1903 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURK 



1047 



secured with least damage to the honey was 160 de- 

 grees: 150 degrees give better results for quality, but 

 the honey did not remain liijiiid so long. 



These statements show that the prevailing practice 

 of liquefying five-gallon cans of granulated honey bj' 

 putting them into boiling waer is damaging to" the 

 quality, and, presumably to the market value of the 

 product. As long as customers demand their honey 

 in liquid condiiion, it should be conveited in a bath of 

 not to exceed 160 degrees Fahrcnhtit; and the lower 

 the tt mperature employed, the better. The necessity 

 of doing this, however, is Tiot entirety apparent. Pure 

 extracted honey in this region always granulates, par- 

 ticularly in cool weather; ;ind the granulated condi- 

 tion is evidence of its purity. The usual adulterants, 

 sugar svrup and glucose, tend to keep honey in liquid 

 form. Th s fact beine known, cu-tomcrs, especially 

 where honey is liable to adulteration, should prefer 

 their honey, evidently purp, in solid form. The mar- 

 keting of solid honey requires packages which permit 

 free access to the contents. Barrels for bulk and 

 wide-moulh^d cans and jars of the style now much 

 used to contain !^emi liquid products, would be suitable 

 for the marketing of solid honey, excepting in the lat- 

 ter case that thecost would prohibit For retailing 

 small anio'ints. a recent device consists of a bag of 

 stout paraffined paper, into which the newly extracted 

 honey is run and allowed to solidify. Such a package 

 is cheap, convenient to use, and capable of artstic 

 decoration pleasing to the prospecti\ecusiomer. Com- 

 mercially, it would seem that there is a« good reason 

 that honey worth . 5 cents a pound, wholesale, sho\ild 

 be bagged for retail trade as that rolled oats, for in- 

 stance at about the same price should be similarh put 

 up for .sale. The use of b'gs is perhaps more possible 

 here than elsewhere, because of the unusually solid 

 character of our honey. 



The adulteration of honey, in Arizona, is not com- 

 mercially possible, for the excellent reason that 

 freight rates 'o enhance the price of glucose and sugar 

 that these adulterants can not be profitably used. 

 For instance, the average whflesale cost, laid down, 

 of white sugar during 1902. was 4% to Si's cents a pound, 

 and of a good grade of glucose was 4^ to 4^4 cents a 

 pound: while the prices obtained by the honey associ- 

 ations for their product in carload lots, were from 4% 

 to -i'/i cents. 



This has been the commercial condition for j'ears 

 past; and while it coniiniies, the fact that honej; is 

 from Anzona is sufficitnt guarantee of its pi'rity. 

 Water, indeed, might be mixed with an especially dry 

 product, but fermentation would be too likely to pun- 

 ish such dishonesty. 



In brief, therefore, it appears that Arizona produces 

 a limited amount of superior honey, containing mini- 

 mum mois'ure. maximum sugars, very little non-sac- 

 charin'" s\ibstances, and, usually, of most desirable 

 color, fl^ivor, and aroma. This product is dispo.sed of 

 mostly in carlrad lots at low prices to manufacturing 

 bakers and confectioners In the E'lst, who. doubtless, 

 are quite well aware of its value. By liquefying at too 

 high a temperature, or by clumsy handling of the solid 

 honev, lis good qualities are often so injured or handi- 

 capped that the product is at a disadvan'age in retail. 



The by-products of honey are of con.siderable im- 

 portance. Wax is .sold in considerable amount, at 

 about 30 cents a pound: and some bee-keepers work 

 up their waste and washings into vinegar. Theoreti- 

 cally, one pound of a%'erage honey, worth 5 cents, 

 should ferment to form about two gallons of three-per- 

 cent vinegar, wholesaling for about 10 cents a gallon. 

 However, the ordinary ft-rmenting-vat employed con- 

 sisting of an alcohol-barrel with open bung, requires as 

 long as two years to comple'e the process; and the 

 cost and care of barrels, delay in returns, and limited 

 local market, discourage manufacture. 



The crude honey obtained by means of the solar ex- 

 tractor from cappings and was'e is iisually fed back 

 to the bees. On account of the excessive heat in these 

 extractors (as high as 220 degrees F. noted by one ob- 

 server) this honey is usually scorched, and unfit for 

 sale. 



STINGLF,SS BEES CAPABLE OF RANKING WITH 

 APIS MELLIFICA AS A COMMERCIAL ASSET. 



The followine: is an extract from a letter 

 received from Mr. W. K. Morrison, who has 

 been makinpr some investierations for us in 

 the West Indies and South America. Mr. 

 Morrison is, as you ^vill see, makingf ar- 

 rangements to ship the bees to the United 



States. Of course, we shall get a ship- 

 ment if possible. Further particulars will 

 be given later. 



I want to say that I now have right here the long- 

 looked for, come-at-Iast, stingless bee, capable of 

 ranking with Apis mellijica, as a commercial asset. It 

 is about the .same size as A. melli/ica. and of a fine 

 leather color, in fa^t, there is very little difference be- 

 tween it and the leather colored Italian. If a cross 

 can be effected it ought to produce a wonderful race of 

 bees. The colonies can be increased by the usual arti- 

 ficial plan. I have no doubt they can be sent to the 

 United States with careful handling, and I have so far 

 p ogrtssed that colonies can be sent to New York 

 abotit May 1. 1904. The.se bees bear dome.stication 

 even better than our bees, and ignorant Venezuelans 

 keep thtm without difficulty. They have been known 

 to travelers for at least two centuries. They have 

 never heen carried outside of South America, not evtn 

 to the West Indies, for the difficulty of transportation 

 has barred the way. In Florida and the South they 

 ought to succeed, and perhaps in the North, when we 

 know their hcbits. I have been in pursuit of the.se 

 bees for alnio'^t 13 years, and, in fact, beggared myself 

 to get them; and, when about to give up in despair, 

 here they are within the limit of civilization. 



Princestown, B. W. I. W. K. Morrison. 



WINTERING INDOORS IN A MILD CLIMATE. 

 Is Noise Detrimental to Bees in a Repository? 



BY L. C. ROOT. 



[The writer of this article, Mr. h C. Root, is a son- 

 in law of father Quinby. Langstroth and Quinby 

 were the two American pioneers in bee-keeping, the 

 latter being the inventor of an excellent closfd end- 

 frame hive, one that is still u.sed to a considerable ex- 

 tent in Central New York. Mr. Root was associated 

 with Mr. Quinby during his successful work as a bee- 

 keeper, arrd after the latter's death he revised his 

 "Mysteries of Bee-keeping," a work that is still one 

 of the standards in bee culture. In latter years, as he 

 says, he has given up bee-keeping to a gre .t extent, 

 having devoted his time and interest toother pursuits. 



It is a gratification to know that his old fondness lor 

 bees has come back, for he brings with it a ripe ex- 

 perience of many yeais of .successful management 

 of bees. — Ed,] 



It is upon the stocks that winter well and 

 come out in the spring strong and populous 

 that the bee-keeper must depend for his 

 profits. No new way of wintering should 

 be disregarded by those who desire success. 



Some experiences during the last two 

 seasons have led me to change my views on 

 wintering bees, and the result may be of in- 

 terest to your readers. 



Although living in the heart of the town 

 I was lonely without my bees; and as an 

 experiment I secured in the spring of 1902 a 

 single colony, and placed it in the loft of my 

 barn. During the season I made from this 

 stock an artificial swarm and took 100 lbs. 

 of surplus in sections, both colonies being 

 left in good condition for any experiment in 

 wintering. 



The hives were placed on the south side 

 of the stable, which is in a protected loca- 



