340 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Mr. Bertrand. (of the State Dairy and Food Commission): I 

 am sorry to hear the last gentleman's remarks. I certainly 

 disagree with him. Suppose he buys some milk in the city 

 that is watered, it does no harm. If he buys milk at five cents 

 a quart and it is watered, does he want to pay five cents for 

 water? You do not want to pay twelve and one-half cents for 

 honey, when glucose costs only one cent. I will say that honey 

 adulteration in this state, I do not think, has been carried on to 

 the extent we thought. There was some honey bought by Mr. 

 Carmoyer from F. H. Hunt, of California, as pure honey. 

 Analysis showed there was 75 jDer cent, or more glucose in it; 

 but they found 75 per cent. Is there any man or woman in this 

 room who wishes to pay honey price and buy glucose? Glu- 

 cose does not harm any one, but does a person want to buy it? 

 We have had a law enacted in regard to the adulteration of 

 honey, and Mr. West will bear me out when I say that the de- 

 partment has been earnest in trying to prohibit the sale of this 

 honey. The laws passed last winter were like all laws passed 

 in a hurry. Mr. Hunt was furnishing a large part of the honey 

 in this state. His honey is now in St. Paul; he is in California. 

 He is beyond our reach. The law gives us no power to prose- 

 cute him, because he is out of our jurisdiction. If it allowed us 

 to confiscate his honey, we would have him. His honey is in 

 St. Paul, and we cannot take it. He is out of the way, and he 

 will take very good care to stay out; and I hope every voice 

 that will be raised here today to speak on this honey question 

 will urge the passage of a law prohibiting the adulteration of 

 foods in every particular, whether it is coifee, sugar or honey. 

 The adulteration may be harmless. We have found coffee 

 which has been gathered from boarding houses and hotels that 

 is coffee grounds which have been dried, pulverized, mixed 

 with rye flour and re-moulded in the shape of a coffee berry. 

 This is sold to the retail merchants who mix it with good coffee 

 and sell it; but 1 do not want any of it. 



Mr. Taylor: I want to explain. If a pickpocket comes along 

 and picks your pocket, are you not harmed? The position I 

 have taken covers the whole ground of adulteration. I just 

 asked that we be considerate. Now, in regard to the lady here. 

 I presume she drinks tea. Now, I call it nasty, but I am en- 

 tirely willing for you to be your own judge. I am the judge of 

 my own taste. 



Mr. Bertrand: I did not wish to be personal or hurt any 

 one's feelings. If the gentleman meant the pocketbook and 

 health also, adulteration could not be carried on without injur- 

 ing one or the other. 



