1851. 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



BEES.— No. 6. 



Gilmore's Plan. — This method consists in placing 

 the bees in one common tenement, and feeding; them 

 with a compound, or syrup, said to cost only about 

 three cents a pound, which it is contended the bees 

 elaborate or change into pure honey, even supericjr 

 to that gathered from nature's store-house ! It is 

 also said by the pretended discoverer of this system, 

 that three or four swarms joined by him in common, 

 produced over twelve hundred pounds of tlie purest 

 surplus honey in one season, worth two shillings per 

 pound ! 



Now, it is no new thing to show that bees will 

 store up large quantities of any thing of the nature 

 of honey, when fed to them ; but it is a new thing 

 in the history of this insect, to show that what is 

 received into the honey vesicles undergoes a change 

 therein, and when deposited in the cells is a different 

 compound or substance from that originally taken by 

 Oi- fed to them. The gatherings of tiie honey bee 

 undergo no change whatever while passing from the 

 flowers of the field to the cells of the comb, if the 

 honey has any impurities or unpleasant flavor in the 

 flowers, it has the same qualities after being stored 

 by the bees — not a whit the better or worse for the 

 manner of transit. This is shown by the fact that 

 the honey from buckwheat blossoms is ever dark 

 colored and of unpleasant flavor, while that from 

 white clover is tran.sparent and of excellent flavor. 



Again ; you may feed bees whatever you please, 

 the article fed to them is precisely the same when 

 stored in their cells as it was before being taken by 

 them. Let any one try the experiment of feeding 

 syrup of sugar, which is the only substance that they 

 will eat except honey, and let him examine the cells 

 when filled, and if he finds anything there save the 

 identical syrup of sugar, with all its original flavor, 

 I will admit that I know nothing about the matter. 



There are but iioo substances that can possibly 

 be fed to bees to any great extent, viz : sugar made 

 into syrup, and honey. Mr. Gilmore must use the 

 one or the other of these articles to form his com- 

 pound. Sugar is not suitable, since it would not be 

 saleable in the combs. Honey, then, must be the 

 substance used. The honey that is imported from 

 Cuba in casks, is worth from fifty-five to sixty cents 

 per gallon, or from four to five cents per pound. 

 This honey-bees will store up greedily ; and it is 

 what Mr. G. uses, without doubt. Some article is 

 probably mixed with it to uartially destroy its iden- 

 tity, and which perhaps reduces the cost to the sum 

 named by Mr. G. 



The deception in tins business mainly lies in as- 

 serting that the article fed to the bees is changed to 

 the purest and best honey. This I contend is false, 

 and with this the whole theory tumbles down ; for, 

 who would desire to sell or to purchase so spurious 

 an article as West India honey in the form of north- 

 ern honey-comb ? I also deny that as much honey 

 as 1200 pounds was ever stored up by three or four 

 families of bees in one season, as surplus honey, even 

 when fed with as much honey as they could carry 

 away. 



To be as brief as possible, this system is one of 

 the greatest humbugs, in apiarian science, of the age. 

 Last spring a gentlemen wrote me from Boston, en- 

 closing an advertisement of one of Gilmore's agents 

 at Cambridge, relative to this .system, and requested 

 my opinion thereon. I replied, that in the advertise- 



ment of seven lines there were six falsehood.", and I 

 named them. I also authorized him to say to said 

 agent, who was a friend of his, that if he would 

 prove before any three disinterested gentlemen in 

 Boston, that the compouud was any other substance 

 in the main than West India honey, I would forfeit 

 one hundred dollars. He declined the proposition. 

 Some few weeks since, I had occasion to write to the 

 gentleman who solicited my opinion as above, and I 

 asked him how his friend had succeeded in the sale 

 of Gilmore's system, and what the result of it was 

 with purchasers. "It has proved a humbug," said 

 he, "about here. It appears to be so unreasonable 

 to suppose that any substance can be found to feed to 

 bees, that will produce as good or better honey than 

 the flowers of the field — that it is absurd upon the 

 face of it." 



In Mr. Gilmore's pamphlet of the description of 

 his plan, he gives the names of thirty-three individ- 

 uals who come forward and attest by certificate that 

 they have examined his system, tested the honey 

 made from the syrup, are knowing to the fact of the 

 large storage of hone}', (1200 pounds by three 

 swarms,) and are fully satisfied of the truth of the 

 whole statement as given by Mr. G, On another 

 page he gives the names of thirty-two persons who 

 he says has purchased Rights, and among which 

 there is not a single one of the men (men of straw) 

 who signed the said certificate ! Now, if these gen- 

 tlemen actually knew all that they liave certified to, 

 if any such men exist, they would have pledged the 

 coats upon their backs to secure a Right, if they 

 could not have done it in any other way. 



If my remarks upon this S3'^stem are incorrect, I 

 shall be happy to make any retraction that the case 

 requires, on having it sliowii to me by gentlemen 

 who have purchased Rights of Mr. G., that I am 

 wrong ; till then I shall affirm that all who purchase 

 Rights, " pay very dear for their whistle." I make 

 these remarks solely on the ground of the public 

 good, in a general course of remarks touching the 

 culture of the bee, and I feel bound to speak out 

 freely, though my sentiments may conflict with indi- 

 vidual interests. T. B. Ml\er, 



Author of the American Bee-Keeper's Maaual. 



Clinton, Oneida Co., JV. ¥., Jan'y, 1851. 



CURIWO- HAMS 



One says, put in a little molasses ; another says, 

 put in some sugar ; and another says, if you vvant 

 your pork to keep good, sprinkle a little pepper be- 

 tween each laying. 



Now all this is unnecessary. Let any man take 

 good salt, sprinkle the bottom of the barrel well with 

 it, and rub the sides of the barrel, that the hams 

 may not lie against the fresh wood ; then put down 

 your hams, salting them well ; make brine enough 

 to cover, mixing in three ounces of saltpetre to a bar- 

 rel ; let them lie in the pickle four weeks, and then 

 take them out and soak them three days ; then hang 

 them up and smoke them, but not to death ; then pack 

 them with sweet hay, in barrels. In this way they 

 will keep all summer, and be sweeter and nicer in 

 August than any of your sugar or molasses cured 

 hams will that I have ever tasted. Try it for your- 

 selves. J. B. C.— Groton, JV. Y., Jan., 1851. 



Two or three spoonfuls of tar or lard put into the 

 months of cattle, hoven from eating clover, will relieve. 



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