BEE-spoke-data/bees-v0 huggingface dataset:
If you sneeed well in one market, and the novelty of the thing wears off, try another one in a neighboring town, and so on complete the circuit of the towns roundabout. After you have done all this you will not need to ship much if any to the city markets, save commissions, save freight, and have your honey within a few miles of where you can look after it, without being at the merely of a city commission house. See Honeyledling; also Exhibits of Honey, subhead Selling Honey at County Fairs, sending honey to commission houses.
We believe commission houses throughout our cities are great aids to bee-keepers in disposing of their honey; notwithstanding, we want to enter a word of caution right here against being in too great haste to lump off your honey to these places. You may argue that you have not time to dispose of your product in small amounts; but many a bee-keeper has found to his sorrow the mistake he made in contributing to the load of honey at a certain commission house. The consequence is, that at that place honey is " a glut on the market," and must be sold at a very low price. As a general rule, we believe we would sell elsewhere before shipping it off to the city.
But it very often happens that one can get a higher price by sending to these commission men. The general trade looks to them for supply, and they make it their business to find a market.
Never send your honey on commission or outright sale to a new firm, no matter what it advertises, how big it talks of its financial standing, nor what promises it makes. Go to the nearest bank and find out regarding its responsibility. Then ask the commission house to send you the names of bee-keepers who have dealt with the firm. We would not advise you even then to consider this an evidence of good faith. We would take time to write to the parties and ask if their dealings were _entirely_ satisfactory, and whether they would advise shipping to the commission house in question. The temptations in the commission business are very great; and if your man is not honest to the eore he may take advantage of you. Commission men charge all the way from 5 to 10 per cent commission; and in addition to this the shipper is required to pay freight, drayage, and to stand all breakages.
Most commission houses will make advantages in cash on receiving the honey; and a few of them will make payments as fast as it is sold; but a majority make no remittance until the honey is all sold, and sometimes not even then until the bee-keeper writes complaining, and inquiring regarding his honey or his money.
## 6. Comp Honey
We have said that commission men should be, but some of them yield to the temptation of quoting a higher price in the bee-journals than they are actually realizing in every-day sales. The bee-keeper complains when he receives his returns, and he is met with the statement that his honey was of poor quality, and had to be sold for less money; or that the honey came badly broken, and had to be humped off as chunk honey; or he may be told that the "market suddenly fell" (which may be true), and it was not, therefore, possible for the house to realize quotations given in the bee-journals. It is a common trick on the part of dishonest commission men to quote high prices if they can get their names in the bee-journals, then sell for lower prices in order to "move off stock." But we've had reason to believe that sometimes, from complaints that have come in, and from certain evidence placed in our hands, honey has actually sold at several cents higher per pound than was shown by the account of sales rendered to a bee-keeper, and on which commission was based. In this way commission men practically take two commissions. Say, for instance, the honey sold for 12 cents. He makes returns to the bee-keeper of 10 cents, and then charges 10 per cent commission on this 10 cents. He thus makes the 2 cents which he actually steals, and then the 10 per cent which is rightfully his.
In the foregoing we've endeavored to set forth some of the tricks that are practiced by some of the unscrupulous commission houses. But we are glad to say that all, or nearly all, of the men who quote prices in the bee-journals are responsible and honest men ; for no commission man can hold his name in the advertising columns of the average bee-journal to-day if there are complaints entered by bee-keepers against him. And right in this connection we wish to say that the mere fact that your bank says a certain commission house has good financial rating should not be considered as evidence that the house is also honest. we would rather trust the man who is honest and not responsible than the one who is financially good and yet "up to the tricks of the trade."
At the time you make shipment, send hill of hiding to the commission house, and _nome prio below which the honey must not be sold_. A commission house has no right to sell at a lower figure until you give instructions. Before the honey is packed it should be carefully weighed so that you will know exactly how much honey you have sent. Do not send large shipments at first. If in any case you send honey, and the commission house fails to make returns, or refuses to do so, it is a criminal act. Such house has no right to appropriate your money without rendering to you some sort of returns; but never take a note in payment from an irresponsible firm or individual ; if you do you will be powerless to help yourself ; for legally a note is a settlement.
