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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



July 10, 1902. 



Objects to be accomplished, and methods to be em- 

 ployed, toward increasing- the usefulness and efficiency of 

 our organization, is a problem you must all help solve with 

 a view to the future : and in order to encourage thought 

 and study on this subject I would suggest that it be one of 

 the chief subjects for every convention. It is a subject 

 that requires thought and study, and I trust you will give it 

 such. 



It is my opinion that the time for discussions at these 

 conventions should mostly be devoted to questions pertain- 

 ing to the upholding and advancement of our commercial 

 interests ; and questions pertaining to the work or manage- 

 ment of the apiary should be left for the institutes. 



I announce with pleasure progress in organization in 

 this State. Since our last meeting, Monroe, Oswego, and 

 Onondaga Counties have organized auxiliary societies, and 

 bee-keepers in other counties have signified their intention 

 of doing likewise. 



It has been the aim of this Association to deserve the 

 respect not only of the bee-keepers in the State and out, but 

 of all classes and of every vocation. That you have 

 achieved such respect is no more a source of gratification 

 than the fact that you maj' deserve it. It is not my inten- 

 tion to boast of what, as an organization, you have accom- 

 plished, but I mention these facts as 



•' Footprints, that, perhaps another. 

 Sailing o'er life's solemn main, 

 A forlorn and shipwrecked brother. 

 Seeing, shall take heart again." 



It is not necessary for me to dwell upon the results of 

 experiments conducted by the Experiment Station in 1900, 

 as they were given by Prof. Beach and Prof. Lowe at our 

 last meeting, and are a matter of record. Prof. Lowe, the 

 Station Entomologist, is on the program, and will give you 

 an account of his experiments that are of interest to bee- 

 keepers, and which were conducted last season. 



Article II of our Constitution fixes the time and place of 

 the annual meeting of this Association. Present or future 

 conditions may make it desirable to amend said article, so 

 we can meet at some other time and place. It has been 

 suggested that we meet at the same place the day following 

 the State Fruit-Growers' convention. This would enable 

 those who wanted to attend both conventions a chance to 

 do so without additional traveling expenses. It would give 

 all the benefit of reduced railroad rates. It would be a 

 mutual benefit to members of both Associations ; and the 

 secretary of the Fruit-Growers' Association assures me that 

 in arranging for reduced railroad rates he can look out for 

 both associations as easily as for one. I would respectfully 

 call your attention to the matter. 



The premiums offered by the State Fair Commission on 

 products of the apiary are not equitable or just. A com- 

 mittee should be named by this Association to confer with 

 the State Fair Commission, and insist that justice be done 

 our pursuit in this matter ; or such other steps taken to 

 secure the desired result as you may deem advisable. 



At your last annual meeting you recommended that the 

 enforcement of that portion of the pure-food law relating 

 to adulterated honey be transferred to the Department of 

 Agriculture. As chairman of your legislative committee I 

 took immediate steps to comply with your wishes. The 

 attention of the Commissioner of Agriculture was called to 

 the matter, and I was assured that a bill would be intro- 

 duced, which, in connection with other matters, would 

 accomplish the desired result. Such a bill was introduced. 

 Senate Bill No. 196, familiar to most of you as " Senator 

 Ambler's Pure-Food Bill ;" but owing to the determined 

 opposition of the baking powder manufacturers it was 

 finally defeated. 



On investigation I find there is a question if our present 



law on adulteration could be properly enforced — in fact, I 

 am convinced it is not what we want. There is much com- 

 plaint of adulteration, and you are urged to take steps to 

 prevent it if possible. The recent advance in the price of 

 honey will have a tendency to increase the practice. Sam- 

 ples analj'zed by the Connecticut Experiment Station, in 

 1898 and 1896, are suggestive ; here are the figures : Out of 

 37 samples analyzed in 1898, 5 were pure, 22 doubtful, and 

 10 certainly adulterated ; in 1896, out of 48 samples ana- 

 lyzed, but 7 were pure, the balance either adulterated or 

 doubtful ; and several of these samples were manufactured 

 in this State. We can not afford to wait longer for a gen- 

 eral pure-food bill. 



All things considered, after taking counsel and advice 

 of chemists and others of experience in this work, I would 

 recommend that we secure, if possible, a new law relative to 

 the adulteration, misbranding, imitation of and deception 

 in the sale of liquid or extracted honey. As chairman of 

 your legislative committee, I have prepared a bill for your 

 consideration, which, if it meets your approval and be- 

 comes a law, is intended to prevent misbranding aiad adul- 

 teration ; such bill is not yet before you, but with your per- 

 mission I will depart long enough from the regular order to 

 explain some of its provisions, with a brief explanation of 

 the whys and wherefores ; so you will more readily under- 

 stand them when it is reported. 



It is intended strictly as a honey-producers' and honey- 

 consumers' bill ; it is intended to affect no other product as 

 long as such product is not branded with the word " honey." 

 Briefly stated, it does not prohibit the mixing of other in- 

 gredients with honey ; but it does prohibit the branding of 

 such mixture as " honey," and the branding of any product 

 " honey " which is not pure honey. If the glucose-mixers 

 want to raise the grade of their product by the addition of 

 honey, I do not believe we can prevent them doing so if 

 they sell it for just what it is, and I know of no reason why 

 we should want to prevent them or anybody using honey ; 

 but we can and should prevent their branding their mixture 

 "honey," or the branding of any product honey which is 

 not pure honey. 



In order that my position may not be misunderstood, 

 let us look at the question from another standpoint and say 

 that glucose is adulterated with honey. Now, I do not be- 

 lieve such adulteration would hurt us, or anybody, if such 

 product could not be sold for "honey." " Honey " is the 

 natural product of the honey-bee and the trade-mark of the 

 honey-producer. I believe the courts will sustain that posi- 

 tion without exception, and we should zealously maintain 

 it against all comers. Perhaps further explanation at this 

 time will be improper. I trust the matter will receive your 

 earnest consideration at the proper time. If we have a 

 law it should be honey-tight, enacted with a view of being 

 enforced ; there should be no holes in it, and the bill must 

 be carefully drawn. 



In conclusion, let me urge you to combat the idea that 

 honey is a luxury. We know it to be a valuable saccharine 

 food, and why should we not maintain such fact at every 

 opportunity ? Encourage home consumption ; no person is 

 worthy of the name of honey-producer, no matter how ex- 

 tensively he is engaged, who will not do all in his power to 

 increase consumption at home. 



Now that the price of honey has advanced, try to main- 

 tain prices. There is no reason why the producer should 

 not receive good returns for his time and money invested. 



A word in regard to the series of Bee-Keepers' Insti- 

 tutes may not be out of place : A speaker is furnished for 

 these institutes by the Department of Agriculture, through 

 its Bureau of Farmers' Institutes : dates, places, and 

 speakers for the same must be arranged for some time in 



