Winged Sweetness

Wheu Moses promised to bring the children of Israel to a laúd flowing with milk and honey, ihat promtse meant far more than it would to any modern natioa. For in those days no nation on earth kuew the art of making sugar. No, nor for many centuries afterward. Wtien Home and Greece were in the height of their power houey was the only tweetening known to civilizaiion. Still later Richard the Lion Heart, the leader of the orusaders, never tasted sugar. Luter yet, William, the Conqueror of England and, still later, Wallace and Bruce, of bcotland, kuew not sugar. For ages hmiey was the world's reliance for BWeetB. Honey was used to sweeten wme; to uiiike lemonade with various acid juices; in all cooking; to make all confectionary and candies. Barley sugar in a ruúe lonn came first; but other sugar3 rapidly followed the discovery of America How aucient is the art of rearing tame bees is unknown. But, AS FAR BACK AS HISTORY OOES, even in the most ancient Egyptian records, honey is spoken of. The mention of "wild honey" in the Bible is an indication that tame honey was common; as, indeed, it must have been to supply the enormous demand. Honey is also mentioned in the other ancient Bibles of the human race, as well as in the Jewish Bible, and in such a way as to prove that bee culture must have been a commou art. In Greciau history, and also in Roman, various localities. as was natural when honey was so important au article. are mentioned for the superior flavor of their honey, and also as wonderfully rich proviuces, because honey was abundant there. Whether the arl of bee culture was carried to so great a degree of skill and science in ancient times as it is to-day is a problem; but there is reason to suspect that the apiarists of three or four tliousands of years ago were extremely skillful. Certainly to-day the ltalian bees, that are deemed so superior, are the descendants of the superior bees reared by the bee keepers who BUPFL1ED THE FEASTS OF THE ROMAN EMTEKOKS with choice honey, and the very name of the choice Syrian bees of modern hives is a reminder of their immense antiquity. Probably the Syrian bees of to-day are not as highly cultivated as they were when Assyria was in her glory Syria has long been a decaying country, going back waru uarbansm froin her aucient high civilization aud splendidly orgaaized industries in the days when her gardens and her honey were the pride of the Oriënt, and when her splendid cities and grand palaces were the wonder of the nations. And yet her long neglected bees, or long reared only by ignorant and degraded keepers, arfe to-day one of the two most highly valued varieties of cultivated bees in the world. The bee is not by nature a native of many countries; yet their cultivation by man has spread bees into all countries that pretend to any degree of civilization, and escaping colonies have caused wild bees whereyer they can possibly sustain the chínate. In tropical countries their cultivation is said to be estopped by their speedily learning to cease storing their sweets for winter except in small quanti ties. Xevertheless wild bees are found in most tropical countiries, though with different habits irom oure. Cultivated bees have acquired, from centuries of inheritance, A TOHDBRFUX FACIIJTV OF ADAPTATION to climate, like the horse, the dog and other domestic animáis and fowls, that they now fiourish in climates so cold tha nature would never have taken them there. How the world managed to get on so long without sugar is a thing to wonder at. Think what we should do if suddenly deprived of sugar! Yet there were mighty cooks in the aucient days, and luxurious feasts; and Roman and Grecian families of the higher classes set good tables, even judged by our modern tastes, and kept pretty comfortable homes. No doubt an ancient Roman cook, if restored to life today, could teach our most skillful housewives and caterers how to prepare all sorts of delicious viands and preserves with honey in place of sugar, that might be superior in delicacy to most of what we consider our best of sugared cakes pastries, preserves, jellies and confections Most large expositions and fairs in which aparian products figure now offer premiums for cooking, preserving, jellying and candyiug with honey. In this the Detroit Internacional Fair and Exposition to be held Aus;. SB to Sept. 5, sets a notable example this year, and includes the delicious vinegar in its list. Undoubtedly the ancients were far behind modems, especially Americans, in their bee apparatus. Invention wag not highly prized nor at all protected by governments in the old historie ages, as with us. Henee the hives of the ancients were rude, though the old, typical, pine apple shaped bee hive, that figures so largely in pictures, is a very ancient form, and figures in the most antique Syrian drawings and sculptures. But those old bee keepers had no patent hives, frames, comb foundations, extractor, or tools of any and all sorts, such as modems use. However, they were up to all the tricks of the trade. No modern could teach them anything about diluting honey, or palming off inferior grades, or keeping over and remelting, or any other fraud that can possibly be performed without the aid of BUgar. In fact, ancient history record that the Greeks knew of a way to keep honey liquid for a long period by soms sort of adulteration that was difflcult to detect, but reduced its sweetness materially. They also knew how to give a fresh boquet and odor to old and diluted honey Such is THK IMMORTALITT OF RASCALITY. The Apiarian Department of the Dfttroit International Fair and Exposition will, this year, be one of the most important ever held in America. The entries are very large from the best bee keepers on the continent, who will exhibit bees, hives, comba, honey, honey cooking, confectionery and preserves, and all manner of tools, implements and conveniences for the business, with explanation of methods, and all bee products, making the most instructive and interesting exhibition ever ghown in this line. Besides there will be everything else at this great fair that c.in attract, amuse, delight or inatruct- procession, concerts, gameg, spectiicles, iireworks, pictures, machinery, stock, ballooo ascensions, and the magniticent n'ery drama nightly of The Destruction of Pompeii by volcanic eruption- f ree daily to all who attend