## 7. selling for cash
If you can sell for cash, and the party is responsible, by all means do so, providing you can get market prices. Look out for firms wanting to buy for cash with no rating, in Dun's or Bradstreet's commercial agencies. To make yourself secure ship the honey to _you_ name at the point of destination, and then send bill of lading to some bank in the city with instructions to turn over bill of lading to purchser on receipt of cash. Banks will charge you a small fee for doing the business, but you will be safe. The law gives the producer greater protection when his honey is sold on commission than when sold for cash, providing money is not received before honey is turned over. We wish to reiterate the point again: Never deliver honey to a firm on an outright sale or deal till the banks say your man is entirely responsible; _then_ if every thing is in writing you are able to collect by due process of law; but if he is irresponsible you will be throwing away good money in trying to do any thing with him in a legal way.
## 8. keeping comb honey.
It is sometimes desirable to keep comb honey for a better market, or that we may have a supply the year round, etc. Well, to keep it with unimpaired flavor it must not be subjected to dampness. If water condenses on the surface of the comb it soon dilutes the honey, and then it sours, etc. On this account the honey should never be put into a cellar or other damp room. Better put it upstairs; and that there may be a free circulation of air, without admitting bees or flies, the windows should be covered with painted wire cloth. We are accustomed to keeping comb honey the year round, and rarely have it deteriorate in the least. The same remarks will, in the main, apply to keeping extracted honey. During damp and rainy weather, the doors and windows to the honey-room or honey-house should be closed, and opened again when the air is dry.
Comb honey should under no circumstances
be stored where it is likely to freeze, as freezing contracts the wax so as to break the combs and let the honey run. Mouse-traps should be kept set to catch the first mouse that appears.
Elsewhere under this heading we have drawn attention to the importance of keeping honey stored in a room kept, as nearly as possible, at the same temperature as the living-room. It should not go down to the freezing-point at any time--may, rather, it should never go below 70 if it is possible to avoid it. Varying degrees of temperature have a strong tendency to make honey granulate: and nothing ruins comb honey quicker than this.
We made some experiments to see how not we could keep the room and not have the combs melt down. We find the temperature must not go higher than 103 F. While this may seem excessively high, yet if the honey begins to candy the only way to arrest the process of granulation is to bring the temperature up to 103, and _maintain it there._._._._._._, there is the difficulty. We accomplished it by putting steam-coils in the room with sufficient radiation so that the temperature can be held between 101 and 103. If it goes above the high point, an automatic regulator, something on the plan of an incubator-valve, allows the heat to escape. As the temperature drops, this valve closes.
We kept some 2000 lbs. of honey in this room for two months. Some of the honey had already begun to granulate, and it was our hope that we could not only arrest the granulation but bring the granulation back to a liquid condition. In this last we were disappointed, but we succeeded admirably in stopping the process that would have soon mined this whole lot of honey.
We are not sure but a temperature of 100 F. might do as well, and possibly such a degree would be safer for the average person to use, because. If the thermometer shows higher than 103, there is great danger that the combs will be overheated, sag, and set the honey to leaking.
Perhaps one in a small way might be able to maintain a room hot by the use of a hard-coal stove, from which a regular heat will be given off. In some instances one might use furnace heat. This latter would, perhaps, be advantageous in that it would provide for ventilation and thus hasten the evaporation of any unripe or thin honey. But certain it is, there must be some sort of automatic regulation of the heat. While the heater can be controlled to a certain extent, it seems more feasible to let the surplus heat escape.
Under Extracted Honey will be found hints on peddling honey and marketing in general. See also Peddling Honey.
## 6 Contraction
A few years ago contraction of the brood-nest seemed to be all the rage. It was argued that most colonies, Italians especially, after they had put a little honey in the brood-nest, would be disclined to go above into the supers; and to force them above, some bee -keepers took out three or four of the brood-frames below and contracted the brood - nest, and then placed supers on top. This was very pretty in theory, and in practice it _did_ force things. It forced the bees into the supers, but more often forced swarming.
Another set of contractionists argued in favor of hiving _seucoms_ in a contracted brood-chamber. They did not believe in contracting the brood-nest in an established colony; and, therefore, when they contract-ed at all they did so only during swarming time. This form of contraction will certainly be better than the other; but as the years go by we hear less and less about contraction and more and more about expansion--how to get stoeks strong--big, rousing, powerful colonies. An eight-frame brood-nest is usually small enough. Indeed, a ten-frame may be none too big. See lives, size of, elsewhere, for the further consideration of this subject.
The cotton of the Southern United States is interesting to bee-keepers because of the fact that some years it is nectar-producing, the yield of honey being considerable at such times. It is of a light color, good body, but indifferent in flavor. As a rule it must be used for manufacturing purposes. Considerable quantities of it are offered in the market some seasons and home at others.
