JULY 15, 1914 



529 



ey in question is sold in the State in which 

 it is produced or packed; but as no one 

 knows where his honey will go, he will do 

 well to err on the safe side, esjjecially if 

 there is a State law covering net weights. 



The average section of honey, lys ^ 4i/4. 

 will run from 131/2 to 14 ounces, including 

 the wood, and as the section itself weighs 

 very nearly one ounce it will be necessary 

 to deduct that much, making the net weight 

 show 12^/2 or 13 ounces. A 4 x 5 section will 

 I'un the same weight, and so the same de- 

 duction will have to be made. The wood of 

 4^4 plain section will not weigh quite as 

 much as a beeway section of the same size ; 

 but it will be necessary to subtract one ounce 

 just the same. In doing this, a plain section 

 414 square will weigh heavier than a 4^/4 

 beeway section. 



But many beekeepers have been sellirig 

 their comb honey by the case or by the 

 count ; and it would look as if the net-weigl't 

 law would put a stop to this; but the selling 

 by count is permissible as we understand it, 

 providing that every unit in the case — that 

 is, every section — -is marked not less than so 

 many ounces. Let us take a concrete exam- 

 ple: 



A No. 1 1% beeway section of honey, 4^ 

 square, will run from 13V2 to 14 ounces, 

 including the wood. If such section is 

 marked not less than I2I/2 ounces, net 

 weight, it may be sold by num.erical count; 

 but care should be taken that no section in 

 the case weigh less than the minimum speci- 

 fied on it. It would then be permissible, as 

 we understand the ruling, to sell a 24-lb. 

 case or a 12-lb. ease by numerical count, or 

 so much a section. The net-weight law does 

 not require that a section shall not weigh 

 more than a specified amount; but it does 

 stipulate that it shall not weigh less. 



As soon as beekeepers and dealers become 

 accustomed to the operation of the new law, 

 the intent of which we believe to be emi- 

 nently fair, there will be no inconvenience 

 nor hardship. We had hoped that the eff^ec- 

 tive date when penalities would be applied 

 might be set a little further along; but as 

 the Bureau of Chemistry has no power to 

 make this change we must, of course, make 

 the best of it. If there is any comb honey 

 that any of us have sold bearing the weiglit 

 of the section and the comb honey, and 

 which is now out of our possession, it will 

 be up to us to prove that such sections were 

 prepared or packed prior to Sept. 3, 1914, 

 after which the penalties for misbranding 

 can be applied. 



Those who sell their honey in cartons can 

 very easily mark the net weight of the hon- 

 ey put in cartons; for it is permisssiblp to 



put the net weight on the outside of the 

 carton, said net weight being the comb 

 honey itself exclusive of the section, carton, 

 and wrapper; but as it will be impractica- 

 ble to mark on every carton the exact net 

 weight of each individual section, all the 

 comb honey should be very carefully grad- 

 ed, and the cartons marked not less. than so 

 many ounces of comb honey. The No. 2. or 

 underweiglit sections will have to be put up 

 in cartons with a corresiaondingly lower net 

 weight. That will mean that there will prob- 

 ably have to be two or three different grades 

 of weights of honey. 



Where one does not sell any honey in 

 cartons he will have to use rubber stamps to 

 mark each section, using an indelible, non- 

 fading, non-bluii-ing ink; that is to say, an 

 ink not affected by the weather nor by 

 dampness. The rubber stamp should indi- 

 cate the weight in plain letters and figures. 

 In the case of cartons there will probably 

 have to be three different wrappers to take 

 care of all the three weights of comb honey. 



The Colorado Honey-producers' Associa- 

 tion, under the direction of Mr. Frank 

 Rauchfuss as manager, has worked this 

 matter out very nicely, and we copy here- 

 with a circular which they are sending out 

 to their members. Other beekeepers who 

 produce honey in the same class of sections, 

 1% beeway by 41^, will do well to follow 

 these specific instructions. 



THK FEDERAL NET-WEIGHT LAW. 



To the Members of the Colorado Honey Producers' 



Association 



You are hereby informed that the Federal Net- 

 weight Law passed by Congress March 3, 1913, 

 is now enforced, and that the regulations published 

 by the Net-weight Law Committee May 11, 1914, 

 must be observed in the packing of articles of food 

 intended for interstate commerce. 



(Copied from food inspection decision No. 154.) 



REGULATIONS AS APPLYING TO HONEY. 



A. The quantity of the contents in all cases of 

 food, if in package form, must be plainly and con- 

 spicuously marked on the outside of the covering or 

 container usually delivered to consumers. 



B. The quantity of the contents so marked shall 

 be the amount of food in the package. 



C. The statement of the quantity of the contents 

 shall be plain and conspicuous, and shall be so placed 

 in such characters as to be readily seen and clearly 

 legible, when the size of the package and the cir- 

 cumstances under which it is ordinarily examined 

 by purchasers or consumers are taken into consider- 

 ation. 



D. If the quantity of the contents be stated by 

 weight or measure, it shall be marked in the terms 

 of the largest unit contained in the package. For 

 example: If the package contains a pound or pounds 

 and a fraction of a pound, the contents shall be 

 expressed in terms of pounds and fraction thereof; 

 or of pounds and ounces, and not merely in ounces. 



H. The quantity of the contents may 'be stated in 

 terms of minimum weight, minimum measure, or 

 minimum count. For example: "Minimum Weight, 

 16 oz." Minimum "Volume, 1 gallon," or "Not less 

 than 4 oz. ;" but in such case the statement must 

 approximate the actual quantity and there shall be 

 no tolerance below the stated minimum. 



Attention is also called to the enclosed copy of a 

 telegram by Dr. C. L. Alsberg, Chief of the Bureau 

 of Chemistry, where it is plainly stated that weight 

 of actual contents shall be marked upon sections, or 

 when honey is packed in cartons, then upon the car- 

 tons containing thp gpctions, 



