230 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mau. 15. 



Mr. Dinant laffod, and, says he. " Why, Zed. 

 you're quite a tilosofer. It does look as if you've 

 made a point there; but then the shallow 

 frames are not just the same as sections, for 

 they're not out up into 4 inches square, and 

 they have no separators. Perhaps, too. the 

 frames of foundation are mixed with drawn- 

 out combs. At any rate, nearly all agree that 

 S frames is best. And nearly all the large hon- 

 ey-producers of comb honey use 8 frames— a 

 thing they wouldent be likely to do if it diddent 

 pay better than 10 frames." 



Zed diddent say any more, but after they was 

 gone he seemed to be a studyin over it. He 

 seems to think the bees ought to work in sec- 

 tions about the same a^ in them shallow fraiues 

 of foundation. .Iakk Smith. 

 ^ ^ 



ADULTERATION OF HONEY. 



ITS OPEX AX1> rxniS(UlSKI> PKACTICK IN CAI 

 lFt>i;NlA. 



By Pntf. A. J. Cotth. 



Tins subject received much attention at the 

 Los Angeles meeting of the California State 

 Association. l)ne of the members had just 

 come from San Francisco, where he had been 

 engaged in aiTanging the honey from Southern 

 California for exhibition at the Mid- winter 

 Fair. While at the California metropolis his 

 attention was called to the matter of honey 

 adulteration in the city. Upon investigation 

 he found that the report was more than war- 

 ranted. He had no trouble in discovering, not 

 only the fact of adulteration, but those who 

 were engaged in the business. Although the 

 product was sold as honey — pure honey — yet 

 these dealers in a palpable fraud did not hesi- 

 tate to acknowledge their business, and told 

 freely that they used glucose extensively in 

 producing their "pure honey."' They did not 

 adulterate— at least, so they said— for the east- 

 ern markets, but only for this coast trade. It 

 would not pay to bring glucose to California, to 

 send back to the East, which seems a reasona- 

 ble statement. 



It will be remembered, that the samples an- 

 alyzed by Prof. Wiley, and found adulterated 

 with glucose, were labeled as produced in Cali- 

 fornia. I remember one was labeled "'Pure 

 California Swt>et- clover Honey." The eastern 

 producer— or. better, mixer— was not informed, 

 or he would have put white sage in place of 

 white clover, as white clover is not a honey- 

 plant of any importance west of the Rocky 

 Mountains. This probably explains the •" Muth 

 samples.*' They were not only frauds, but the 

 fraud went so far as to steal Mr. Muth's good 

 name and reputation. Indeed. I think Mr. 

 Muth says that some of the labels bearing his 

 name were such as he had never used. We can 

 readily believe that a man dishonest enough to 

 sell a fraudulent article, would not hesitate to 



profit still further by attixing the lutme of some 

 well-known and reliable dealer. This gentle- 

 man brought some samples of glucose from San 

 Fraiuisco. and. at my suggestion, our good 

 friend Prodbeck took this home and carefully 

 melted it and niixed it with lioney, one-fourth, 

 one-third, and one-half, if I remember correct- 

 ly, just as I did one year ago with glucose pro- 

 cured from a wholesale confectioner of Lan- 

 sing. Mich. Mr. B. brought these samples, to- 

 gether with the pure honey, to the convention 

 the next day, as I did a year ago. and with a 

 like result. I believe I was able to detect the 

 samples in order of adulteration, although I 

 tasted of one right after another, which, of 

 course, is not a fair way. as. after one has sam- 

 pled a mixture, the taste so reiuains in his 

 mouth that he is less certain. It is not at all 

 difhcult. even then, to detect adulteration, as it 

 is easv to separate the genuine honey from the 

 mixture. Others, at both conventions, were no 

 less able than myself to detect the spurious. 

 This glucose mixture is not only easily detected, 

 but. worse, it leaves a taste in the mouth which 

 is far from pleasant. It reminds me of the un- 

 pleasant etTect of taking brass into the mouth. 

 I am sure that such an article would soon go 

 begging on our table, even though we supposed 

 that it was pure honey. 



There are. then, two serious counts against 

 this honey adulteration. First, it tills our mar- 

 kets with a cheap, fraudulent article, and so 

 greatly injures the market for the genuine. 

 Secondly, it is palpably inferior, and would 

 soon make the consumption of honey, good or 

 mixed, much less. I stated this at the conven- 

 tion, and all who tasted of the several mixtures 

 were in agreement with me, so far as I heard 

 expressions. Few will continue to buy honey 

 if this fraud is imposed upon them. 



The members of the California association, 

 and I believe they are wise, differ entirely from 

 Mr. Heddon. We believe it possible to stop this 

 nefarious work. We believe it an injury, not 

 only to bee-keepers, but to all who eat honey. 

 We therefore believe it not only right and poli- 

 tic, but our duty, to agitate the matter till this 

 arch-enemy of the bee-keeper is dead and bur- 

 ied beyond all hope of resurrection. 



It was resolved to urge, with all the vehe- 

 mence possible, that laws, both state and na- 

 tional, be enacted, making it a serious offense, 

 punishable by both fine and imprisonment, to 

 manufacture and sell adulterated honey, except 

 under its own name. This means death to the 

 business, as there would be no sale for the stuff 

 under its rightful name. We shall secure these 

 laws. and. thus armed, with the excellent Union 

 to back — or. rather, to lead us— we shall be able 

 to conquer this worst foe to American apicul- 

 ture. 



The California Association appointed a wide- 

 awake committee on legislation, whose duty it 

 shall be to urge upon Congress and upon our 



