EXTRACTED HONEY. 427 



caused for centuries the levy of heavy taxes, payable in 

 beeswax, in countries where the inhabitants kept bees. 

 Some countries, in Europe, had to pay to the church, every 

 year, several hundred thousand pounds of beeswax. Such 

 taxes compelled the bee-keepers to separate the honey from 

 the wax with as little waste as possible. 



Different grades of honey were harvested by the careful 

 Apiarists. The light-colored combs produced a light-colored 

 and pure honey ; the combs which had contained brood pro- 

 duced turbid honey of inferior quality. 



747. These primitive methods were afterwards greatly 

 ameliorated, as for instance, in the French province of 6a- 

 tinais, where the bee-keepers used the heat of the sun to 

 melt the combs, and sepaiate the honey from the melted 

 wax. The choice honey obtained in Gatinais, from the 

 sainfoin, cannot be excelled by our best extracted clover 

 honey, as to color and taste, and it is sold in Paris alto- 

 gether. 



Owing to these causes, sprained honey, of different grades, 

 was a staple in Europe. But the demand being ahead of 

 the supply, especially when the season was unfavorable 

 for bees, Europe imported strained honey from Chili, and 

 Cuba, and lately, extracted honey from California. 



748. These causes did not exist in this country. Bees 

 were scarce here at first. The American settlers had too 

 much work on hand to care much for bees. The few who 

 owned a limited number of colonies, brimstoned one of them 

 occasionally, and consumed the honey at home. The more 

 extensive bee owners could sell some broken combs to their 

 neighbors, or a few pounds of strained honey to the drug- 

 gist, who was not very hard to please, being accustomed to 

 buy Cuba honey, harvested with the most slovenly careless- 

 ness. By and by, however, owing to very favorable condi- 

 tions, the wild woods swarmed with bees in the "hollow 

 trees," 9.iid the bee-hunter made his appearance. Thous- 



