While commonly used in its natural state as a spread on hot bread and cakes, honey may be employed in cooking wherever sugar may be used. The same beneficial effect upon health will follow as a result from its use in the natural state. Foods prepared with it are better and will remain in fresh condition longer than if prepared with sugar or sirup. Bread and cakes prepared with honey will not dry out as with sugar, because honey attracts moisture. It has long been employed in the household in general cooking, as well as in canning and in the baking of many desirable kinds of bread, and numerous varieties of cakes, gems, snaps, and cookies. When used in sweetening tea and coffee it does not cause any loss of aroma. Its recent substitution for sugar is causing it again to be employed in making pies, puddings, and sauces. Confectioners use honey freely, and might well use it more freely than they do in making honey nuts, candies, creams, butter scotch, and popcorn balls.
In Turkey, a great honey-producing country, where bee culture is scientifically followed with the noted oriental strains of bees, a popular sweet, known as rose honey marmalade, is manufactured. It is made from the leaves of roses and honey and combines the exquisite perfume of the former with the delightful flavor of the latter in an unusual product of the nature and texture of a marmalade due to incorporating the rose petals with the honey.
Beekeeping Permits Serious Handicaps
Beekeeping, like many other lines of agriculture, presents an exceptionally attractive and profitable vocation to the disabled men of the war. The handling of bees is interesting and encourages the most valuable exercise, but the muscular effort is small. It probably requires less constant devotion, except during the main honey-flow, than any other country pursuit. Therefore it is especially attractive to the convalescing or others who have recovered from wounds, even if they have lost one or more limbs.
Though handicapped in various ways you may confidently hope to become as near 100 per cent efficient in bee culture as in any other work. A beekeeper should, however, have one good hand and arm.
Uncle Sam offers you every possible assistance in the way of artificial limbs, interchangeable devices, and vocational training for the greatest possible success in bee culture. Such opportunity was not offered the disabled veterans of the Civil War, Mr. John Donnegan, of Seguin, Tex., whose photograph shows him using a special strap which he devised to serve in place of his missing hand in moving honey supers, hives, and frames of comb. He has made a wonderful success and spent the greater part of his life as a beekeeper. The ingenious use of a strap around his shoulders with a snap that can easily be attached to a screweye placed in the various articles to be handled, but poorly takes the place of appliances and an artificial hand and arm, which are now furnished free of expense to our disabled soldiers.
The American Bee Journal and Gleanings in Bee Culture find many successful apiarists who are partially incapacitated and who would be poorly fitted for most other lines of work. One of these, Mr. Harvey E. Nicholls, of Iowa, when 21 years old lost both legs—one below the thigh, the other below the knee. He did not give up to live on charity, but grew ambitious to make his life a success. He selected beekeeping, purchased a colony of bees and a good book on beekeeping that he might study them and neighboring apiaries together. He realized for the season from the one hive 80 pounds of surplus honey and enough for the bees, which, properly packed, wintered so well that they were strong in the spring for gathering nectar and starting an apiary.
He secured three old hives and two 2-pound packages of bees, also two colonies which he handled on the shares for half. He transferred the bees from the old boxes to standard 10-framed hives. The season’s results were 12 colonies and 400 pounds of honey. He also represented the Honey Producers’ Supply Co., making something on the side. The next spring, 1918, two more colonies were purchased, added to the dozen, and moved 5 miles into the country, where 45 colonies more were handled for half of the surplus honey. The supply factory work was almost entirely dropped that the bees might have undivided attention. A second-hand Ford was purchased on time, which an artificial leg enabled him to drive as well as anyone.
The results of the season from May 1 to September 9 were his own 14 colonies increased to 20, the 45 colonies on the shares increased to 85, and cash returns over $800. By adopting the slogan suggested by the Bureau of Entomology, “Keep more bees; keep bees better,” he can doubtless greatly increase his income.
He may be appropriately called a self-made man. In addition to a successful start as a beekeeper he is studying to complete a course in high school. He has helped support his grandmother and sister, and, believing in tithing, has given one-tenth of his earnings to charities.