641 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



June 15 



THOSE TWO EDITORS — SEE PAGE 662. 



The enlarged view of the two bee- journal 

 editors, as seen elsewhere, is a very natural 

 pose of both personages, especially of A. I. 

 R. during chilly or cool weather. It is then 

 his wont to wear a fur cap as if he were 

 cold. Indeed, in the house or in the office 

 he will, in the spring or winter, have his 

 coat collar turned up just the same, and 

 very often his fur cap on. We laugh at him 

 a little, telling him it is a habit; but he in- 

 sists that they feel comfortable, and that 

 they ward off a cold. It is possibly true 

 he is as much inclined to catch cold in the 

 house as outdoors, especially if sitting down. 

 But the " cabin in the woods," remote from 

 business and letters, has been almost a pan- 

 acea for those chills, necessitating so much 

 bundling in summer in and out of doors. He 

 has since shed his fur cap and overcoat. As 

 to the other editor shown in the picture, I 

 received a letter that said \ie was taking a 

 much-needed "playspell;" that he had pur- 

 chased nine colonies, and was keeping bees 

 again; that somehow letter-writing was irk- 

 some, and outdoors inviting. 



That both may be spared many more years 

 and ' ' playspells, ' ' I am sure is the wish of 

 many of our readers. 



THE ADULTERATION LAW ENFORCED IN 

 NEW YORK. 



A FRIEND of mine who lived for several 

 years in Medina transferred his business to 

 Plattsburg, N. Y, As he and his wife know 

 what good honey is, they concluded to see 

 what they could find in the markets of that 

 place. On inquiry at the grocery they were 

 met by the response, "Oh, yes! we have 

 honey for sale, ' ' and a package, or, rather, 

 a tumbler containing glucose and honey and 

 a piece of comb was handed out. Near the 

 top of the jar, in very large black letters, is 

 the following: 



75 per cent Com Syrup. White-Clover Honey 

 Compound. 25 per cent Honey. 



My friend wrote me, sepding the label, 

 complaining of the vileness of the stuff, and 

 said that the same was not like the real hon- 

 ey he used to buy here in Medina. 



But the very conspicuousness of the word- 

 ing is sufficient to show just what the cus- 

 tomer is buying, and he therefore has a right 

 to ask for the pure article if he can obtain 

 it. Certainly there is plenty of it in the 

 country. 



I assume that this wording is strictly in 

 accordance with the law of New York, which 

 provides that all mixtures and adulteration 

 shall show in plain letters the exact propor- 

 tion of each ingredient. 



It can not be for long that such goods can 

 be sold in the State of New York. It will 

 be and must be that 100 per cent pure hon- 

 ey, even at a considerable advance in price, 

 will run the other article out entirely. 



Honey-producers do not object to adultera- 

 tion or mixing, providing the per cent of 

 said adulteration or mixing is properly placed 

 in conspicuous letters on the bottles or pack- 



ages. It is the misbranding, or masquerad- 

 ing under false names and colors, that pro- 

 vokes the wrath of the bee-keeper. 



Do not forget that three-fourths of the 

 States have pure-food laws; and we hope 

 the day is not far off when the other fourth 

 will fall in line. 



I see in a few stores, even in Ohio, occa- 

 sionally, packages of honey compounds, each 

 package labeled a certain per cent of glucose 

 and a certain per cent of honey. But I note 

 with much pleasure that these packages are 

 getting to be soiled, dirty, and fly-specked; 

 and the grocer is beginning to learn that 

 such stuff will not sell unless it is labeled 

 pure honey. But misbranding in Ohio has 

 come to be a crime; and under our present 

 law, which is none too strict, the evil can 

 not grow to any great extent; and I appre- 

 hend that the new-fangled name "Karo" 

 will soon be recognized for what it is — glu- 

 cose, or corn syrup, which under those 

 names won't sell. 



WILL' AM RUSSELL INSPECTOR OF APIARIES 

 IN MINNESOTA. 



The Minnesota Bee-keepers' Association, 

 headquarters at Minneapolis, have been put- 

 ting forth strenuous efforts to get a foul- 

 brood bill through their legislature, pattern- 

 ed something after the one in force in Wis- 

 consin. Several times they seemed to be on 

 the eve of success, and at one time went 

 even so far as to announce that the law had 

 been passed; but this, it seems, was a little 

 premature; and now we are compelled to 

 btdte that it just failed of passage. But the 

 efforts put forth by the Association were 

 not without good results. It appears that 

 Mr. William Russell, of 4810 Thirty-eighth 

 Ave., South Minneapolis, has been appoint- 

 ed inspector of apiaries, and his commission 

 takes effect August I, and continues for two 

 years. While not clothed with authority to 

 destroy infected colonies, as he would have 

 been had the foul-brood law passed, he doubt- 

 less will be able to do a great deal of good. 



I am not informed whether some law did 

 pass in amended form or whether there was 

 some separate provision under an existing 

 law by which the inspector could be given a 

 certain amount of jurisdiction in stamping 

 out foul brood. 



The way has been paved, at all events, 

 probably, to secure a satisfactory foul-brood 

 law sit the next session of the legislature. 

 Mr. Russel is popular and diplomatic, as 

 well as an experienced bee-keeper. He is 

 such a genial old Scotchman that he can get 

 what he wants without force, so that the 

 Minnesota bee-keepers, under existing cir- 

 cumstances, are peculiarly fortunate in their 

 man. 



WHY ADULTERATED COMB FOUNDATION 



COULD NOT BE SOLD IN THE UNITED 



STATES. 



Referring to our editorial of some time 

 ago, stating that there was no adulterated 

 comb foundation sold in this country because 

 the bee-keepers would almost instantly de- 



