lo Nov., 1908.] Export Trade in Honey. 643 



It has been said that the prejudice against Australian honey arose from 

 some one in England mixing eucalyptus oil with honey* This statement, 

 which has been current in Australia for many years, was even referred to 

 b} the representative of one of the Australian States at the Congress of 

 Franco-British Beekeepers and published in the press reports. 



Whether eucalyptus oil was ever added to honey or not, or whether 

 the rumour has hindered the introduction of Victorian honev in Europe, 

 cannot be determined, but I am certain that it has been, to a great extent, 

 the cause of honey producers in Victoria having failed so far to realize 

 the true position of our industry in regard to oversea markets. 



American Comments Favorable as Regards Density. 



In America I submitted samples to the A. I. Root Company of Medina, 

 Ohio, which is the largest manufacturer of beekeepers' supplies, and they 

 are also dealers in honey, and are publishers of the well-known journal 

 " Gleanings in Bee Culture." Necessarily they are thoroughly posted in 

 every thing pertaining to apiculture. Mr. E. R. Root, and j\ir. Warren, 

 the honey salesman of the firm, commented favorably on the density of 

 Victorian honey, which they considered very suitable for manufacturing 

 purposes. I was informed that nearly tM'o-thirds of the extracted honey 

 produced in the United States is used for manufacturing purposes. 

 Biscuit manufacturers and baking companies use enormous quantities of 

 honey, principallv the darker kinds, such as buckwheat. They buy by 

 the car load or even by train loads. Honey is used in the United States 

 much more extensivelv and for a greater variety of industrial purposes 

 than it appears to be in Victoria. For table use my samples were 

 pronounced to be somewhat strong. 



At Marengo, 111., which is 60 miles west of Chicago, I called on Dr. 

 C. C. Miller, an authority on honey and probablv the best known 

 autlioritv in apicultural matters in the world. His opinion on the samples 

 submitted coincides with that of Messrs. Root and Warren. At 

 Washington, D.C., I visited the Federal Department of Agriculture. 

 Dr. E. F. Phillips, who is in charge of apiculture, was much interested 

 in the samples of honev on account of their density. I left some large 

 samples with him for investigation and comparison with other honeys, 

 and I expect in due course to recei\'e reports of the results. 



Pessimistic Views of London Dealers. 



Messrs. Trengrouse and Co., of Toolev-street, London, E.C., have, on 

 several occasions, handled consignments of Victorian honey. They found 

 the transactions unsatisfactory both to shippers and to themselves. They 

 consider our honev unsuitable for table purposes under present conditions, 

 and that the prices obtainable for manufacturing purposes are too low to 

 satisfy producers in Victoria, in consequence of the competition of West 

 Indian and South American importations. 



At the request of Mr. Taverner I called on Messrs. Cosmelli, ]Meyer 

 and Co., of East-Cheap, London, who had previouslv reported rather 

 favorably on the prosi)ects of an export trade in Victorian honey. 

 During a lengthy interview and discussion of the merits of Victorian 

 honey and the prices obtainable, Messrs. Cosmelli, Mever and Co. sought 

 tf, impress upon me the necessitv of forwarding to London only honey 

 free from the eucalvptus and tallow flavour, to which thev had directed 

 attention some time ago in a communication to the Department. I pointed 

 cut that variability in aroma is due to the simultaneous blooming of 



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