306 FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 



more tempting dish can grace the table at the most lavish banquet; and yet 

 its cost is so moderate that it may well find its place on the tables of the 

 common people every day in the week. 



IT IS ECONOMY TO USE HONEY. 



Indeed, in many cases it may be a matter of real economy to lessen the 

 butter bill by letting honey in part take its place. A pound of honey will 

 go about as far as a pound of butter ; and if both articles be of the best 

 quality the honey will cost the less of the two. Often a prime article of 

 extracted honey (equal to comb honey in every respect except appearance) 

 can be obtained for about half the price of butter. Butter is at its best 

 only when "fresh," while honey, properly kept, remains indefinitely gooci — 

 no need to hurry it out of the way for fear it may become rancid. 



GIVE CHILDEEN HONEY. 



Prof. Cook says: "We all know how children long for candy. This 

 longing voices a need, and is another evidence of the necessity of sugar in 

 our diet. . Children should be given, all the honey at each meal-time 

 that they will eat. It is safer, will largely do away with the inordinate 

 longing for candy and other sweets; and in lessening the desire will doubt- 

 less diminish the amount of cane-sugar eaten. Then if cane-sugar dnes work 

 mischief with health, the harm may be prevented." 



Ask the average child whether he will have honey alone on his bread 

 or butter alone, and almost invariably he will promptly answer, " Honey." 

 Yet seldom are the needs or the tastes of the child properly consulted. The 

 old man craves fat meat; the child loathes it. He wants sweet, not fat. 

 He delights to eat honey ; it is a wholesome food for him, and is not expen- 

 sive. Why should he not have it? 



HONEY BEST TO SWBET15N HOT DRINKS. 



Sugar is much used in hot drinks, as in coffee and tea. The substitu- 

 tion of a mild-flavored honey in such uses may be a very profitable thing 

 for the health. Indeed, it would be better for the health if the only hot 

 drink were what is called in Germany " honey-tea " — a cup of hot water 

 with one or two tablespoonfuls of extracted honey. The attainment of great 

 age has in some cases been attributed largely to the lifelong use of honey-tea. 



COME AND EXTRACTED HONEY. 



At the present day honey is placed on the market in two forms — ^in 

 the comb and extracted. " Strained" honey, obtained by mashing or melting 

 combs containing bees, pollen, and honey, has rig'htly gone OTit of use. Ex- 

 tracted honey is simply honey thrown out of the comb in a machine called 

 a honey-extractor. The combs are revolved rapidly in a cylinder, and cen- 

 trifugal force throws out the honey. The comb remains uninjured, and is 

 returned to the hive to be refilled again and again. For this reason ex- 

 tracted honey is usually sold at a lass price tlmn comb honey, bor-ause each 

 pound of comb is made at the expense of several pounds of honey. 



