1907 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



1139 



60,000 acres for the use of the Indians on it. 

 Congress appropriated $350,000 for this work 

 at its last session. This is one of a number 

 of irrigation projects for the benefit of the 

 Indians, and has nothing to do with the work 

 of the Reclamation Service, and for this rea- 

 son is constructed solely at government ex- 

 pense. These Indian irrigation projects will 

 probably become excellent bee-ranges, as 

 they are primarily intended for the growing 

 of alfalfa, and there is no likelihood of the 

 owners cutting the hay before the blooming 

 period. Congress has recently provided for 

 several projects of this kind for the express 

 benefit of the Indians. 



APIARIES IN NATIONAL FORESTS; HOW UN- 

 CLE SAM PROPOSES TO PROTECT 

 BEE-RANGES. 



The Forest Service at Washington has sent 

 us a copy of their ' ' Use Book, ' ' which contains 

 in a condensed condition the rules and regu- 

 lations of the national forest reserves, and 

 also game-refuge reserves. To many of our 

 readers this book will be of considerable val- 

 ue, as it supplies official information on 

 points which interest them. 



We note, for example, on page 44, provi- 

 sion is made for regulating the number of 

 apiaries on forest reserves so that the bee- 

 keeper on government land is protected 

 against overstocking. 



HONEY-CROP CONDITIONS AGAIN. 



We are of the opinion now that considera- 

 ble medium and off-grade honey east of the 

 Mississippi has been secured — perhaps as 

 much as last season; but that is not saying 

 veiy much, for that was a light year. In 

 some sections of the West it is reported that 

 there will be a larger and better crop of al- 

 falfa honey this year than for several years 

 back. But this will not affect eastern prices 

 in any event. As we have pointed out else- 

 where, the amount of fancy and No. 1 East- 

 ern comb honey will be exceptionally small 

 — smaller than a year ago. Dealers will have 

 to offer better prices if they expect to get it. 

 There is no reason why a bee-keeper should 

 sell at as low figures as last year. Those 

 who have honey ready for sale should let the 

 fact be known. Do not wait until every one 

 else is ready to unload. 



There seems to be a tendency on the part 

 of some dealers in honey to offer no better 

 figures than last year. Such quotations will 

 not get much honey. It is bound to com- 

 mand a higher price. Taking the country 

 over, the crop has been light, and, moreover, 

 the heavy losses of bees during the late win- 

 ter and unfavorable spring have put many 

 bee-keepers out of businesi, or so crippled 

 them that they will have no honey for sale. 

 Another thing to remember is that fruit is 

 scarce, and this fact always favors an ad- 

 vance in honey; and, lastly, the national 

 pure-food law is in operation, cutting out all 

 spurious imitations of honey, leaving the 

 genuine article a free swing. 



HONEY FROM LOCUST. 



The black and honey locust-trees are more 

 popular in Europe than in their own native 

 America, and some of the bee-keepers over 

 there get a crop of acacia (locust) honey. A 

 bee-keeper at Bourg-Leopold, Belgium, put 

 a hive on scales this season when locusts 

 were in bloom, with the following results, 

 carefully tabulated. The kilogram is 2| lbs. 



The 15^ kilos obtained equal about 34 lbs., 

 or at the rate of 3 lbs. a day. The above is 

 translated from Le Progres Ajncole. 



THE need of a pure-food LAW IN FLORI- 

 DA. 



The Florida Agriculturist laments the 

 want of a pure-food law, in the following 

 words: 



We had hoped that our legislature would pass a 

 pure-food law. We saw a statement in one of our 

 State exchanges that such a law was passed; but in 

 all the lists of laws which we have seen no such bill 

 appears. They did pass one amending the pure-stock 

 food law, making it stronger. This was all right. We 

 do not object to that, but we do say that it is a great 

 reproach to our legislators that they thought more of 

 their horses, mules, and cows than they did of their 

 wives and children, to say nothing of their own stom- 

 achs. We have not the slightest doubt that there are 

 thousands of dollars of goods stored in this State 

 which could not be sold if a pure-food law had been 

 passed, nor could it be shipped out under the United 

 States law. 



The friends of pure food in the South 

 ought not to rest till the necessary legisla- 

 tion has been provided, which will protect 

 the consumers against all food frauds. 



GLUCOSE GETS ANOTHER SLAP. 



Glucose gets slaps from all directions. 

 The latest appears in the Louisiana Planter 

 as follows: 



It is manifest that, under the pure-food laws, Loui- 

 siana syrups and molasses, when of fine flavor, are 

 bound to come more into general use. The tasteless 

 corn syrups that have been used as a foundation on 

 which to add a little color and flavor and thus stimu- 

 late Louisiana molasses and syrup and maple mo- 

 lasses and syrup, can no longer be sold in the open. 

 They must now bear the brand of Cain upon their 

 brows and be recognized by all men. 



Out in the parish of Lafayette, where considerable 

 attention of late has been given to the manufacture of 

 cane syrup, the industry is attracting still more at- 

 tention; and from the Lafayette Gazette we learn that 

 a cane syrup company has been organized with a cap- 

 ital of $25,000 for the purpose of manufacturing cane 

 syrup at Youngsville in that parish. We certainly 

 wish this new corporation success, and believe that we 

 ought to have hundreds of such in our State, which, 

 with the excellent produce that they can secure, and 



