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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



November 



Bee-Keeping <M For Women 



Conducted by Miss Emma M. Wilson, Mareneo. III. 



When Dr. Miller began beekeeping 

 he first produced comb honey in 

 boxes containing 4 or 5 pounds, the 

 boxes having two sides of glass, 

 some of them four. When the honey 

 extractor was invented he got one of 

 the first that was made in the coun- 

 try. It was a Peabody, took two 

 combs, can and all revolving to- 

 gether, and it was not the easiest 

 work to turn it, for one had to stand 

 bent over, with the constant danger 

 of being cut by the tin tops of the 

 pockets as they revolved. Then sec- 

 tions were invented, and he returned 

 to comb honey, for a great many 

 years taking pride in producing the 

 finest grade of section honey. 



Some three or four years ago, with 

 an up-to-date extractor, he pro- 

 duced part of his crop in the ex- 

 tracted form. This was not because 

 he thought extracted more profitable 

 than comb. It was not because 

 Uncle Sam urged extracting; that 

 was a thing that came afterward. 

 One reason was that he wanted to 

 know how the work of the two kinds 

 of honey would compare; and he 

 also wanted to learn something 

 about producing extracted in a some- 

 what modern way. Perhaps a 

 stronger reason was that he be- 

 lieved it to be more for the general 

 good to produce honey in the ex- 

 tracted form, since more would be 

 produced in that form, hence more 

 eaten, and the more eaten the better 

 for the health of the general public. 

 The 5-pound friction-top pail was 

 adopted as the sole container. Just 

 exactly why it might not be easy to 

 say. Perhaps that size would ac- 

 commodate the greater number of 

 consumers, and it would be less trou- 

 ble to have only one size than to 



have different sizes to suit different 

 customers. 



What about the honey granulat- 

 ing? Consumers "in this locality" 

 had been accustomed to comb honey, 

 and might not take kindly to the 

 candied article. Should the honey be 

 taken back and liquefied, as is the 

 custom of some? That would be a 

 lot of trouble. Should a campaign be 

 undertaken, as some have done, to 

 educate the public to use candied 

 honey, and if so, how should that 

 campaign be conducted? It was de- 

 cided to do neither, but to let the 

 honey stand on its own merits, with 

 no attempt at educating the public 

 except with what education there 

 might be in the label, which reads : — 

 well, first what it doesn't read. It 

 doesn't read anything about the 

 honey being pure, and $100 being paid 

 for proof of adulteration. All that 

 might be said about its purity is 

 taken for granted, and there is no 

 suggestion that anyone might think 

 of adulteration in the case. Here, 

 however, is what is found on the 

 label: 



HONEY 



From the Apiarv of 



C. C. MILLER 



Marengo, 111. 



The candying of honey is the 



best proof of purity. This honey 



will candy during cold weather. 



To liquefy candied honey, put the 



pail in hot water. Do not let the 



water boil. 



It may seem a little strange, but it 

 is the truth, that never in a single in- 

 stance has a word of fault been 

 found as to granulation, so far as we 

 know. Conditions are at present un- 

 usual, but whatever the reason, ex- 

 tracted honey seems more popular 

 than did ever section honey. 



Honey in War Time 



Honey has always, until late years, 

 been counted a luxury, especially in 

 the west. We may send out recipe 

 books, or write about the use of 

 honey and it seems all to be Greek 

 to the public. I have found out that 

 you must get right among the house- 

 wives. I had the pleasure not long 

 ago of meeting one of the northern 

 Idaho ladies (Miss Davis) who was 

 on the Food conservation committee, 

 and was giving us a talk at Sand 

 Point, Idaho, on conserving food. But 

 very little was said about honey, as 

 she had not used it very much her- 

 self. She advocated everyone having 

 a hive of bees, but could not tell us 

 how to use the honey after getting 

 it. So I was asked to give a demon- 

 stration on cooking with honey, 

 which- I was glad to give. I made 

 a display of the fruits and jelly (also 

 opened up some for the ladies to 

 sample), which I found a very satis- 

 factory way. You would be surprised 

 how little they knew and yet so 

 eager to learn the use of honey, even 

 the demonstrator sent out by the 

 government said she had not come 

 across anyone that could tell her 

 much about it. So, as honey pro- 

 ducers and honey users, it behooves 

 us to get busy. Honey at one time 

 was counted as a luxury, but not so 

 now. We are at war, and it is not a 

 matter of dollars and cents, but how 

 can we help win the war. While 

 there are "Corn Meal Books," "Oat 

 Meal Books" and other substitute 

 books going out, what are we doing? 

 This is a new thing, and it is up to 

 us women who have used the honey, 

 to tell what we know. We use about 

 $1 worth of sugar in 12 months and 

 Air. Sires is very fond of sweets. I 

 can all my fruit, make jelly, jams, 

 sweet pickles (for I make honey 

 vinegar), and sweeten all my pastry 

 with honey. Now that they are hav- 

 ing so much cooking done in the 

 schools, there is no better chance 

 than to offer your services there and 

 have a demonstrate >n day. You will 

 be surprised how many mothers and 

 sisters will come out. It is a poor 

 business that is not worth talking 

 aln ml . 



We have two large windows fac- 

 ing the street. We have a display of 

 honey cookies on hand to sweeten 

 the palate. We find it a good way 

 to advertise. When I go to the Red 

 Cross I take my lunch and with it a 

 small bottle of honey, cookies, bar- 

 lex cake or something that I can 

 i.i ,n -iiH' 1 , ami ai the noon hour 

 givi i In- ii ilks a treat. 



\1 US \K I IH'K SIRES, 

 Wapato, Wash. 



The National 



The National Beekeepers' Associa- 

 inni will hold its next convention in 

 Chicago, 111 . February 18, 19 and 20, 

 I'M" 



1 have waited, expecting to have 

 pan of the program in shape, but 

 correspondents have been rather 

 slow in answering my letters, so will 

 have t<> announce it later. 



I LOYD MAKKHAM, 

 Secretary-Treasurer. 



