them to make 



SOUR HONEY. 



Is it Due to a Natural Acid in Honey-plants ? An 



Interesting Article Regarding the Properties 



of Honey in General. 



BY E. S. ARWINE. 



Concerning that sour-honey discussion ap- 

 pearing in Gleanings for Aug. 15th, I would 

 say that, in my opinion, the acid was a nor- 

 mal constituent of the honey, and it had not 

 fermented, and could not (if granulated) un- 

 less water had been added. Honey weighing 

 eleven or more pounds to the gallon contains 



A GENERAL INTERIOR VIEW OF THE APICILTURAL BUILDING AT OMAHA.— SEE EDITORIAL. 



vinegar. The barrels leak ( probably through 

 the faucet). We make cider in years only 

 when apples are low in price. Two years ago 

 we put in a good supply, and now I keep di- 

 luting it with honey- water, as I have the 

 honey. 



In regard to converting cider or honey- 

 water into vinegar, I want to make men' ion of 

 the well-known fact that the barrels with their 

 contents should be kept in a moderately warm 

 place in order to hurry up the process, for if 

 kept in a cool cellar it may take from two to 

 three years before the vinegar-point is reached. 



Naples, N. Y., Oct. 22. 



too much saccharine matter to ferment. Of 

 this you can easily convince yourself by add- 

 ing water to reduce it to eleven pounds, and 

 stirring it thoroughly, so as to produce a uni- 

 form mixture. If not thoroughly mixed, the 

 lighter sweetened water will rise to the top, 

 and that might sour ; and I would remark 

 that honey whose density has been reduced by 

 adding water will ferment a little quicker than 

 nectar of like density when extracted. Here 

 we should make a distinction. Honey will 

 not sour, but nectar will. Molasses will not 

 sour, but sweet water will ; and as we would 

 not think of calling sweet water molasses, nei- 



