The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-08-06

"While California is the greatest
es bee ranching or honey-making
region in the world, owing to the
excellence ofits climate and the end
less variety of its honey-yielding
flowers, the quality Of its honey
does not excel, even ifit equals. that
of the honey made in New York
State said a large wholesale deal
er.
"One of the most extensive bee
culturists in this or any other coun-
try" he continued is Captain
Hetherington, whose apiaries along
the Cherry Valley Creek, in Schoh-
arie county annually turn out over
100000 pounds ofthe choicest honey.
1t takes nine men and two steam
saw mills five weeks to prepare the
lumber for the boxes in which the
honey is made by his bees. Nearly
80, 600 panes of glass, about SIX
inches square, are used in these
boxes. Capt. Hetherington has at
work this season nearly $500 swarms
of bees. Those are not all on his
OWN premises, but are scattered
among the orchards and fields Of
farmers along the creek, to whom
he pays rent Tor the privilege OF
MS bees working in the clover,
buckwheat, or whatever blossoms
are in season on the farms. The
care of these bees does not fall up
on the owner of the land. Capt.
Hetherington keeps men and teams
constantly employed looking out
for them. He has received as much
as s25.000 for one seasons crop.
"Another large York State bee
keeper is c. b. Isham of Peoria. Up
to 1876 there was no market in Eng
land for American honey. The Eng
lish dealers would not handle it. and
the periodicals devoted to the inter
ests of bee keepers in that country
cried it down in every possible way.
The reason for this was that they
knew the superiority of American
honey, both in favor and appear
ance. over the British article, and
were aware if it was once introduced
into London it would be q great
blow to the trade in home supply.
There was a smart Yankee named
Hoge working for a grocery in this
city, and he assured him that, if they
would give him commission, he
would manage to place American
honey on the English market. \
large lot of Isham's honey, which
the firm was then handling, was
packed just as it came from the
hives, and Hoge was sent to London
with It. He found he needed all
his Yankee ingenuity and acute
ness, for he met with universal op-
position among the dealers. He
labored with them for weeks, to no
purpose. In conversation one day
with the proprietor ofthe hotel at
which he stopped. the latter told
Hoge that If he could manage to
have his honey introduced or the
table of Queen Victoria it would
solve the problem at once, for if she
was pleased with it she would com
municate to Hoge through Lord
Stewart. This communication once
made the public would make Ameri-
can honey the fashion in Eng
land.
"A former Lord Stewart was a
friend of the hotel keeper, and was
at that time engaged in the manu-
iacture and sale of pickles. This
man landlord introduced to
Hoge. They dined together. Hoge
gave the pickleman an immense
order for his goods. to be sent to
the American grocer. More wine
followed, and before the ex-Lord
Stewart went away he promised to
use his influence to have the Ameri-
cans honey introduced on the royal
table.
He succeeded in inducing the
then Lord Stewart, Sir John Cowell,
to accept a box of the honey for the
Queen, and TO serve it on her table.
The Queen was so delighted with
the honey that she directed the Lord
Stewart to present her thanks to
the donor, to order a supply of ten
cases at once, and to keep Ameri-
can honey constantly on the royal
table.
"Hoge lost no time in making this
communication public. The conse-
quence was that the opinion of Amer
lean honey changed at once, and
Hoge came back to New York Sc
cretly laughing at the Britishers.
but rejoicing over an order for half
a million pounds of American hon
ey for the English markets which he
carried in his pocket. The demand
for it increased ever since. and the
trade that was started in New York
State honey is now largely shared
in by the California product" !"