690 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Sept. I.t. 



of honey, its medicinal and food value, but I 

 believe you should know, or at least have a 

 pretty good idea of, how honey acts when mixed 

 with the different compounds said to be used 

 for the purpose of adulteration. To illustrate, 

 I will recite a few of the charges that have 

 been made in my own case, notwithstanding I 

 never adulterated a pound of honey in ray life, 

 and can make affidavit to that effect. 



When at Mt. Sterling. 111., some seven years 

 ago I extracted some white-clover honey which 

 had previously been all sealed, was thoroughly 

 ripe, and of fine quality. I put a quantity of it 

 in one-pound Muth jars, labeled it "Pure hon- 

 ey," with my name and address, and placed it 

 in several of the grocery stores to be sold on 

 commission. It went all right until cool weath- 

 er, when it granulated almost solid, and was as 

 white as any sugar. Then it stopped selling, 

 and the grocers told me that their customers 

 said it was " mostly white sugar;" that I " put 

 too much sugar in my honey." etc., and, not- 

 withstanding I had taken the precaution to put 

 a notice on each jar, stating that "all pure 

 honey would granulate," how to liquefy, etc.. it 

 would not sell. I then took it home and lique- 

 fied it, when it sold again. After selling out I 

 purchased three barrels from neighboring bee- 

 keepers. One was pure Spanish needle, and 

 went off with but little complaint; one was 

 white clover, and, being candied, I had some 

 such complaint as on the former lot; but still I 

 sold considerable of it granulated. The other 

 barrel was from goldenrod: and, although very 

 fine honey, it was new to many of my custom- 

 ers, myself as well, and we were all at a loss 

 to account for its peculiar flavor. 1 heard that 

 one gentleman said there was lard mixed with 

 it. 



Well, last year we got a dose of the famous 

 honey-dew, so copious and widespread as to be 

 unparalleled in apicultural history in this 

 country. Of course, nearly every one not ac- 

 quainted with honey-dew thought it was adul- 

 terated with sorghum, glucose, etc. I sold over 



3000 lbs. in Q . most of it direct to consumers; 



and while most of those to whom I sold accept- 

 ed my explanation, there were some who doubt- 

 ed it. One lady, to whom I sold about 75 lbs., 

 told a neighbor that the last lot I brought her 

 was half sorghum; that it was honey on top 

 and sorghum in the bottom. See how she gave 

 herself away I Had I mixed sorghum with it, 

 the same being lighter than honey it would 

 have been found on top and the honey in the 

 bottom. To sum up.'the white-clover honey, if 

 mixed with sugar (syrup) as alleged, would not 

 have granulated solid as it did; while the gold- 

 eni-od honey, if mixed with lard, would have 

 made a vile mess of which the gentleman wiio 

 made the accusation would not have taken the 

 second taste. But on account of this undying 

 suspicion, which is continually bobbing up. 

 and, like Banquo's ghost, will not down, I must 

 own I am becoming disgusted with the extracl- 

 ed-honey trade. 



The only remedy I can see for the difficulties 

 which now beset its path is for the government 

 to offer a bounty, if only one cent a pound, on 

 the amount produced each year, putting its 

 stamp on each producer's output, and punish- 

 ing with heavy fines all persons or firms having 

 adulterated honey in their possession. This 

 would prove the death of that hydra-headed 

 monster, Adulteration. W. J. Cui.linan. 



Qulncy, 111. 



ADULTERATING HONEY, AND THE EXTENT 

 THAT IT IS PRACTICED. 



On page 610 of Gleanings we read the letter 

 from Mr. J. F. Mclntyre. and also your nota- 

 tions. Responding thereto we repeat former 



assertions, that it is outrageous, the quantity 

 of adulterated honwy on the market. We are 

 confident there is a way in which laws can be 

 framed to prevent it, and we are ready to assist 

 in the movement. We have written letters 

 heretofore on this topic, and we must rely on 

 the bee-papers for support and encouragement 

 of the movement. We will sell pure honey 

 only: but we know of commission firms who 

 are placing quotations in bee-papers, jind who 

 not only sell adulterated honey, but who prac- 

 tice glucosing themselves. This is certainly 

 an outrage. Start the ball a rolling, and we 

 will help kick it along. S. T. Fish & Co. 



Chicago, 111.. Aug. 20. 



THAT NEW BEE-KEEPERS' UNION. 



general manager NEWMAN DISCUSSES THE 

 ISSUE. 



To members of the Bee-keepers' Union: 



In Gleanings in Bee Culture for August 

 15th. Mr. J. F. Mclntyre suggests a matter of 

 considerable importance for consideration at the 

 coming meeting of the North American Bee- 

 keepers' Association at Washington. He says; 



I woukl urge all honest bee-keepers who meet in 

 Washingrton next fall, to org-anize another bee- 

 keepers' union for the e.vpress purpose of ligliting' 

 the adulteration of lioney. I believe such a union 

 would soon have ten times the strength of our pres- 

 ent one, because we are all interested in this matter, 

 except a few dishonest ones, and we will soon make 

 It Interesting for them. I have known for several 

 years tliat a large proportion of the extracted 

 lioney sold in eastern cities was adulterated. This 

 is why our dark honey sells for nearly as much as 

 white— it will stand more glucose; and this is why 

 the price does not go up in a poor year. 



Personally, the manager of the National 

 Bee-keepers' Union has waged war upon adul- 

 ter-ators for many years, as is well known to 

 readers of bee-literature generally; but the 

 Union was formed for quite another purpose^- 

 that of defending the rights of bee-keepers 

 when assailed by jealous or vindictive neigh- 

 bors. 



During the eight years of its existence the 

 Union has gained victories to be proud of. It 

 has compelled both judges and juries to render 

 just and fair decisions in cases where bee- 

 keeping was involved, and has won. from the 

 highest courts of the country, decisions of law 

 which will be pointed to as precedents as long 

 as law and order shall endure. 



Its history and achievements are too glorious 

 to be ignored, even if a score of similar institu- 

 tions are projected. It is also true, that all bee- 

 keepers are not alike personally interested in 

 its objects, as Mr. Mclntyre asserts, and there- 

 fore its membership is very limited. Mr. Root 

 makes these editorial comments upon the sug- 

 gestion of Mr. Mclntyre: 



Whether it would be best to organize a new union 

 having new functions we can not say. It cc.'urs to 

 us that it miuht t)e more feasible to modify the con- 

 stitution of the existing Bee-keepers' Union so as to 

 cover tlie objects aliove set forth. We have no 

 doubt tliat every member of that organization 

 would vote to have this change made, providing 

 that General Manager Newman should sanction it. 

 It may not be best, however, tt) iiiterfere with or 

 enlarge the scope of an organization that has al- 

 ready done great good by the precedents in law 

 which it has established in the interest of the bee- 

 keeper. 



Bro. Root is evidently mistaken about every 

 member's vote depending upon my " sanction " 

 of the scheme. It is true, that my election, 

 year after year, to the very important position 

 of General Manager, in such a unanimous 

 fashion, shows that I have the confidence of 



