692 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



We had several times an unpleasant 

 correspondence with parties who had 

 soaked their barrels in water in order to 

 make them tight, and who did not know 

 that honey would absorb every drop of 

 moistur.e from the staves, gradually but 

 surely, 'and the barrels become more 

 leaky every day as the absorption of 

 moisture would progress. By the time 

 they had arrived at Cincinnati, the bar- 

 rels were only partly full, and some were 

 entirely empty. 



I have written many letters on this 

 subject, have spoken about it at bee- 

 keepers' meetings, and through the bee- 

 journals, and whenever occasion would 

 offer, and I am surprised that so many 

 of our friends, at this day, don't see the 

 point yet. A general knowledge of the 

 above would prevent sore disappoint- 

 ments, unpleasant correspondence, and 

 hard feelings between producers and 

 dealers, whose interests require that 

 they should be friends. 



The grading of comb honey as adopted 

 by the ruling of the last convention is, 

 perhaps, as good as can be made, and 

 may stand. However, it amounts to 

 nothing in the transaction of business, 

 and is of no practical value ; but it as- 

 sists in giving employment to our the- 

 orists. 



I have no use for the word "Fancy" 

 in relation to dark honey. The fact of 

 comb honey being dark excludes all 

 " Fancy." 



We prefer to call honey by its proper 

 names, such as white clover, alfalfa, 

 basswood, mangrove, sage, golden-rod, 

 aster, holly honey, etc. These, and 

 other distinct varieties, we call by their 

 proper names, and make prices accord- 

 ing to their qualities. Others we class 

 as dark honeys. Buckwheat belongs to 

 the latter, of course, but being of a dis- 

 tinct variety, we call it " buckwheat 

 honey." By these means we have suc- 

 ceeded in convincing our neighbors that 

 the flavor and color of honey is deter- 

 rainded by the source from which it was 

 derived. The result is that none of our 

 customers suspicion the purity of our 

 honey when a strange flavor strikes their 

 palates. Sugar syrup fed to bees tastes 

 unmistakably like sugar syrup honey. 

 It has no other flavor. 



Chas. F. Muth. 



It was moved by Dr. Mason, seconded 

 by R. L. Taylor, that the subject be re- 

 ferred to a committee on resolutions. 



Mr. C. C. Clemons, of Kansas City, 

 Mo., then read the following essay, on 



The Grading of Honey. 



Your worthy Secretary requested me 

 to prepare and read an essay before this 

 convention on "Grading Honey," and 

 also to make suggestions as to packages; 

 at the same time warning me against 

 any unnecessary embellishment, but 

 suggested I make it brief, and to the 

 point. Therefore, without further 

 apology I submit the following for your 

 consideration, hoping the suggestions 

 may lead to the adoption of some plan 

 that will be applicable and satisfactory 

 to producers and dealers in all parts of 

 the country. 



I suggest four grades for comb, two 

 for white, two for amber, namely : 



No. 1. White Comb. — Should be all 

 white, good flavor, combs straight, of 

 even thickness, firmly attached to sec- 

 tions, all ceils well filled, with white 

 cappings, except a row of cells next to 

 the wood : free from travel stains, wood 

 clean. 



No. 2 White Comb. — Should be white, 

 or very light amber, good flavor, white 

 or light amber cappings, sections not 

 less than % filled and sealed, wood clean. 



No. 1 Ambek Comb. — Should include 

 all amber honey of good flavor, combs 

 straight, and even thickness, firmly at- 

 tached to sections, all cells well filled 

 and sealed, except row of cells next to 

 the wood. Slightly soiled from travel 

 stains not barred from this grade ; wood 

 clean. 



No. 2 Ambek Comb. — Should include 

 all honey of good flavor, irregular 

 combs, and any color, at least % of the 

 sections filled and capped. 



I suggest three grades for extracted 

 honey, namely : 



White Extracted. — Should be water 

 white, good flavor, and clean. 



Amber Extracted. — Should be bright, 

 good flavor, and clean. 



Dark Extracted. — Should include all 

 honey of good flavor, and too dark to 

 grade amber. 



This is an important subject, and 

 there is real necessity for adopting some 

 uniform system. As it is, every pro- 

 ducer has a right to grade according to 

 his own peculiar notions, and call his 

 grades anything he pleases. 



This has been demonstrated to us 

 during the last two seasons. For in- 

 stance, a producer in California writes 

 us his honey will grade " Extra Fancy 

 White, Fancy White, White, Extra C, and 

 C." One in the extreme Eastern part of 

 the country writes that his honey will 

 grade "Extra Fancy White, No. 1 



