644 Journal of Agriculture. [lo Nov., 1,308 . 



different species of trees, during certain seasons, and consequently the 

 character of the honey as regards aroma was quite beyond the control of 

 the beekeeper; that honey, even from the same source, varies in colour 

 i;nd aroma in different years — a heavy honey flow, that is, a plentiful 

 secretion of nectar in the blossoms, producing a milder and lighter coloured 

 honev, probably due to smaller percentage of essential oils and colouring 

 matter; that artificial bee pasture is altogether impracticable and there- 

 fore honey of a certain kind cannot be produced to order. A market for 

 the honey from our natural flora had therefore to be found. 



AJessrs. A. Bredenberg and Co., of Monument Buildings, held out no 

 hope of our honey ever getting as table honey a footing on the English 

 market at anything like the price now obtainable for English honey. For 

 rr.anufacturing purposes large supplies of Jamaica and South American are 

 nearly always available and prices are kept low by the cheapness of sugar. 

 They considered the honey too strong for table use. They do a large 

 business in Jamaica honey with prices, at the time, ranging from 20s. 

 per cwt. for dark up to 32s. for fine set white. The latter would pass 

 as European. Australian honey was then offering at 28s. in i cwt. cases 

 containing two tins each. I obtained a sample of it and found it to be 

 first-clriss from our point of view, and evidently a natural blend of Red 

 Gum and Yellow Box honey. 



Brighter Prospects m Germany. 



At Hamburg I called on several firms of honey importers. Mr. 

 Schwiecker, of Neuerwall, said the honey had too pronounced a flavour 

 for table use. For manufacturing it would have to compete against other 

 foreign honeys. He would have liked me to quote prices and state 

 quantities that could be shipped, but owing to advices received since I left 

 Victoria I could not do so. Mr. Basedow of Astheimer and Co., 2 

 Rolandsbriicke, at once detected the Australian aromas in the samples and 

 objected to it for table use. Mr. Hauschild, of 16 Alsterdamm, is a 

 recognised honey expert ; his opinion was identically the same as that ex- 

 pressed by others consulted previously. He valued the samples at 15s. to 

 16s. per 50 kilo (100 pounds). A number of retailers of honey in different 

 towns were approached. Some expressed the opinion that, though the honey 

 submitted was rather strong, if regular supplies were guaranteed and it 

 could be sold at prices below those of home-produced honey a trade could 

 Yat built up with a class of consumers at present using little or no honey 

 on account of high prices. 



How Markets may be Created. 



Several people whomi I met and others I heard of, who had eaten 

 Australian honey for some time had acquired a taste for it and did not then 

 notice any peculiar flavour. The honey had either been presented to 

 them by friends in Australia, or it had been bought, the purchasers being 

 unaware of its origin. A continuouis use had educated them to a taste 

 for it. 



I am of opinion that if suitable means were adopted of introducing our 

 honey and a continuous supply maintained, a market, at prices satisfactory 

 to the producer,^ could be obtained. Importers and dealers are at present 

 disinclined to make special efforts on our tehalf owing to the smallness 

 of supplies, and their uncertain arrival. 



Amongst a section of Victorian honey producers a belief exists that 

 there is a ring of brokers in London and that honey from Victoria is sold 



