1907 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



1251 



ry are always accepted, whereas those from 

 another apiary are not always, notwithstand- 

 ing all the precautions taken. From this it 

 will be seen that the best time for introduc- 

 ing a queen that has come in a cage is when 

 the queens have ceased egg- laying, say after 

 September 15, because the size of the strang- 

 er will be about the same as that of the queen 

 which is to be replaced, and the bees will not 

 be surprised at her not laying eggs. — British 

 Bee Journal, by Nemo. 



WHY HIGHER PRICES ARE BOUND TO PRE- 

 VAIL. 



Only three or four years ago cotton sold in 

 our southern cities at less than 7 cents per 

 pound; todaythe cotton-growers are actual- 

 ly expecting their product to reach shortly 

 the 15-cent mark. This condition is largely 

 due to intelligent and concerted action on the 

 part of the southern farmers, who for three 

 years have fought a determined fight for 

 higher prices, chiefly through two strong 

 organizations backed by public opinion. 

 This causes Farm and Ranch to remark: 



Labor is cheap if it holds itself cheap. The spirit 

 of democracy looks higher constantly. The laborer 

 of the cotton-fiPld can never secure more than a bare 

 existence for himself and family until he holds his 

 labor at a premium. This he may do in pricing his cot- 

 ton. His decision will determine the plane of his 

 living. Our great trouble in the South is to get peo- 

 ple, vphite people, to put a proper value on their labor, 

 and demand a fair daily and yearly wage as represent- 



pd in the price demanded for raw cotton 



This journal has, therefore, cast in its lot with the 

 man and against the dollar, and will use its Influence 

 against the breaking-down of the higher prices for 

 farm labor now obtaining, and will continue the fight 

 for higher prices of farm products Along this road 

 lies the future greatness of the South a-^ d America. 

 Higher living and nobler thmking are not possible 

 for those who are dumb brothers to the ox. Le us 

 uphold the American standard of living, and continue 

 to be the world's greatest civilizing power. 



For years we have had cheap honey from 

 the South to keep down Northern prices; 

 but it is reasonable to believe this will no 

 longer be the case, and we hope the South- 

 ern bee keepers will not again allow them- 

 selves to sell honey at a lower figure than 

 their Northern rivals. There is nothing to 

 be gained by it. vs^. k. m. 



THE TROUBLKS OF MOLASSES-MAKERS. 



As we have already hinted, the cane-syrup 

 producers of Louisiana are very much dis- 

 satistied with the decinion of the National 

 Board of Food and Drug Inspection to insist 

 on the proviso that cane syrup offered for 

 human consumption shall n<jt contain more 

 than 350 milligrams of sulphur dioxide per 

 kilogram (,03t) per cent), and as a result a 

 conference of the parties concerned was ar- 

 ranged for on Sept. 6. Prof. Blouin, of the 

 Louisiana Experiment Station; Congressman 

 R. F. Broussard, and D. D Colcock, of New 

 Orleans, represented Louisiana at a meeting 

 in the offices of the Unit* d States Department 

 of Agriculture, when Dr. Wiley, Secretary 

 Wilson, and the Board of Food and Drug In- 

 spection were all present. 



The Louisiana delegation argued their case 

 well, instamung the case of the molasses 

 squad, already refeiTed to in Gleanings, as 



proving the present-day molasses was first- 

 class human food. They were unable, how- 

 ever, to convince the officers of the govern- 

 ment that an increase of the amount of sul- 

 phur dioxide was desirable, and the decision 

 of the Board will be allowed to stand. The 

 Louisiana people are not at all satisfied with 

 this decision, and apparently intend to ig- 

 nore it. 



Beet-sugar manufacturers make no attempt 

 to sell their molasses, preferring to convert 

 it into alcohol, and the New Orleans folks 

 could do the same, so that the financial loss 

 can not be very great. There is no difficulty 

 in making fine syrup from the juice of the 

 sugar-cane stem; but the molasses here refer- 

 red to is a by-product of the sugar trade. 

 Bee-keepers are greatly interested in this 

 controversy, as three-fourths of all the mo- 

 lasses sold in this country is practically bar- 

 red by this decision, and it would be several 

 years before the independent syrup-makers, 

 who produce syrup as we do maple syrup from 

 maple sap, could satisfy the demand. Dr. 

 Wiley, backed by Secretary Wilson, holds 

 that syrup can be made from cane which has 

 none of the undesirable sulphur dioxide, and 

 syrup is superior to molasses in any case. It 

 looks to us as though the government will 

 win this controversy. If it does, the honey 

 market will be better than it has been for 

 many years, as the chief competitor of the 

 honey-producer will be taken off the market 

 to a great extent by this action of the pure- 

 food officials of the national government. 



W^. K M. 



variable FLAVORS OF HONEY; WHY BEE- 

 KEEPERS SHOULD PLACE MORE EM- 

 PHASIS ON THE FACT. 



It is not generally known by the consum- 

 ing public that there are as many honey fla- 

 vors, and just as distinct, as flavors to apples 

 and pears, grapes, and other kinds of fruit. 

 The average consumer seems to have the 

 idea that any honey that does not taste like 

 what was produced "off from the old farm " 

 is bogus. A person reared in a basswood- 

 clover district regards as impure a honey 

 that is mild in flavor, like the mountain sage 

 of California; indeed, he very often will class 

 it as nothing more nor less than sugar syrup. 

 The unsophisticated in a buckwhat district 

 feel a suspicion toward any honey that does 

 not have the characteristic taste and color of 

 that section. Another, who is accustomed 

 to the delightful, minty taste of alfalfa can 

 scarcely be persuaded to believe that a wil- 

 low-herb or a palmetto honey is the genuine 

 pr<iduct from the hive. 



Throughout this broad domain we find that 

 bee-keepers have been catering to the pecul- 

 iar flavor to which the locality is accustom- 

 ed to such an extent that the consumer thinks 

 there is but one flavor to honey. Mr. Selser 

 says that he can not sell for his bottling trade 

 any thing but a clover honey; indeed, he will 

 reject any thing that has any basswood or 

 other flavor in the clover, "because," he 

 says, "my trade won't have it." 



