1906 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



1289 



liver it in Chioago for less money than Cuba 

 could deliver the same grade of honey, even 

 with the duty off. But late reports indicate 

 that the administration is decidedly against 

 annexation. The Cubans themselves do not 

 want it, and Uncle Sam is appai'ently not in 

 haste to assume ne\v burdens in addition t^ 

 those he already has. — Ed.] 



Editor York, of the American Bee Jour- 

 nal, is getting up a special car of bee-keep- 

 ers to go to San Antonio, Texas, leaving 

 Chicago November 6th, arriving in ample 

 time to attend the convention. Those inter- 

 ested would do well to write Mr. York at 

 once and make the necessary arrangements 

 for transportation. 



Some new and special departments, as 

 well as some special articles, will appear in 

 the next few months. If Gleanings has 

 been indispensable to our 80,000 readers, we 

 feel sure that, during the next few months, 

 it will contain some of the best matter that 

 was ever published. Our subscription-list 

 continues to grow apace — such a steady and 

 satisfactory growth that we feel warranted 

 in putting in these columns the very best 

 matter that can be obtained, regardless of 

 cost. 



If you have neglected to feed your bees, 

 avoid giving them feed in cool weather dur- 

 ing the day. If the weather is too chilly for 

 the bees to venture out, it is a sad mistake to 

 force them out into the open air by giving 

 them a big feed during daylight hours. The 

 feed should be given at night, or at least 

 when it is so dark that no bees will rush out. 

 If feeding is to be done during the day, let it 

 be practiced when the atmosphere is warm, 

 otherwise there will be a tremendous loss of 

 bees that tiy out and become chilly, unable 

 to get back. 



CUBAN HONEY. 



It begins to appear now that President 

 Roosevelt is decidedly against the annexa- 

 tion of Cuba, and Congress will probably 

 take the same view. ^\ hether annexation 

 would reduce the price of aml)er and dark 

 honey in the United States on account of the 

 cheaper Cuban honey that would be import- 

 ed can not now be (determined. But as an- 

 nexation probably will not come, there is no 

 use in crossing the bridge Ivefore we get to it. 



HONEY AS A FOOD — THE PROOF OF THE 

 PODDING. 



In this issue we are able to present two 

 (juite notable pictures of family groups — one 

 of I. R. Good, so well known to our older 

 readers, and his family, as shown on p. 1307- 

 The other picture shows Mr. Wilson Stitjcl^ 

 and his family on the front cover page, 

 Both families are large users of honey. Mi-. 

 Strock says his children always have all the 

 honey they wish to eat; that the whole twelve 

 are enjoying good health, and that the last- 

 visit of the doctor was six years ago when 

 the youngest came to the household. But 

 honey alone is not entirely responsible for 

 this excellent showing. No tobacco or in- 

 toxicants are used by any of the family, aif 

 of whom meet daily around the family altar. 



But these two families that we present in 

 this issue are by no means an exception. 

 There are hundreds of other families just 

 like them, and fust as good looking, among 

 the subscribers of Gleanings. We feel 

 proud of our greater family of bee-keepers: 

 and while there may be some black sheep 

 among them they are few and far between. 



Nature study, getting close to the things 

 that God has made, can not help making alt 

 such students lovers of that great CVeator 

 who made every thing so perfect. No won- 

 der bee-keepers and their families are such 

 nice people. 



THE NATIONAL PURE-FOOD LAW AND ITS 

 EFFECT ON BEE CULTURE. 



This is already beginning to have its ef- 

 fect, as will be evidenced by a copy of a let- 

 ter fx'om a large wholesale grocery concern 

 in a nearby city which we here give, but 

 whose name and address we omit for ob- 

 vious reasons: 



(/entlemen:—We are writing you again as regai-ds 

 the purity of the strained honey which we are receiv- 

 ing from you; that is, while we have no doubt as to 

 its purity, still, in view of the new food law which 

 soon ifoes into effect, some of our customers are de- 

 manding of us a guarantee of purity, and we, of course, 

 have to give it; but we should feel easier if you would 

 write us a warranty also. 



You can see that buyers over the country 

 generally (for this is only a sample of what 

 we are now getting) are going to be extraor- 

 dinarily careful as to what they take on. 

 The national pure-food law (the one referred 

 to in the letter) in connection with the laws 

 existing in the various States, is going to 

 make a misbranded honey, or an adulterated 

 honey not properly labeled, a scarce article. 

 The risk of violation is too great to take any 

 chances. This ought to have the effect of 

 stiffening the market during seasons of 

 scarcity. You will note by comparing our 

 Honey Column that the honey market is get- 

 ting to be much firmer. 



We furnish a warranty? Of course, and 

 we wei-e glad to do so in the case above 

 mentioned. We don't buy except of reputa- 

 ble producers, and it would behoove all oth- 

 ers to be equally cautious. In the meantime 

 the glucose-mixers are "hunting their holes 

 and pulling the holes in after them." 'Tis 



