246 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Bee-Keepers' Guide. 



Prof. Cook has just issued the 

 Tenth Thousand of his Manual of tlie 

 Apiary. The Professor issued the 

 first edition himself (a 30c. pamphlet). 

 Then the six succeeding editions were 

 published at this office, and 9,000 

 copies have been sold in six years, 

 which gives substantial evidence of 

 its deserved popularity. The preface 

 to the present edition reads as follows: 



In 1876, in response to a desire fre- 

 quently expressed by my apiarian 

 friends, principally my students, I 

 published an edition of 3,000 copies 

 of the little unpretending "Manual of 

 the Apiary." This was little more 

 than the course of lectures which I 

 gave annually at the college. In less 

 than two years this was exhausted, 

 and the second edition, enlarged, re- 

 vised, and much more fully illustrated, 

 was issued. So great was the sale 

 that in less than a vear this was fol- 

 lowed by the third and fourth editions, 

 and. in "less than two years, the tifth 

 edition (seventh thousand) was issued. 



In each of the two following years, 

 another edition was demanded. In 

 each of these editions the book has 

 been enlarged, changes made and 

 illustrations added, that the work 

 might keep pace with our rapidly-ad- 

 vancing art. 



So great has been the demand for 

 this work, not only at home and in 

 Europe, but even in more distant 

 lands, and so great has been the pro- 

 gress of apiculture— so changed the 

 views .ind methods of our best bee- 

 keepers, that the author feels war- 

 ranted in thoroughly revising and en- 

 tirely recasting this eighth edition 

 (tentli thousand.). Not only is the 

 work re- written, but much new mat- 

 ter, and many new and costly illus- 

 trations are added. 



In tills edition, the author also as- 

 sumes the duties of pul>lisher. In 

 bidding adieu to the old publisher, I 

 wish publicly to express my high ap- 

 preciation, and deep sense of obliga- 

 tion for the able manner in which 

 Mr. Newman has performed his share 

 of the work. I shall still hope for his 

 wise counsel and advice, from which 

 I shall surely prolit in the future as 

 in the past. ' For this, as also for the 

 able opinions of many other of the 

 first apiarists of America and Europe, 

 I wish to express most grateful 

 acknowledgments. 



It is the desire and determination 

 of the author that this work shall con- 

 tinue to be the exponent of the most 

 improved apiculture; and no pains 

 will be spared, that each succeeding 

 edition may embody the latest im- 

 provements and discoveries wrought 

 out by the practical man and the 

 scientiist, as gleaned from the excel- 

 lent home and foreign apiarian and 

 scientific periodicals. ' 



It is, perhaps, needless to say that 

 this Manual covers the entire ground 

 of apicultural research, and that it is 

 practical and progressive throughout. 



Prof. Cook is an entomologist, a bot- 

 anist, a passionate lover of the lioney 

 bee, and his Manual is an admirable 

 work for all — valuable alike to the 

 beginner and the more advanced 

 apiarist. 



"Artificial Honey." 



Mr. E. C. Jordan, of White Sulphur 

 Spring, Va., has sent us the following 

 from Mrs. Dr. Loockerman, of Alexan- 

 dria, Va., describing the methods of 

 making "artificial honey," as given in 

 the Receipt Books of that State : 



It is a well-known fact to those even 

 of a small degree of experience in the 

 matter, that honey, taken from the 

 hive in warm weather, soon deterior- 

 ates ; that it loses its finest qualities, 

 by the separation of its sugar and the 

 fluid composing it, the resut of vinous 

 fermentation. The honey collected 

 by bees is sometimes found to be 

 actually iioisonous (see numerous au- 

 thors), while the honey we present to 

 the readers of the Old Dominion is so 

 complete a concentration of pure sac- 

 charine as to be entirely removed 

 from all liability of becoming acidu- 

 lous. It is not known to be subject 

 to any other change by age than that 

 of becoming granulous or candied. 

 And, hence, in the estimation of those 

 who have been favored with this re- 

 ceipt, it deserves the title of Superla- 

 tive Honey. Put one pint of water 

 and a quarter or third of an ounce of 

 alum into any nicely cleaned kettle, 

 over a bright fire, and bring to a brisk 

 boil. Set the kettle off, and into the 

 solution therein put four pounds of 

 number-one crushed or granulated 

 sugar. Stir together, place over the 

 fire and bring it to a sharp, brisk boil- 

 ing for one or two minutes ; remove 

 from the fire and strain through a 

 light cotton cloth. In cold weather 

 use a little more water. When cool 

 and flavored, let it stand two days be- 

 fore using. 



