122 DR. MILLER^S 



A. I'm rather glad to live where I have no chance for prac- 

 tical knowledge of such objectionable honey. 



Generally, the honey in the brood-chamber is used up for 

 brood, but if the queen were crowded for room the bees might 

 carry honey from the brood-chamber into the super to make room 

 for her. 



Helenium tenuifolium, also called "bitterweed" and "sneeze- 

 weed," yields bitter honey, but it is not the same as fennel (Anthe- 

 mis cotula), which is a -chamomile and yields no honey. 



Honey, Bottled. — Q. What do you think of the plan of bottling 

 honey and making it an expensive luxury so that the consumer 

 can just taste of it occasionally? Would there not be more of the 

 spirit of "loving our neighbors as ourselves" to cut out the middle 

 system of bottling and sell it to him at a figure so that he can 

 make it an article of everyday diet? In the long run, would there 

 not be more dollars and cents for the beekeeper? 



A. The way to do is to sell honey in as large and inexpensive 

 containers as possible so as to make as little expense as possible 

 for each pound sold. That ought to give the consumer the most 

 for his money and the producer the most money for his honey. 

 Unfortunately, however, we are often controlled by conditions 

 and circumstances. A large part of the consuming public is in 

 the habit of buying in small quantities. A Chicago retail grocer 

 who should keep honey only in 20 to 60-pound packages would 

 probably sell very little honey; whereas, plenty of customers will 

 buy a pound at a time, even if they must pay for a bottle of no 

 value to them. What better can he do than to keep the .email 

 packages? 



Honey, Color of. — Q. I would like to know the cause of dark 

 honey. 



A. The color of honey depends upon the source from which 

 the bees obtain the nectar. From buckwheat they get honey that 

 is very dark, from fireweed that which is very light, and varying 

 grades from other plants. Sometimes there is a difference in the 

 shade of the same kind of honey obtained in different regions or 

 on different soils. Some alfalfa honey is a shade darker than the 

 lightest to be found elsewhere. 



Q. The bees are all storing dark honey, and it has a strong 

 flavor. No one seems to know what causes it, as we have lots of 

 white clover, and also lots of rain. 



A. The trouble may be honeydew, and there is no remedy, 

 unless it be to take off all surplus arrangements at the beginning 