Cotton honey has the peculiarity, when confined, of bursting the receptacle in which it is held. Whether it ferments or generates gas has not yet been definitely determined. It can, however, be put into tasks, providing there is plenty of air-space left to allow for expansion.
## 7 Crimsou Clover
See Clover.
See Anger of Bees.
See Italian.
**D.**
**DANDELION** (_Tururaseum, dens leonis_) is undoubtedly an important honey-plant, but on account of the actual amount of the honey crop received from it. but rather from its great value to the bees in early spring as a stimulator of brood-rearing, and, later on, as a sort of tid-bit to keep the colonies from being fed when the main flowers have ceased to bloom. It flowers most in spring,no matter how cool may be the weather; but a small succession of bloom is kept up until late fall. It yields both honey and pollen, hence i is unique value as a bee-keeper's plant. All sorts of stock eat it more or less, but it is seems to make no difference in the amor nt of bloom it will furnish. It is supposed to be especially good for mileh cows, and in any case they are very fond of a dandelion pasture. In spite of this, many people are vigorously opposed to this plant, because it
To keep it out of a lawn, the lawn-mower ought to be sharp and close-cutting, and, in addition, a heavy roller should be used quite frequently. In any case one has to do this to get a fine lawn, even when dandelions are not present.
**DAISY.** See ASTERS.
**DISEASES OF BEERS.**\(\Lambda\) few years ago it was considered that bees were free from disease than perhaps any other class of unimated nature, for the reason that individual members of the colonies were so constantly giving way to the younger ones, but this has been shown to be, to a great extent, a mistake; for apparently there are at least three or four distinct diseases with which the bee-keeper has to contend; and it is well for the beginner to have an idea, at least, of what they are like; for the time to cure a disease of a contagious character is to take it at the start, or, better still, take precauntary measures such as will prevent its making even a _beginning_.
How to \(\Lambda\)void Diseases.
Contagious diseases spread very rapidly among bees, just as they are inclined to make rapid headway in crowded centers of the human family. Unfortunately, bees are disposed to rob from each other during a dearth of honey; and if the germs of disease or infection reside in the honey they may be scattered over the entire apilar in a few days. \(\Lambda\)n infected colony is naturally weakened and discouraged, and as a result the bees do not make the defense that they would under normal conditions. During a dearth of honey the healthy bees all over the yard are quite disposed to rob the weak or siek ones, so that the infection is scattered right and left.
One of the best precautions against disease is good food, and keeping all colonies strong. \(\Lambda\) healthy human being is much more able to resist the germs of infection than one who is "all run down." \(\Lambda\) person, for instance, is not likely to come down with typhoid unless his system is greatly reduced. Then it is that the typhoid germs, which may be ever present, take hold and begin their insidious work.
Another wise precaution is to keep all tools and clothing, and every thing that has been in contact with a diseased colony, away from the healthy ones. If one does not _know_ what the disease is he should be on the safe side and proceed as if the siek colony were infected with the worst infection known to be culture.
DISEASEN OF BEERS.
Two classes of Diseases.
The diseases with which the bee-keeper has to contend may be divided into two classes--those that affect the mature flying bees, and those that attack the brood.
Among the diseases that attack the mature bees may be mentioned "spring dwindling." This, perhaps, should hardly be considered a disease, but it is a malady with which we have to deal. For particulars regarding it, see Wintering. Still another trouble is dysentery. This in some cases may be a germinal disease : and in most cases assumes the nature of an ordinary diarr. See Dysentery. The only disease of any account now remaining that affects adult bees is--
IEE-PARLYSIS.
This is a disease that is much more prevalent and virulent in warn than in cold climates. Almost every apilarist in the North has noticed at times perhaps one or two colonies in his apiary that would show bees affected with it. Yet it seldom spreads or makes any great trouble; but, unfortunately, this is not true in some parts of the South and West. In the South it is known to affect whole apiaries, and seems to be infectious. Unless a cure is effected in some way it will do almost as much damage as fool brood itself.
SYMPTOs.
In the early stages an occasional bee will be found to be running from the entrance, with the abdomen greatly swollen, and in other respects the bee has a black, greasy appearance. While these sick bees may be scattered through the hive, they will sooner or later work their way toward the entrance, evidently desiring to rid the colony of their miserable presence. The other bees also seem to regard them as no longer necessary to the future prosperity of the colony. In fact, they will tug and pull at them about as they would at a dead bee until they succeed in getting them out in the grass, where the poor bees seem willing to go to die alone.
