^kattmgs tn S^^ Culture 



Published by The A. I. Root Co., Medina, Ohio. 



H. H. ROOT, Assistant Editor E. R. Root, Editor A. L. Boyden, Advertising Managei 



A. I. Root, Editor Home Department J. T. Calvert, Business Mauayer 



Entered at the Postoffice. Medina. Ohio, as Second-class Matter 



VOL. XXXIX 



FEBRUARY 15, 1911 



NO. 4 



Editorial 



THK WINTERING OF BEES. 



So far the winter has been very favorable 

 for outdoor wintered bees at least; and where 

 it is cold enough we do not see why the 

 bees should not be doing well in reposito- 

 ries- But a winter like this, in the region 

 south of the great lakes, is rather too mild 

 for the best results in cellar wintering. 



We are sorry to report that our new Ca- 

 nadian correspondent, Mr. .1. L. Byer, in- 

 stead of recovering from a severe attack of 

 the grip that he had during the fore part of 

 January, had a relapse, and is now serious- 

 ly ill. Mrs. Byer writes that it will be some 

 time before he will be able to do much read- 

 ing or writing. We are sure that our friend 

 has the sympathy of all our readers, and 

 we sincerely wish that his recovery may not 

 be long delayed. 



TENNESSEE BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION; 

 FOUL-BROOD LEGISLATION. 



The Tennessee Bee-keepers' Association 

 will hold its regular annual meeting at 

 Nashville, in the rooms of the Nashville 

 Board of Trade, on Saturday, March 11. In 

 this connection we are pleased to announce 

 that the Tennessee bee-keepers are making 

 a strenuous effort to get a foul-brood law. 

 Those interested are respectfully requested 

 to write their Senators and Representatives, 

 if tliey have not already done so, urging 

 their support of the bill. For particulars 

 correspond with J. M. Buchanan, Franklin, 

 Tenn., Secretary of the Tennessee Bee-keep- 

 ers' Association. 



CORRUGATED PAPER AND BETTER SHIP- 

 PING-CASES. 



Referring to our editorial on page 745, 

 Dec. 1, Mr. S. D. House, an extensive comb- 

 honey producer of New York, writes: 



I have read your comments upon no-drip cleats 

 vs. corrugated-paper bottoms for shipping-cases. I 

 wish to add a hearty endorsement to those com- 

 ments, and will offer a few suggestions: That the 

 cases be made of K-inch thicker end-pieces, and 

 long enough to stand at each end a piece of corru- 

 gated paper, which will make a cushion for sections 

 endwise; also use nothing wider than a two-inch 

 glass, and a cover to be nailed on in place of a slid- 

 ing cover. We need a firmer shipping-case. 



Camillus, N. Y., Dec. 31. S. D. House. 



Mr. House has had a large experience in 

 the production and shipping of fancy comb 

 honey. This whole question is one that 



stumld receive a thorough discussion, and 

 we therefore invite suggestions from others. 



MORE ABOUT "EXTRACTED HONEY." 



Since our editorial in the Jan. 1st issue 

 on the "Nomenclature of Honey," we have 

 received quite a number of communications 

 on the subject; but we question the wisdom 

 of using them for fear we may only waste 

 space over a matter that, perhaps, can not 

 be remedied. Moreover, almost all of the 

 communications that we have received are 

 conflicting, one suggesting one name, and 

 one another. Several writers, however, have 

 been unable to see why the term "liquid 

 honey " would not fill all requirements; but 

 honey in the comb is liquid, while very oft- 

 en that in bottles and cans is candied solid; 

 hence if the term "liquid honey" were 

 used the label would often be a misnomer. 



After all, why not do away with the qual- 

 ifying adjective on labels and let the liquid 

 thrown from the combs be known simply as 

 honey — just what it is? Bee-keepers could 

 continue to speak of honey-extractors and 

 extracted honey among themselves, or when 

 explaining how the honey is separated from 

 the combs, etc.; but the adjective, since it 

 is only misleading, might better be omitted 

 entirely from all labels. To the consumer, 

 then, the product from the hive would be 

 known as honey, granulated (not candied) 

 honey, comb honey, and bulk comb honey. 



The term "extracted " honey is very mis- 

 leading, and not at all appropriate. There 

 are relatively few bee-keepers in the 

 world, compared to the number of consum- 

 ers of honey, and among this latter class 

 the term "strained honey" has been used 

 for years, and probably will be used for 

 years to come, even though bee-keepers 

 continue to use the term extracted honey. 

 The average consumer, to-day, does not yet 

 know what extracted honey is — has never 

 heard of it, in fact. When honey is men- 

 tioned in some recipe, as it occasionally is, 

 in a cook-book or magazine, strained honey 

 is invariably specified. What's in a 

 name, any way ? Perhaps not much; but 

 it does seem funny to think of customers, 

 year after year, asking for strained honey 

 and receiving extracted honey. 



We can not forbear giving a short extract 

 from one of the articles received that we 

 think hits the nail squarely onthe head. 



Since the introduction of the so-called honey- 

 extractor; there has been a constant effort on the 

 part of bee-keepers to change the public's Idea 

 from "'strained" to "extracted," with but poor 

 success. I have had some experience In selling 

 honey, extending over a good many years, and In 



