94 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



May, 



cracks and openings in the walls. The 

 badly-built, chinky homes of the poor 

 are often more hygienic than the care- 

 fully built palaces of the rich. The 

 open au- treatment of disease consists, 

 simply, in getting the patient away 

 from the microbes growing In dead 

 air spaces. There are ten microbes 

 growing in the mouth for one growing 

 in the nose; the nose is better venti- 

 lated. 



"The disease, appendicitis, arises 

 from a dead air space in the intestines, 

 for which we can find no use, and 

 which evolutionists say that nature in 

 time will eradicate. Is it not now 

 time for bee-keepers to eradicate dead 

 air spaces in their bee hives, as a hygi- 

 enic measure? Measures belong to 

 man, but principles and time belong 

 to Gk)d." 



Donemana, Co. Tyrone, Irejand. 



FERMENTING HONEY. 



Something of Its Treatment and Culinary Uses. 



By Mrs. S. A. Smith. 



IN the December issue of the Ameri- 

 can Bee-Keeper I see that Mr. G. A. 

 Nunez, of Honduras, asks about 

 fermenting honey. 



From what he writes, I think as 

 you do, that the trouble is caused by 

 some member of the palm family. Per- 

 haps .iust enough honey is gathered 

 from it to cause fermentation ^■^hen 

 mixed with honey from another 

 source. 



We have always had Just the same 

 trouble with honey from the cabbage 

 palmetto ti-ee. While saw palmetto 

 honey is cured and ready to extract 

 almost as soon as stored, the honey 

 from cabbage palmetto is never cured 

 in the hive. I have left it in the hive 

 a year, and at the end it was no bet- 

 ter than in the beginning, fou can 

 see the honey in the cells work just 

 like yeast. 



The way we treat such honey is to 

 place it on the ffre and slowly heat, 

 and keep it hot at least six hours. We 

 never got it so hot that it would boil, 

 and I think you could place your hand 

 in it without burning. A scum w'd 

 rise, which we remove. After this 

 treatment we have no more trouble. 

 The flavor of the honey is very much 

 improved. Before heating it has an 



acid taste; after heating it has a car- 

 amel flavor. 



(^ne customer, who used five gal- 

 lons of honey a year, would take that 

 kind every time he could get it. But 

 for baking I always keep a supply un- 

 cooked, for the acid is just what is 

 needed. 



I make all fruit cakes and plum 

 puddings from it, and everyone who 

 eats them Is sure to ask how they are 

 made, and of what. I always use 

 soda instead of baking powder, and as 

 honey cake must be baked slow, that 

 is much better, becuse it is slower to 

 fall than the baking powder. 



The acid and soda make a complete 

 raising combination and is yery much 

 ahead of baking powder, and is ver> 

 cheap, too. 



The cakes and puddings made frora 

 this honey would keep for months, 

 and improve every day. The only 

 trouble I ever had was that the rest 

 of the family would not agree with me 

 about keeping them, and for once 

 their motto was, "Never put off until 

 tomorrow what you can do today." 

 Their idea is to consume that which is 

 good and keep that which is not. 



At our neighborhood parties and pic- 

 nics where cake is needed. I am al- 

 ways asked, "Will you please bring a 

 honey cake?" I -Vv^ish the whole pub- 

 lic was educated to its use. If they 

 were, there would be a good market 

 for all we could produce. For bakers' 

 use, it would be the cheapest and best 

 of any honey, for no cream of tartar 

 would be needed in using it, and that 

 is the most costly part of baking pow- 

 der. 



Mr. H. C. Gifford, of Vero. Fla., told 

 me that his plan of disposing of such 

 honey was to keep it untiT cold weath- 

 er, when it would eandy and would 

 sell for as much in the open market in 

 the north as our best saw palmetto 

 honey. 



Another Florida bee-keeper told me 

 he had an awful time with it, on ac- 

 count of its bursting the barrels. 



I wish everyone knew the worth of 

 honey for cooking. The cost per 

 pound may be more than sugar, but it 

 is nevertheless cheaper to use in mak- 

 ing cake, because cheaper fats and 

 less eggs may be used than when su- 

 gar is, and what is more, the cake or 

 pudding may be eaten without harm 

 by those with the weakest stomachs, 



