178 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



FEr. 15 



SELLING PROBLEMS. 



Is it Practicable to Get all the Pollen out of 

 the Honey? 



BY C. A. HATCH. 



Mr. Root:— I send you a copy of a letter 

 which I have lately received, which shows 

 up some of the troubles of a honey-seller, 

 and proves that all is not sunshine and suc- 

 cess, even if you do sell your own crop. Al- 

 low me to say in self-defense, that in my ex- 

 perience I have received but one other seri- 

 ous complaint. 



COPY OF LETTER. 



Mr. Hatch:— The last shipment of honey was very 

 slow in making its appearance, and that has been the 

 case with all previous ones except when shipped from 

 Twin Bluff; that one came in nine days; so if it is all 

 the same to you I should much prefer you to ship from 

 there. 



You evidently forgot to put wire around the cases in 

 the last shipment, and in the lot (ten cases) there was 

 not one whole one when they got here. Some of them 

 were badly damaged, causing them to leak, and waste 

 the honey when melting, but did not show enough to 

 put in a bill against the railroad. For shipping this 

 distance, each case should have two wires put on, equal- 

 ly distant from the center and ends. 



There is another matter I am sorry to have to men- 

 tion. The quality of the clover honey is not what it 

 should be and has been heretofore. It is darker in color, 

 and the fine flavor is lacking; also some of the cases are 

 full of black specks, and it is a hard job to get them all 

 out. Some are light, and come to the top of the honey, 

 but some stay in the honey in spite of all we can do. 

 The basswood is A No. 1, as the clover always has been 

 heretofore. I have always bragged that the quality was 

 uniformly good in each shipment; but this shipment 

 takes the wind out of me. 



Now, mind you, Mr. Hatch, I do not mean to imply 

 that this has been intentional on your part, but I am 

 stating facts just as they are, and the effect is just the 

 same as if you meant it to be so. 



I want some more honey if you can guarantee as fine 

 quality as in the three first shipments. C. C. M. 



P. S.— Since writing the above I have cut open a can 

 and found it was rusted through so it leaked when 

 melting. 



Colby, Kan. 



RAILROAD AT FAULT. 



You will see that for the two first com- 

 plaints, 1, slowness of arrival; 2, cases bro- 

 ken, I am not at fault; for Twin Bluffs is a 

 near-by station on the sa*ne road, and could 

 possibly make no difference in time of deliv- 

 ery, and the broken cases are entirely owing 

 to the handling of the "gentle" baggage- 

 smashers. 



WIRING CASES. 



The lack of putting a wire ai-ound the 

 case was a matter of forgetfulness on my 

 part. But as he is the only one who ever re- 

 quested it done, there is some excuse for 

 forgetting it. To do this is a good thing, 

 however, where tin cans in thin wooden 

 cases are to be shipped long distances, and 

 many transfers on the route. Honey is 

 heavy, and freight-handlers are not paid for 

 being careful, but to get the most done in a 

 given time. 



KEEPING UP QUALITY. 



His next complaint as to quality was a 

 "stumper," and is yet. I have only two 

 apiaries, ten miles apart, and the honey of 

 the two is as much alike as two peas, and 

 the only explanation I can give is that one 

 lot was overheated in melting, and thus 



spoiled. I am sure none but best clover was 

 sent, which shows, that whatever may hap- 

 pen to your product before it gets to tt»e 

 consumer, you are the one blamed. 



SPECKS IN HONEY. 



This is what he complains of next, and 

 there is where he hits me square in the face, 

 for honey full of black specks is an abomina- 

 tion. But how to get them all out is what 

 I am unable to say— that is, with a reason- 

 able amount of extra work. True, we could 

 be sure all were out if all honey were melt- 

 ed and then run through a fine strainer while 

 yet warm; but who wants to do this just to 

 suit one in ten of his customers? I am not 

 referring to dirt of any kind in honey, for 

 that should be kept out at any cost, but to 

 specks of pollen. My honey is taken from 

 the extractor and run through a cheese-cloth 

 strainer into a large tank holding about one 

 ton; then after standing at least 12 hours it 

 is skimmed and drawn off into new 60-lb. tin 

 cans. If I make my strainer finer, the hon- 

 ey will not go through at all; and yet as it is, 

 enough does go through and remain after 

 skimming to show. I do not think it would 

 show, but I think the small particles unite, 

 one with the other, when the honey is melt- 

 ing, and so make large specks. I have tried 

 gravity strainers, but with no better success. 

 Can some one suggest a cheap, effective, and 

 sure means of taking all pollen out of honey? 

 But will the flavor remain the same if we do? 

 Are not the fine particles of pollen what 

 gives honey its special flavor? 



My correspondent complains of a can being 

 rusted through, and leaking when melted. 

 This might come from having used an old 

 can. I have been using some cans the sec- 

 ond time when I emptied and cleaned them 

 myself, but I think from this on I will use 

 no more. 



Of course, in my reply to him I did not 

 fail to thank him for his criticism, although 

 it made me feel blue all the way through; 

 for if there is one thing I am proud of it is 

 the satisfaction of my customers; and, to re- 

 peat C. C. M.'s figure, it "knocked the wind 

 out of me." But I mean good shall come 

 from it; and if I can not hold this customer 

 I shall try harder to hold the next one. 



Richland Center, Wis. 



ITALIANS AND FOUL BROOD. 



Proof that the Yellow Race does Resist the Dis- 

 ease. 



BY SAMUEL SIMMINS. 



In Gleanings for Dec. 15 I notice the re- 

 marks. made by yourself and Dr. C. C. Mil- 

 ler, p. 1144. From a very long experience I 

 am convinced that Italians and also Carnio- 

 lans are better able to keep disease at bay 

 than the black (or German) variety. You 

 suggest that it is probably because Italians 

 are less inclined to rob. That must always 

 be a factor in relation to the spreading of 



