1920 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



159 



the frames over the upper section, a 

 super cover immediately placed over 

 it, and the can inverted over the pile 

 by means of a small rope attached to 

 the upper end of can and a pulley 

 fastened to some support. 



The lower or open end of can rests 

 in the pan of water, closing it abso- 

 lutely air tight. 



I don't know how long it is neces- 

 sary to leave them covered for per- 

 fect results. I have never known 

 worms to hatch in combs that were 

 treated for four or five hours, and 

 properly piled away and covered. I 

 sometimes leave combs in all night, 

 or take them out at my convenience. 



Whenever I find combs becoming 

 wormy, I "run them through the can," 

 and that ends it, with me. 



E. L. HALL. 



Michigan. 



Wisconsin Establishes Legal Honey 

 Grades 



By S. B. Fracker 

 Acting State Entomologist of Wis- 

 consin 



Almost the first agricultural indus- 

 try to take advantage of the estab- 

 lishment of State marketing facilities 

 in Wisconsin was that of beekeping. 



The last legislature created a di- 

 vision of markets for the grading of 

 all agricultural products and finding 

 markets for them. The honey pro- 

 ducers said, "Here is something we 

 have been needing a long time. Let's 

 take advantage of it." Resolutions 

 were consequently passed at the State 

 beekeepers' convention in December 

 asking the division of markets, the 

 crop reporting service, and the State 

 Entomologist to co-operate in pro- 

 viding information which would re- 

 sult in improved marketing facilities 

 for the State's annual honey crop of 

 about 4,800,000 pounds. 



The plan worked out includes 

 monthly crop and price estimates dur- 

 ing the summer and fall, the estab- 

 lishment of legal compulsory grades, 

 and the help of the division of mar- 

 kets in locating markets for honey. 



For establishing standards for 

 grading, a marketing committee was 

 appointed by the beekeepers and a 

 set of proposed grades was drawn vip 

 by them. The division of markets 

 held hearings on the subject in sev- 

 eral places in the State. Many bee- 

 keepers who were unable to attend 

 the meetings wrote out their sugges- 

 tions and mailed them to Madison. 



A surprising feature of the hear- 

 ings and correspondence was the fact 

 that no opposition to the establish- 

 .ment of grades was expressed by any- 

 one. Several were anxious to be per- 

 mitted to sell all or some honey un- 

 graded, but none were opposed to 

 marking it so. For the small bee- 

 keeper who does not wish to grade his 

 honey, a rule that every such section 

 or can shall be marked "Ungraded" 

 with a stamp or in any other con- 

 venient way. relieves the regulations 

 of any possible burden. 



Grades have now been defined and 

 wil go into eflfect on August 13, 1920. 

 After that date ever/ section of comb 



honey and every can or other con- 

 tainer of extracted produced in Wis- 

 consin and sold or delivered within 

 the State or outside, must be stamped 

 or labeled with the grade, and color 

 of the honey and a number showing 

 the producer or packer, or else be 

 marked "Ungraded." 



The grades established are expected 

 to result in improving the quality 

 and finish of Wisconsin honey and to 

 put a premium on care in handling it. 

 Too often "honey is honey," espe- 

 cially on the retail market; the store- 

 keepers buy wherever they can for 

 the lowest price and sell for all they 

 can get. 



Every beekeeper who wishes to sell 

 or deliver any honey under these 

 grades is required to secure stamps 

 from the division of markets. These 

 will be purchased wholesale and sup- 

 plied at cost. Numbers will be as- 

 signed by the division in the order of 

 receipt of the applications. Each bee- 

 keeper will then be responsible for 

 the accuracy of the grade label on 

 every container on which his number 

 is used. 



Many beekeepers will sell their 

 product "ungraded" and label it so for 

 the next year or two. But is has been 

 the universal experience that market- 

 ing a first-class product "Fancy" or 

 "No. 1," so extends the market and 

 increases the demand that undoubted- 

 ly all commercial producers will reg- 

 ister with the division of markets and 

 secure the right to grade their honey 

 within a couple of seasons. 



A problem faced in establishing 

 standards was the fact that improper 

 labeling would subject the offender 

 to a fine. It was thus necessary to 

 define the grades much more clearly 

 than the honey associations do, as- 

 signing a definite meaning to such ex- 

 pressions as "well-filled," "firmly at- 

 tached," and "uniformly colored," 

 which never seem to have been de- 

 fined before. 



Under the statute providing for 

 grading, such classes as "Not permit- 

 ted in shipping grades," cannot be es- 

 tablished, iDUt unmarketable honey is 

 covered in the definition of "good 

 quality" in such a way that it must be 

 sold "ungraded' 'if at all. If unfit for 

 human food, of course, it comes under 

 the food laws. 



The grades outlined differ from the 

 Colorado rules in providing for grad- 

 ing finish as distinct from color, but 



closely resemble the standards adopt- 

 ed by the National Beekeepers' Asso- 

 ciation in 1913, except in the provision 

 of a minimum weight for each grade. 

 The letters in parenthesis in the fol- 

 lowing outline of the grades as finally 

 established, refer to the definitions 

 at the close of the grading rules. 

 Wisconsin Fancy 



Honey of this grade produced in 

 Wisconsin shall consist of (a) good 

 quality comb honey in the different 

 (b) colors known by the terms Water 

 White, White, Light Amber, Amber 

 and Dark; in which sections are (c) 

 well filled and (d) well cleaned and 

 the combs (e) firmly attached, (f) not 

 projecting beyond the wood, (g) uni- 

 formly colored throughout, (h) evenly 

 capped and entirely sealed except the 

 cells in the outside row next to the 

 wood, which may be unsealed. No 

 section in this grade is to weigh less 

 than 13H ounces gross or 12H ounces 

 net. 



Honey packed for sale under this 

 grade shall be in new best grade sec- 

 tions weighing not more than one 

 ounce and be packed in new cases. 

 Each section and case shall be 

 stamped with the official stamp (Wis- 

 consin Fancy), stating color and 

 packer's number. 



The front sections in each case shall 

 be a true representation of the con- 

 tents of the case. 



An official stamp will be furnished 

 by the Division of Markets at cost. 

 Wisconsin No. 1 



Honsy of this grade produced in 

 Wisconsin shall consist of (a) good 

 quality comb honey in the different 



(b) colors known by the terms Water 

 White, White, Light Amber, Amber 

 and Dark, in which the sections are 



(c) well filled, (d) well cleaned and 

 the combs (e) firmly attached, (f) not 

 projecting beyond the wood, and en- 

 tirely sealed excepting that not more 

 than six cells on each side, in addition 

 to those of the outer row ne.xt to the 

 wood, may be unsealed. Slight travel 

 stain. and slight irregularities on the 

 surface are allowed in this grade and 

 not to exceed ten cells on each side 

 may contain honey of a different col- 

 or. No section in this grade is to 

 weigh less than 12 ounces gross of 11 

 ounces net. 



Honey packed for sale under this 

 grade shall be in new best grade sec- 

 tions weighing not more than one 



The bees had all been brought to one yard near the railroad. 



the car with a big truck. 



From here they were hauled to 



