706 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



July 1 



order to work off a superabundance of "fun," as he 

 termed it, published the statement that honey-comb 

 was manufactured, then filled with glucose, and sealed 

 over, all with appropriate machinery. It seems that 

 the press of those days was waiting to welcome such a 

 yarn, and forthwith scattered the news throughout the 

 length and breadth of the land. It was so well done, 

 and seemed to be so eagerly swallowed by the public, 

 that its unfortunate repetition has been going on dur- 

 ing all the years. The very best of metropolitan dailies, 

 as well as the most conservative monthlies of largest 

 circulations, have been deceived by the comb-honey 

 misrepresentations, and have unwittingly aided in its 

 further dissemination. 



Almost for the last twenty years there has been a 

 standing offer of $1000, made by a reputable firm, for 

 just one pound of the so-called manufactured comb 

 honey. But if there is any such article in existence, 

 strange to say no one has as yet proved his claim to the 

 reward offered. The fact is, comb honey has never 

 been made except by bees, as otherwise it is a mechan- 

 ical impossibility. 



It is true that the liquid honey— honey taken frorn the 

 original honey-comb by centrifugal force— is sometimes 

 adulterated with glucose and offered as a pure article; 

 but the various State food laws are fast getting after 

 such adulteration, and either compelling its true label- 

 ing or driving it from the open market. At least, since 

 the passage and enforcement of such laws in various 

 States adulterated liquid honey is disappearing from 

 the field of food products. 



To sum up, then, any comb honey found upon the 

 market in small wooden frames can be relied upon as 

 being absolutely pure bees' honey. Of course, the flavor 

 may not always be the same, as each nectar-yielding va- 

 riety of flower produces honey of its own peculiar aro- 

 ma, just as the pure maple sugar or syrup tastes of the 

 maple and not of the beech or oak. 



It may be said, further, that the prospects for a gen- 

 erous crop of honey to be harvested throughout the 

 country the next two or three months seem to be most 

 excellent at this time. So in all probability there will 

 be plenty of this most healthful sweet for every inhab- 

 itant in the land, and each should see to it that he gets 

 his share. GEORGE W. York, 



[Manager of the Honey-producers' League, Chicago. 



I wish to suggest that our subscribers help 

 along this good work by getting this state- 

 ment republished in their own local papers. 

 If you have any political or any other kind 

 of ' ' pull ' ' with some influential paper or 

 journal, go to the editor of that publication 

 and explain why it will be doing you a good 

 turn. 



THE HONEY-CROP REPORT. 



In most localities the season for honey is 

 either past or well on. From present indi- 

 cations the crop will be a light one in most 

 localities, with a few exceptions, where the 

 flow of honey is unusually good and the crop 

 heavy. 



Southern California, from reports we get, 

 will have only from a third to half a crop. 

 It has been a season of unusual cold— rather 

 an exception for a wet year when the honey 

 crop in Southern California is almost a sure 

 thing. 



In Texas the conditions are but little if 

 any better. The catclaw and guajilla both 

 bloomed very heavily in the spring; but on 

 account of many rains and cool weather 

 they yielded very little honey. The same is 

 largely true of mesquite and horsemint. 

 The bees would have a few days of sunshine, 

 would work strong in storing surplus, then 

 rain would set in and stop proceedings. It 

 is not too late for a good crop in Texas; but 

 the indications are for a light yield through- 

 out the State. 



Colorado and the irrigated regions are less 

 dependent on peculiar weather conditions 



that affect the East and South. There will 

 probably be a light to fair crop from alfal- 

 fa. See page 702. 



The conditions throughout the clover belt 

 have been peculiar. Almost every one who 

 writes, reports an immense acreage of clo- 

 ver, but too much rain and cold weather, 

 and some chilled brood. In some cases the 

 hives have been filled with honey, but that 

 is about all. In others a fair surplus" has 

 been secured; but just as the bees get fair- 

 ly to work, and the conditions seem just 

 right, it either rains or turns cold— general- 

 ly both. 



Strangely enough, Missouri has been hav- 

 ing a sort of drouth; and while that State 

 was last year almost the banner one for 

 honey, it is mourning with the rest for the 

 nectar that did not come. 



Another State where there has been a 

 drouth, at least in some sections, is Ver- 

 mont, and the conditions there are about the 

 same as in Missouri. 



Most of the bee-keepers in New York re- 

 port a backward and unfavorable season— no 

 lack of clover, but the same old story— too 

 wet and too cold for the bees to work. This 

 is largely true of Wisconsin and Minnesota. 

 If there is any State that seems to oflfer 

 encouragement for honey it is Michigan. 

 Nearly all of those who have reported from 

 that State speak favorably or at least not 

 unfavorably of the season. Possibly the 

 proximity to large bodies of water around 

 the Peninsular State has had much to do 

 with tempering the atmosphere. 



In parts of Ohio the season started out 

 magnificently. At our outyards I never saw 

 bees work better for four or five days, when 

 they could do any thing at all; but just as 

 soon as we began to give them room it rain- 

 ed, turned cold, and we have had cold north 

 winds ever since. It has begun to warm up 

 again, and if it continues the fine beds of 

 clover still in bloom will fill our hives to re- 

 pletion. Ohio will rank well with Michigan. 

 The conditions throughout the clover belt 

 may be summarized somewhat as follows: 

 There is an unusual amount of white, red, 

 and peavine clover, and a heavy growth of j 

 sweet clover, which may materialize for the I 

 bees in late summer. I think there never ^ 

 was a year when there was so much of 

 white and red clover reported as this season. 

 Certainly I have never seen so much during 

 the short trips I have made throughout the 

 country on the automobile. While, appar- 

 ently, there will not be a heavy crop, this 

 presages well for the next season, and pos- 

 sibly for several years to come. After clo- 

 ver has attained such a strong growth it 

 would be a very severe drouth that would 

 affect it seriously next year. 



We shall be glad to have our subscribers 

 continue to send in postal-card reports giv- 

 ing the latest from their locality. The value 

 and accuracy of these general crop reports 

 in these columns will depend upon the num- 

 ber of them received. Before you forget it 

 fill out a postal now and address it to Glean- 

 ings, Medina, O. 