Another symptom is, that the bees often show a shaking or trembling motion. In the earlier stages, this peculiarity does not appear; but later on it manifests itself very perceptibly.
treatment and cure.
when the disease is very bad in the comb we find dead larvae in almost all stages of growth, showing all gradations of colors, from a bright yellow to a deep dark brown. Just about as the larva dies it takes on a bright yellow. This turns darker and darker, showing next the color of the coffee we drink with milk in it. The shade deepens until it is of the color of strong coffee without milk. At this stage the larva loses its form, sinking down into a shapeless mass; and if a toothpick be introduced into this mass the dead matter will adhere to it, rojing out some two or three inches like spittle. This has given rise to the term _repy_ forl broad, as distinguished from the type known as black brood, or, as the Bureau of Entomology has it, European foul brood.
The cuppiess of the cells of the old-fashioned foul brood are very apt to be sunken. somewhere over the surface there may be at small hole as if it had been pricked with a pin. This hole may be very minute; but as it enlarges it is apt to be angular, with ragged edges. It would appear that the bees make an opening in the cells, knowing that something is wrong, and the mess within is so foul that they give it up in disgust. It would appear, also, that some of the bees go back, tear away the opening a little more, and then quit the job. By examining the engraving one may see the various sizes of openings in the cuppiess. Among the sunken cells and perforated ones will be found others that are perfectly normal. On opening up the same we find healthy grubs within.
It is very seldom that we find _all_ the cells in a comb affected, even in an advanced stage. In the one before us, probably a tenth of them were in a healthy condition, and from them would emerge in the course of time healthy normal bets. Foul brood then, seems to attack a comb in spots. This is due possibly to the fact that young larvae are fed with the pop or honey containing the disease germs, and others may be accidentally fed by other bees a food that is in no way affected, and consequently they mature perfectly normal bees.
When the combs are badly diseased, like the one in the engraving, they will give off a strong odor like that of a glue-pot, such as one gets while the glue is boiling, except that it is worse. The stench is almost identical with that which emanates from a lot of dead bees piled up in a damp place in hot weather. several times our men have been led to suppose there was foul brood in the spiral by the peculiar odor, when examination showed that a lot of dead bees that had died during the winter were in front of the entrance.
But we have heard bee-keepers say that they do not regard the odor from foul brood as so foul as the books have stated. This all depends on the kind of nose one has. Some odors are sickening to one, but adaptable to another. This is particularly true of the odor that emanates from foul brood. When one finds a comb like the one shown in the engraving on the preceding page the colony is pretty badly diseased; and it is also probable that other lives in the immediate vicinity are likewise affected; because when a case is so far advanced as this, the probabilities are that several colonies in theyard are involved; and it would be well to make a general seareh through the apiary. colonies with entrances pointing in the same direction, and near by, will be almost sure to show some diseased cells. Possibly one will not find more than three or four affected cells, and those in only one comb, for the disease has only started in that hive. Sometimes one will not be able to find a single cell containing a dead larva. In one case, where we could plainly smell foul brood, we could not find any dead specimen in any cell until we had looked over the combs for something like half an hour, opening up here and there a cell, until we finally located a dead larva whose tissue would rope out as we have before explained. But as a general thing, before there is any pronounced odor a comb will be quite badly diseased. In that case one is not likely to notice it, even at the entrance. something will depend on the direction of the wind, if any, and whether the bees are ventilating the hive.
In the foregoing we have stated that a copy condition of the dead matter was an important symptom of foul brood. We may say that it is the _most important_ symptom, because it is the one test by which we distinguish American foul brood from all other brood diseases. While the dead matter of European 'black' brood will rope slightly, perhaps \(\sharp\) of an inch or so, the dead matter of foul brood will stretch out like spittle anywhere from half an inch to a couple of inches. When it shows up like this, one can be very sure that he has before him the real foul brood. If he also finds the typical glue-pot odor is present and the cuppiess of the cells take on an appearance like those shown in the engravings, he does not need to go to the trouble of writing to the Bureau of Entomology of the United States government to find out whether he has full brood, but had best begin his treatment at once.
There is a kind of pinhole perforation that is perfectly normal in healthy brood, and should not be confounded with the verforations for foul brood. Sometimes in not weather the bees leave their young areheaded, as it were; that is, there will be small openings in the cappings; but these openings are circular, and in the center of he cell; and if one peeps through he will see that the grubs are white, and that all is well. But beginners who have discovered his peculiar condition have jumped to the conclusion that it was foul brood, without line investigation. The matter is here mentioned so that they may not be confused.
Treatment and cure of american full brood.