AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Ill 



Report of the JVortli American 

 Bee-Keepers' Convention. 



Written for the American Bee Journal 

 BT W. Z. HUTCHINSON. 



(Continued from page 79.) 

 Dr. C. C. Miller, of Marengo, Ills., 

 was down on the programme for an 

 essay on " The Grading of Honey." He 

 wrote the Secretary that he had nothing 

 better to offer than the article that he 

 contributed to Oleanings last June ; and 

 he asked the Secretary to read the arti- 

 cle, which appears on page 454 of 

 Gleanings for June 15th. It reads as 

 follows : 



The Grading of Honey. 



Although exceedingly anxious that 

 before the convention at Washington, 

 some system of grading should be offered 

 that would be so nearly acceptable to all 

 as to meet general acceptance, yet I 

 shrink from any attempt at formulating 

 such a system. The plain truth is, I 

 don't feel that I know enough for such a 

 task. Yet I have made the attempt to 

 do as requested. 



I cannot apologize for the system I 

 offer by saying it is hastily thrown to- 

 gether. It is nothing of the kind. It 

 has been the subject of much care, and 

 the hardest thought I am capable of 

 giving. There is nothing original about 

 it except the string that ties it together. 

 It is a mosaic, made up from all the 

 systems that have been offered, modified 

 somewhat by the discussions I have 

 heard and read. If freely criticised in 

 the right spirit, it is possible that some- 

 thing may be made out of it that shall 

 be satisfactory, even if it be so modified 

 as a result of the criticism that nothing 

 of the original draft can be recognized. 

 But here is the system, having four 

 grades, depending on appearance or 

 condition independent of the source of 

 honey, and four classes of honey : 



Fancy.— Combs straight, white, well filled, 

 firmly fastened to wood on all four sides ; all 

 cells sealed ; no pollen, propolis, nor travel- 

 stain. 



No. 1.— Wood well scraped, or entirely free 

 from propolis ; one side of the section sealed 

 with white cappings, free from pollen, and 

 having all cells sealed except the line of cells 

 next to the wood ; the other side white, or 

 but slightly discolored, with not more than 

 two cells of pollen, and not more than ten 

 cells unsealed beside the line of cells touch- 

 ing the wood ; comb fastened to the wood on 

 four sides. 



No. 2.— Three-fourths of the total surface 

 must be filled and sealed ; wood well scraped 

 of propolis. 



No. 3.— Must weigh at least half as much as 

 a full-weight section. 



There are the four grades. 



For the classes of honey, I would suggest 

 the four already in use, sufficiently under- 

 stood from the names alone ; namely, light, 

 amber, dark, mixed. 



Y®u will see that there is nothing new 

 in any of this. It is hardly probable 

 that it will entirely suit any one. It 

 does not suit me. I have not tried to 

 give what would suit any one man, or 

 set of men. I have merely made an 

 attempt to come as nearly as I could to 

 what all might agree upon, each one 

 making some concession for the general 

 good. If some one has something better 

 as a basis to start with, I shall be not 

 only willing, but glad to see this thrown 

 aside and the better taken in its place. 

 But something must be taken as a basis. 

 It will not do for each one to offer the 

 system that exactly suits him. We'll not 

 get on very fast in that way. 



If no better basis is offered than the 

 one I have given, then let each one look 

 it over and see, not what changes must 

 be made to make the plan entirely ac- 

 ceptable, but, rather, let him see what 

 is the least change necessary to make 

 him willing to agree to the system, tak- 

 ing into account what others, as well as 

 himself, may desire. 



I see I have made the impression that 

 W. C. Frazier's system suits me better 

 than all the rest. That is hardly true, 

 as will be seen from the system I have 

 attempted ; but I like his idea of having 

 a system of grading which does not in- 

 volve the honey itself, leaving that as a 

 separate classification. Others had the 

 same idea, but did not bring it out so 

 clearly, or, at least, it did not strike me 

 so. 



The names of the grades are simple. 

 They are easily understood, both by the 

 producer and consumer. And I don't 

 know why the consumer shouldn't fully 

 understand just what they mean. There 

 will never be a great overstock, I fancy, 

 of honey classed as fancy. Perhaps it is 

 drawing the lines rather tightly to say, 

 " All cells sealed." Possibly a certain 

 number of cells next the wood ought to 

 be allowed unsealed. I think very few 

 have been in the habit of sorting out 



