IQOS. 



highest class? What constitutes per- 

 fection in any particular sample of 

 lioney? 



The simple question. "What is 

 honey?" has apparently baffled the 

 wise heads of our day. Whether 

 nuagre knowledge, or a deficiency 

 in our language is responsible for the 

 inal)ility to answer, we shall not ven- 

 ture; but the foregoing questions are 

 liable to prove even more difficult of 

 solution than the latter. Everybody 

 ought to know that Ontario produces 

 the finest quality of butter on earth. 

 The writer was raised to this tune, 

 md, of course, accepted it. In fact, 

 t was regarded be3^ond question that 

 Ontario's dairy products were un- 

 .'qualled anywhere. Portions of New 

 England, Western New York, South- 

 Mn California, and several hundred 

 5ther sections of our great American 

 :ontinent likewise persist in instil- 

 ing into the minds of the rising gen- 

 ration the fact that their own blessed 

 ocality stands alone, the envy of all 

 he earth, in the production of dairy 

 troducts of the very highest order. 



If one happens to sojourn during 



pringtime within the borders of On- 



ario, Vermont or Ohio, he may soon 



)e convinced of the great superiority 



)f the maple sugar produced in the 



espective localities, and of the vast 



uperiority of each respective locality 



)ver each of the others. Of course, 



he writer knows that Ontario's is in 



act the best for he has toted sap for 



veeks, made and tasted it. Its deli- 



ious odor, even now, penetrates the 



cores of intervening years and spans 



I he distance of more than i,6oo miles. 



t There cannot be anything equal to its 



t leautiful golden color ana delicate 



i naple flavor. We are not prejudiced, 



: f course. We simply know that it 



1,5 conceded that Ontario produces the 



; est. That is, when we are in Ontario. 



('n Ohio, or in Vermont it is some- 



i .hat different. But they are envious. 



Jamaica oranges lead the world. 



Ve know this, not from experience, 



ut through constantly reading Jama- 



'.an papers which are UDon our ex- 



hange list. Several years ago when 



le writer was in California he did 



ot know that Jamaican oranges were 



le best. The fact is, everything in 



?idence went to show that the only 



anges worthy of the name were 



alifornia oranges, and all else were 



t' miserable makeshifts — pretenses 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 

 at being oranges 



105 



Now, the epicures 

 of the world recognize only Florida 

 oranges, and the upper crust of epi- 

 curism will accept nothing but those 

 grown upon the banks of the Indian 

 river — the nearer the brink the fruit 

 is grown the quicker will they grab 

 it. Evidence of this condition of af- 

 fairs is on every hand. Why? Simp- 

 ly because the writer now lives on the 

 banks of the Indian river. 



After all, is not the matter of quali- 

 ty in honey a matter of personal taste, 

 or, at least, personal education? We 

 have eaten basswood honey produced 

 in Ontario and also basswood honey 

 produced in Florida. It all tasted the 

 same — none of it very palatable. 

 Canadian white clover honey is a 

 most delicious article; but our own 

 experience does not lead us to regard 

 it as in any way the superior of the 

 white clover honey produced and 

 handled by like methods anywhere 

 else in the United States. We have 

 eaten honey produced on the south 

 coast of Cuba which, to our taste, was 

 the equal of any honey produced in 

 Canada or the northern states, re- 

 gardless of its source. 



In conclusion, let us propound anew 

 the question, "What constitutes per- 

 fection in any particular sample of 

 honey?" Let someone who is suffi- 

 ciently wise formulate the standard 

 and submit it to the world; then we 

 may determine the question of cli- 

 matic influence upon the quality of 

 honey. 



CONSUMPTION OF SWEETS 

 DECLINING. 



A recent canvass of some leading 

 grocer elicited the statement that the 

 proportion of the consumption of 

 all sweets but candies has steadily de- 

 clined, the purchasing public taking 

 more fresh fruits, vegetables, canned 

 supplies and novelties of sundry sorts. 

 The stores at all seasons are stocked 

 with these things as never before, and 

 they are natural competitors of honey. 

 There is a limit to the purchasing 

 and consuming power of the public 

 and the advent and display of the 

 thousand and one palate-teasers are 

 bound to have efifect. 



Candy was never so extensively 

 made and sold as now and persons 

 who eat freely of it are not likely to 

 eat honey at meal times with the 

 avidity they otherwise would. 



