1896 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



457 



cific, alleging time, place, etc., and be support- 

 ed by competent evidence. 



To the best of my knowledge there has not 

 been a single instance here in California where 

 these conditions have been met. I myself have 

 repeatedly asked parties charging adulteration 

 of honey to furnish particulars, and names of 

 witnesses, in order that at least an effort might 

 be made toward having the guilty ones punish- 

 ed. I generally get nicely snubbed, too, for 

 thus (by implication) doubting the word of the 

 accuser. 



"What! witnesses to prove adulteration? 

 Don't I say so? Do you doubt my word ? " 



No, my friend, I don't doubt it. I regard 

 you as a man of veracity; but even lyo"^ un- 

 supported testimony will not secure a convic- 

 tion. 



" Well, I am not going to waste time hunting 

 witnesses. I have told you that adulteration is 

 practiced. Now you go ahead and stop it;" 

 and straightway he sits down and writes an ar- 

 ticle for the bee-journals about how prevalent 

 the practice of adulteration has become. 



California has a law to " provide against the 

 adulteration of food and drugs," and also a law, 

 crudely drawn as to phraseology, defining what 

 shall constitute " pure extract of honey" (what- 

 ever that may be). Our law makes it a misde- 

 meanor to " manufacture for sale, offer for sale, 

 or sell any drug or article of food which is adul- 

 terated wiihin the meaning of this act." The 

 meaning given in the act, as to food, is: "If 

 any substance or substances have been mixed 

 with it, so as to lower or depreciate, or injuri- 

 ously affect its quality, strength, or purity." 



This, standing alone, would appear to be suf- 

 ficient; but further on in the same act we find 

 this exception: 



^'Provided that the provisions of this act 

 shall not apply to mixtures or compounds rec- 

 ognized as ordinary articles or ingredients of 

 articles of food if each and every package sold 

 or offered for sale be distinctly labeled as mix- 

 tures or compounds, with the name and per 

 cent of each ingredient therein, and are not in- 

 jurious to health." These six concluding words 

 of the exception provide the loophole for adul- 

 terators of honey. Glucose itself is largely 

 adulterated; but, so far as I know now, pure 

 glucose has never been held to be injurious to 

 health. No one is specially charged with the 

 execution of the law, and it seems that " what 

 is everybody's business is nobody's business." 



What we need is, first, a pure-food law, strin- 

 gent in its provisions and national in its appli- 

 cation; second, officers in each State and coun- 

 ty, specially charged with its execution; third, 

 a "campaign of education" directed to the 

 dealers in honey, from the jobber to the retail- 

 er. Bee-keepers should take a deep interest in 

 every step directed toward the prevention of 

 adulteration of food products, for they must see 



that, in the rapidly increasing manufacture of 

 adulterated honey, it is a question of but a very 

 short time until their industry will be destroyed. 



Glucosed honey is placed upon the market by 

 enterprising but unscrupulous dealers, and they 

 have flooded the market now to such an extent 

 that I am told it is in many instances impossi- 

 ble to buy any thing else, as the margin of prof- 

 it is so large on these goods that the dealer is 

 tempted to force the trade on them, although he 

 thereby restricts the sale of honey, adulterated 

 or pure. I have no hesitation in saying that 

 the consumption of honey is restricted and di- 

 minished by the sale of the glucosed article. 



In 1886, Southern California sold about 5000 

 tons, at an average price of $120 per ton, or 

 $600,000. We have decreased year by year until 

 now our production may not exceed 3000 tons, at 

 an average price of S80 per ton, or .*240,000 — a 

 falling off in money value of $360,000. When 

 you consider these figures they are significant, 

 and there must be some reason for this falling - 

 off both in prices and production. I think the 

 principal reason is in the discredit which has 

 been cast upon our honey by the introduction 

 and sale of this glucosed honey to the consum- 

 er. At first the buyer is deceived; the honey 

 does not taste the same to him, and gradually 

 it dawns upon him that adulterated honey has 

 been sold to him as the pure article. What is 

 the consequence ? No consumer ever goes to 

 the store and asks for a can of glucosed honey. 

 He asks for a can or more of honey. The " doc- 

 tored " stuff is handed to him. It has the sem- 

 blance of honey in make and color, and he be- 

 lieves it to be honey. When he and his family 

 partake of it there Is but little taste of honey. 

 The fine flavor and delicate aroma of the pure 

 article are lacking. The result is, it is distaste- 

 ful to him, and he buys no more. Thus the 

 sale is restricted by the avarice of the retailer. 



It may be claimed that glucosed honey is sold 

 for what it is. Perhaps it is by the jobber, and 

 perhaps the retailer buys it for what it is; but 

 the retailer never sells it to the consumer for 

 any thing but pure honey. Now, the continued 

 manufacture and sale of this article means the 

 ultimate total extinction of the industry, so far 

 as extracted honey is concerned. And the total 

 extinction of the extracted-honey industry will 

 be of no material benefit to the comb-honey 

 producer, because comb honey can not be pro- 

 duced at prices the masses can afford to pay, 

 but will always be an article of at least semi- 

 luxury. So, in addition to laws strictly en- 

 forced as to those who will not learn, we should 

 labor to convince the dealer that his interest 

 lies in the direction of pure honey. 



Lang, Cal.. May 9. 



[It may be that there is such a thing as wood- 

 en nutmegs, cinnamon made out of pulverized 

 cigar-boxes, etc., but it is hard for me to be- 

 lieve — almost as incredible as that there are 