Flavoring for Superaltive 

 Honey. — Into a pint bottle put one 

 ounce of Jamaica ginger, pulverized, 

 some 1:2 or 1.5 drops otto of rose, and 

 one pint best alcohol or New England 

 rum ; shake well once or twice a day 

 for two or three days. A medium 

 sized teaspoonf ul of the clear extract 

 to five pounds of the honey gives it a 

 most exquisite flavor. 



And after all it is but Knimitaiionot 

 the pure article, though it costs as 

 much or more than the genuine. 



^g" The Fremont, Mich., Indicator 

 says that Mr. Geo. Hilton laid a couple 

 of boxes of nice honey on its editorial 

 desk last fall, and adds: "It is re- 

 markably fine, and a dish of it will 

 make a man forget almost all his 

 troubles." That is the way to do it. 

 Neic honey will soon be here, and a nice 

 box taken to the editor of the local 

 paper will tell others where to get it. 



The Time of Honey Bloom. 



Mr. Alfred Mottaz, Ottawa, 111., 

 sends the following request : 



"Will you please give in the Bbe 

 Journal, the usual time of the blos- 

 soming of<be principal honey plants?" 



The best we can do in this line, is 

 to give the following from Prof. Cook's 

 new Manual : 



ANNUALS or perennials. 



April — Skunk cabbage. 



April and May— Danderlion, straw- 

 berry, ball, and black or blue sage of 

 California. 



May — White sage, of California, 

 and seven-top turnip. 



May and June— Ilorehound, of Cal- 

 ifornia, sumac, of California, coffee 

 berry, of California, horse mint, of 

 the South, false indigo, and lupine. 



May to August— C4round ivy or sill. 



May to Fall— Cow pea, of the South. 



June— Stone crop, of the South, mam- 

 moth red clover, California figwort, 

 of California, and hemp. 



June and July— White clover, alsike 

 clover, sweet clover, horehound, ox- 

 eyed daisy (a bad weed), bush honey- 

 suckle, and partridge pea. 



June to August— Matrimony vine, 

 sage, and motherwort. 



June to Frost— Borage, cotton, silk 

 or milk weeds, mustard, rape, St. 

 John's wort, and mignonette. 



July— Corn and teasel. 



July and August — Basils or Moun- 

 tain mint, catnip, asparagras. Rocky 

 Mountain bee plant, Viper's rugloss 

 (blue thistle),blue vervain or verbena, 

 white vervain or verbena, and marsh 

 milk weed. 



July to Frost— Boneset, bergamot, 

 figwort, giant hyssop, malva, iron 

 weed, Culver's root, and Indian 

 plantains. 



August— Buckwheat, snap-dragon, 

 touch-me-not or swamp balsam, great 

 willow herb fire weed. 



August and September — Golden 

 honey plant, and large smart weed. 



August to Frost — Spider flower, 

 golden rod, asters, marsh sunflower, 

 tick-seed, beggar-licks, Spanish need- 

 les, and rattlesnake root or tall white 

 lettuce. 



SHRUBS OR TREES. 



January to May— Manzanita, of Cal- 

 ifornia, and willow, of California. 



February to June — Gall berry, of 

 the South. 



March— Orange, of the South. 



April— Box elder or ash-leaf maple, 

 red or soft maple, poplar or aspen, 

 silver maple, and Judas tree, of the 

 South. 



April and May— Willows (also trees) 

 and Judas tree, of the South. 



May — Shad -bush, alder, maples, 

 sugar maple, crab apple, hawthorns, 

 fruit trees— apple, plum, cherry, pear, 

 etc., currant and gooseberry, — wis- 

 taria vine, of the South .Chinese wista- 

 ria vine, of the South, Japan privet, of 

 the South, varnish tree, of the South, 

 acacia, of the South, black gum, of 

 the South, bladder-nut, persimmon, 

 of the South, saw palmetto, of the 

 South, and buckeye. 



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