1897. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



887 



To Help Stop the Adulteration of Honey. 



By C. p. DADANT. 



It looks now as if it were impossible for the two Bee- 

 Keepers' Unions to unite, as their leaders evidently disagree. 

 This is much to be regretted, for " in union is strength." We 

 must, however, do the best under the circumstances, and try 

 to make both of these associations useful to the general bee- 

 keeper. 



It appears that the new association is likely to undertake 

 the prevention of adulteration of honey, which the old Union 

 has considered out of its scope. If this is done, and done 

 properly, both of these associations may live and be useful. 



In an editorial in Gleanings for May, Editor Root recom- 

 mends that the New Union take steps to procure pure food 

 laws, beginning with the State of Illinois, and recommends 

 that Mr. Stone and myself be sent to the State Legislature to 

 button-hole the members so as to obtaiu the passage of such a 

 law. Mr. Root has evidently more faith in my capacity as a 

 lobbyist than I have myself, for I would make a sorry poli- 

 tician. 



But let me ask, Is it really necessary to have more laws 

 than we now have to prevent the sale of glucose under the 

 label of honey ? Can a man sell you salt for sugar, or dust 

 for pepper, garlic far onions, or silver for gold, with impu- 

 nity ? If so, we are not a ci.vilized race, and ail the vaunts of 

 the so-called progressive men are empty bubbles. 



I am not a lawyer, and perhaps my reasoning goes astray, 

 but, in my opinion, we need less laws than action. If, with 

 the present existing laws, we were to cause an examination 

 and analysis to be made of the honey sold by suspicious firms, 

 and, upon evidence of adulteration, if we were to give them 

 a notice that they must discontinue to proffer such goods 

 under the name of honey ; if we were to sue them for selling 

 glucose under the label of a better article; if we were to give 

 notice to the buyers, especially the small dealers through the 

 country, that the adulterated goods of these firms would be 

 followed, and the sale of them prevented by suits — I believe 

 that we could, perhaps not do away altogether, but decrease 

 the sale of these goods to such an extent that no damage 

 would any longer be done to our industry. 



I have seen adulterated honey on the counters of some of 

 our grocers here at home. After I told them that it was not 

 pure they discontinued buying it. Yet there was evidently 

 some profit in it for them, for they could sell it at a price that 

 would destroy the competition of pure honey. But these men 

 were honest, and did not wish to knowingly sell a spurious 

 article. Two or three wholsesale firms, in Keokuk, Iowa, 

 kept this adulterated stuff. If I had been able to go to them 

 with a statement of analysis of the honey, or rather of the 

 glucose in question, backt by a Bee-Keepers' Union well or- 

 ganized and ready for a fight in the interest of its stock- 

 holders, it is my opinion that I would have had no trouble in 

 getting these folks to drop the handling of those goods. 



There are scoundrels in this world, but there are plenty 

 of men who will not support a fraud if they know it to be a 

 fraud. The majority is honest. If it were not so, the laws 

 would be made in the interest of the dishonest. What we 

 need more than anything else is publicity and information 

 that will enlighten the public. Do not tell me that the people 

 like to be humbugged. They do not, but In many cases they 

 are unable to judge for themselves. 



Such Is the case with honey. Too many people still think 

 that to be good, honey must be liquid, and pass judgment 

 more upon the looks than upon the taste of what they buy. 

 That is why fraud is so easy in the honey line. The consumer 

 helps the swindler. But the consumer can be enlightened 

 and made to discern the true article. It takes some time, it is 

 true, but if we strike at the root, by informing the middle- 

 man, in an equivocal manner, we will soon succeed. 



What if we pass a pure food law, supposing that our legis- 

 lators cared for it enough to accede to our requests ! We 

 would still have to see that the law was enforced. Let us go 

 at it now and see that the present laws are enforced. I be- 

 lieve we have enough to serve our purpose. 



Of what use is a law that is not enforced ? To what pur- 

 pose is the liquor law, in most cities of Iowa ? But whenever 

 the people are so educated that they wish it, the evil will soon 

 be stopt. So it is with adulteration. Let the bee-keepers 

 once decide that it must be stopt, and it soon will be. 



Hancock Co., 111. 



Cheap Uncapping-Can — Fumigating Honey. 



BV C. DAVENl'OKT. ' 



Soon after commencing to extract honey last season some- 

 thing like a large uncappiug-can was found to be so much of 

 a necessity that wo could not wait the time that would neces- 

 sarily elapse before we could send and get one, so one was 

 made which answers every purpose as well as one that could 

 be bought — in fact, I believe better, for being larger it will 

 hold more cappiugs, and will probably last longer than one 

 made of tin. It cost $1.50, and about one hour's work to 

 make it. As those offered for sale cost $7.00, I saved $5.50, 

 besides what the freight would have been. As there are prob- 

 ably some who will need one the coming season, and who, like 

 myself, are not adverse to saving a few dollars when possible, 

 I will tell how mine was made : 



An alcohol barrel was sawed in two, so that one part 

 would be about as long again as the other. The head was re- 

 moved from the end of the long part, and wire-cloth fastened 

 over this end ; the wire-cloth used being large enough so that 

 it would fold up a few inches all around the outside to fasten 

 it. The second hoop was removed, the wire-cloth placed on, 

 and the hoop then driven back over it as far as it would go. A 

 number of small holes were made through the iron hoop, and 

 tacks driven in them through the wire-cloth and into the wood 

 of the barrel. This part was then set, or telescoped, into the 

 other part of the barrel, as far as it would go, which left room 

 enough between the wire-cloth and the bottom to hold all the 

 honey that would drain through when the upper part was 

 filled with cappings. A molasses gate was put in the lower 

 part to draw off the honey, and a light frame-work made of 

 planed lath was placed over the top to support the combs 

 while uncapping them. 



For a cover, when not in use, a large piece of cotton-cloth 

 and a wooden hoop large enough to slip over the cloth and 

 upper part of the barrel and hold the cloth in place was used. 

 No stay or support was used between the wire-cloth and the 

 bottom of the barrel, nor did it appear that one was necessary, 

 for the upper part has a numberof times been full of cappings 

 and broken comb honey, and the wire bottom held all right. 



SULPHUBING COMB HONEY. 



Sometime ago I described my method of sulphuring comb 

 honey, and there was some comment made because I did not 

 give the exact amount of sulphur and length of time required 

 to kill the moths. The amount of sulphur to be used would 

 vary with the amount of honey sulphured at the one time, and 

 the time required would also vary somewhat, depending upon 

 how tight the supers fitted together, and as to whether it was 

 done in-doors or out-doors. 



To kill moths in surplus comb honey without injuring its 

 appearance or flavor, has been with me one of the most serious 

 problems connected with bee-keeping, and last season a bee- 

 keeper drove nearly -iO miles to see me on account of moths. 

 He said they had already destroyed over $50 worth of honey 

 for him, and he was afraid they would ruin all he had, for he 

 said it was impossible for him to sulphur honey long enough 

 to kill the moths without coloring it, either by the method I 



