868 
WATER FOR BEES 
be prevalent in certain lumber camps where 
the only fat available was that from cured 
bacon, which would be entirely lacking in 
the fat-soluble vitamine. 
To be consistent, here is a point which 
needs emphasis. Beekeepers have always 
plumed themselves that honey is nature’s 
own and only concentrated sweet, unin¬ 
jured by any so-called refining processes. 
But now Prof. Hawk’s report of the fat- 
soluble vitamines in comb honey reveals the 
fact that even honey may be refined to the 
extent of removing some of its most valu¬ 
able constituents. There is no doubt that 
extracted honey will always be used. Its 
convenience and long-keeping qualities in 
that form make it almost a necessity; and 
even extracted honey, it should be remem¬ 
bered, contains small quantities of water- 
soluble B vitamine. But comb honey, be¬ 
cause of its fat-soluble vitamine content, is 
worthy of being placed in the class with 
milk, cream, and other dairy products, eggs 
and the green leafy vegetables. It is to be 
hoped that it may be profitable for bee¬ 
keepers to turn more largely to the produc¬ 
tion of comb honey. 
The question might be asked, “Why get 
up so much excitement over the presence 
of the fat-soluble vitamine in comb honey? 
The amount of honey eaten is so small in 
comparison with other foods that the pres¬ 
ence or absence of vitamines makes little 
difference. Warning has been given re¬ 
peatedly of late that the modern civilized 
diet with its devitalized, demineralized, and 
over-refined foods has a very small margin 
of safety as regards valuable soluble min¬ 
eral salts and the various unidentified diet¬ 
ary essentials. Therefore the world’s old¬ 
est and most beautiful sweet, comb honey, 
is a perfect sweet and a food as well. 
While beekeepers and honey lovers have 
no doubts as to the value of honey as a 
food, yet it is a fine thing for the industry 
to have a nutrition expert of the highest 
authority, Professor Hawk, corroborate 
their belief. 
There are any number of nutrition ex¬ 
perts who are just as able as Prof. Hawk, 
but it is doubtful if any of them are so well 
known to the lay public of this country, a 
fact that makes his statements especially 
valuable for reference. 
w 
WATER FOR BEES.— Like all other 
•live stock, bees need water. The amount 
required depends largely on how much 
brood-rearing is going on, and whether 
nectar is coming in to a considerable extent 
from the fields. Brood requires a large 
amount of water as well as pollen and hon¬ 
ey. On the other hand, when new honey is 
coming in but little water is needed. 
About the time the bees are breeding 
heavily they will be found around watering 
places, ponds, creeks, and rivers, especially 
during a dearth of nectar. They seem to 
prefer to get water where they can take a 
big drink without any danger of being sub¬ 
merged. Sometimes when creeks, ponds, 
and rivers are at some distance from the 
apiary bees may be somewhat of a nuisance 
around near-by watering troughs and out¬ 
side pumps. Hence it is sometimes desir¬ 
able for the beekeeper to have a watering 
font in the beeyard itself. A tub of water 
with chips or corncobs floating on the sur¬ 
face, a Mason jar filled with water inverted 
over a small plate, or, better, a crock placed 
over a dinner plate, will furnish bees wa¬ 
ter on the atmospheric principle all day or 
several days, in fact. A better arrange¬ 
ment is a wooden block or board with trans¬ 
verse saw-cuts as shown in the illustration 
on next page. 
A large glass jar filled with water and in- 
