15C3 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



1001 



So far the arrang-ement seems to be very 

 unique. But what is the defect, if any? 

 Clockwork sufficientlj' large and powerful 

 to send out a blast of smoke equal to that 

 sent out by a common smoker would be 

 awkward and heavy. This mechanical 

 smoker sends out a very light blast of air — 

 so slight that it can scarcely be felt. The 

 smoke can, however, be sent several inches 

 from the nozzle, and perhaps it is far enough 

 for a good many operations. It weighs, 

 however, about three times as much as the 

 average smoker, and the fuel capacity is 

 only about a tenth of that of an ordinary 

 standard bellows smoker. It would do very 

 well for a small number of colonics; but for 

 the average American apiarist I doubt if 

 it would give general satisfaction. The 

 cost of it will be at least five times as much 

 as that of a common bellows smoker, I 

 should judge from its general construction. 



Us cost, weight, weak blast, and the possi- 

 bility of the train of gears and little blower 

 getting out of order, would prevent its hav- 

 ing a ver}' large sale in America. Howev- 

 er, I note that there are a good many testi- 

 monials in its favor, from German bee- men. 

 The general design of the smoker shows 

 a surprising amount of inventive ingenuity. 

 It must have taken an expensive set of dies 

 for making it. Every part seems to be 

 stamped out to a certain definite shape that 

 could be used for no other purpcise than this 

 particular device; but it is doubtful wheth- 

 er American manufacturers would be will- 

 ing to undertake the manufacture of any 

 thing so elaborate and expensive as this. 



aikin's paprk package kok candied 



HONEY. 



Elsewhere in this issue we illustrate two 

 of Aikin's latest candied-honey packages, 

 the 10 lb. size. The honey came wrapped 

 in old newspapers packed in an ordinary 

 cracker- barrel and was received in splen- 

 did condition all the way from Colorado. 



In order to give one a comparative im- 

 pression of the size of these 10-lb. packages, 

 I instructed our artist to put a man's hat 

 on top, and this he did, only it's a cap. 



To the lover of good honey — those who 

 love to eat it in considerable quantities — 

 these 10 lb. sizes will prove to be very pop- 

 ular. If one desires only a little dab, a 10- 

 cent bottle will be suliicient; but if he has 

 honey on the table every day, he will of 

 course buy not less than 10 lbs. The Ai- 

 kin package is so cheap that, after he puts 

 down his mone}', he is buying only honey — 

 not a tin can, tin pail, nor a bottle that is 

 of little or no use to him after the honey is 

 out. 



But candied honey is always rather un- 

 pleasant to handle in a tin can. A good 

 many like to eat it in the solidified state, 

 and it is no easy job to get it out from an 

 ordinary bottle or can. The other day I 

 called for some candied honey, 

 and my wife remarked that I 

 would have to get it out of the 

 can, for she had given up in de- 

 spair. So she brought out a big 

 Mason jar and told me to help 

 myself. I inserted a case-knife, 

 but the honey would slip off aft- 

 er I had pried it loose. I next 

 called for a big iron spoon. But 

 I bent its handle in fantastic 

 shapes, and succeeded in get- 

 ting only little chunks at a time. 

 I next tried a thin-bladed butch- 

 er-knife. This was somewhat 

 better. I then said to Mrs. R., 

 " We must have some of that Ai- 

 kin honey that we can peel like a 

 bologna sausage;" and now there 

 is over at our house a 10-lb. hon- 

 e3' bologna that is a pleasure to 

 handle and eat in great mealy 

 chunks. Just peel the paper 

 down one side, take a case-knife, 

 and slice off a chunk just as you would cut 

 off so much cheese. Talk about convenience 

 and delicious sweetness! the best comb hon- 

 ey I ever saw is left away in the shade. 



Perhaps I am peculiar; but I rather like 

 candied honey; and extracted of any kind I 

 prefer to comb. I do not like to chew gobs 

 of wax if I want to eat honey; and that is 

 the reason why extracted, either liquid or 

 candied, has my preference. I do not know 

 why, but in the winter time I have a great 

 liking for the solid kind; and that is why 

 the Aikin package fills a long-felt want at 

 our house. 



But I note that the last lot of Aikin honey 

 came in bags that had not been previously 

 paraffined. Whether Mr. Aikin has found 

 the waxing unnecessary or not, I can not 

 say; but I should feel very sure that our 

 Eastern honey would at least require coat- 

 ed bags. And that leads me to say that I 

 doubt very much whether Eastern honey, 

 as a rule, should be put up in paper unless 

 it is used very soon after it gets into the 

 hands of the producer. While in the posses- 

 sion of the dealer it should be kept in the 



