The Bulletin. 13 



In some instances the price for honey seems to be very uniform 

 for a whole county. For instance, in Johnston County, out of seven 

 reporting, five mention only one figure — 10 cents per pound — while 

 of the other two, one gives his usual prices as from 10 to 12% cents, 

 and the other gives 10 to 15 cents. 



Extracted Honey. — The majority of our bee-keepers sell the comb 

 honey, but in the east a great deal is extracted (often by the crudest 

 methods) and sold. As none of our questions related directly to the 

 extracted honey, and as even the question of price was based on comb 

 honey, we have only very incomplete data as to the extent that extract- 

 ing is practiced and the prices secured for the extracted honey, and no 

 data whatever as to the prices secured for the wax. Most of those 

 who reported on extracted honey are in- the east, particularly in Bla- 

 den, Onslow, Duplin and neighboring counties. From these, fifteen 

 persons report an average price of 52% cents per gallon for extracted 

 honey. This is a low price, and is apparently the result of several 

 causes. The methods of extracting are often crude and cannot fail 

 to reduce the price, resulting as they do in much sediment and foreign 

 matter being left in the honey. The process known as "squeezing" 

 consists simply in forcing the honey from the comb by hand into an 

 open tub or trough, and, added to the unpleasant thought that the 

 honey has all run over the hands and fingers of some one, is the cer- 

 tain fact that, while this is going on, more or less dust, fine particles 

 of trash, etc., are blown in. Then, again, when old hollow-log 

 "gums" or plain box hives are used, there is not that clear and certain 

 distinction between the brood, bee-bread, and surplus honey that there 

 is when modern hives are used ; consequently, "squeezed" honey may 

 contain bits of comb, bee-bread and an occasional wing, leg, head or 

 body of a bee — all of which tends to depress the price. Modern ex- 

 tractors, by which the honey is cleanly and thoroughly removed from 

 the combs, are not nearly so commonly used as they should be. 



It seems certain to the writer that in our eastern section, where 

 there is such endless bee pasturage, either comb or extracted honey 

 should be capable of very profitable production, and some do produce 

 both profitably ; but surely something could be gained by using hives 

 in which the honey is stored in frames, which then fit into a regular 

 extractor, from which the honey is quickly and thoroughly extracted 

 without waste, at the same time keeping it pure and appetizing. 

 Some improvement in the methods at present employed is very de- 

 sirable. 



There is another point to be remembered in regard to the sale of 

 comb and extracted honey. Kecent investigations, both in this State 

 and in other States, show that thereis on the markets a great amount 

 of adulterated and imitation food products of all sorts. Extracted 

 honey can be adulterated, and at least one case has been discovered by 



