190< 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTORE. 



1011 



class of people. Mr. E. W. Pierce submit- 

 ted one or two of his labels to Dr. H. W. 

 Wiley, and received back the following let- 

 ter that will explain itself: 



Department of Agriculture, 

 Bureau of Chemistry, 

 Washington, D. C. 

 Mr. E. W. PiVrr^;— Replying to your letter of Janu- 

 ary 27, I regret to have to inform you that we are not 

 authorized to criticise or approve labels submitted in 

 connection with the enforcement of the Food and 

 Drugs Act. Our attitude in this matter is explained 

 in Food Inspection Decision No. 41. a copy of which is 

 enclosed. It is my personal opinion, however, that, 

 so long as the names adopted by you as distinctive 

 names do not deceive the purchaser regarding the 

 character or source of the product which he purchases, 

 ihey will be in compliance with the law. 

 Respectfully, 

 Feb. 2. H. W. Wiley, Chief. 



In a recent statement sent out by the 

 Bureau of Chemistry (F. I. D. 41) this state- 

 ment was made: "The Department will not 

 give itb approval of any label. Any printed 

 matter upon the label implying this Depart- 

 ment has approved it will be without war- 

 rant." 



Later: — ^mce the foregoing was written 

 the following letter to Walter S. Pouder will 

 explain itself: 



Department of Agriculture, 



Board of Food and Drug Inspection, 



Washington, D. C. 



Mr. Walters. Pom(?«?'.'— In reply to your letter of the 

 13th inst.. I regret to state that it is not within the 

 province of this Bureau to criticise or approve labels 

 which are submitted to it in the enforcement of the 

 Food and Drugs Act. Our attitude in this matter is 

 definitely stated in Food Inspection Decision 41, a 

 copy of which is enclosed. As a matter of personal 

 opinion, I see no objection to the phrase " put up by " 

 as it appears upon your label, provided the goods are 

 actually bottled by you. I have no criticism to offer 

 on the butter labels. Respectfully, 



Frederick L. Dunlap, 



July 17. Acting Chairman. 



We would say that Mr. Pouder has over a 

 hundred thousand of his honey labels, bear- 

 ing the words "Pure Honey, put vip by Wal- 

 ter S. Pouder." One of these he referred to 

 the Board of Food Inspection, Washington, 

 D. C, and the foregoing letter is the response. 



The fact is, there are many honey-bottlers 

 who have hundreds of thousands of labels 

 printed with the words "put up by," mean- 

 ing pure honey purchased and bottled by the 

 undersigned on the label. Dr. Wiley and 

 Df. Dunlap have both expressed themselves 

 as personally seeing no objection to the words 

 "put up by," meaning bottled by. But, un- 

 fortunately, there is as yet no official sanction 

 of the wording. 



We are referring this to the Board of Food 

 and Drug Inspection, and asking, on behalf 

 of thousands of bee-keepers who can sell 

 more than they can produce that a definite 

 ruling on the point be made. As it is, bee- 

 keepers are uncertain what their rights are 

 in the matter. 



We might explain that the words "put up 

 by" have always meant that the honey un- 

 der such label was not taken by the person 

 whose name is on the label from his bees, but 

 was a pure honey which he has bought of 

 persons of known probity and honor, and a 

 honey which he knows from his own expert 

 knowledge of honey to be pure, of good qual- 

 ity and flavor. 



WEATHER CONDITIONS AND HOXEY-FLOW; 

 A SEASON OF SURPiISES, 



Since our last issue there has been a sudden 

 change for the better. An abnormally late 

 flow of honey from clover starter} up in 

 many of our Northern States, beginning as 

 late as the 18th. Bass wood is starting to 

 yield well, and the promise of a How from 

 that source is fairly good. In some cases, 

 at least, clover came, went out of bloom, 

 and then, strange enough, bloomed again 

 and began to yield nectar. In recen ttrips 

 over the Northern States we tind there 

 was never more white clover, and alsike is 

 unusually abundant. The fine honey weath- 

 er, hot days and nights, with frequent rains, 

 is beginning to bring the nectar into the 

 blossoms. California and the West are show- 

 ing up a little better. In fact, there i.s no 

 knowing what this season's disappointments 

 and surprises may bring forth. At best the 

 crop will be light, and prices, to say the least, 

 should be firm. Indeed, they should rule 

 high in view of the new pure-food laws, both 

 State and national. 



We sent requests to a few leading bee- 

 men, honey-buyers, and supply agents for 

 reports on the honey season, the same to 

 reach us on the 20th. Two of them from the 

 far West are telegrams. We give the re- 

 sponses just as they have come in, below. 

 While they do not show anything very great, 

 they show a change. 



CALIFORNIA. 



Crop complete; eighty cars; quality extra good; mostly- 

 sold, higrhest prices. H^ J. Mercer. 



Los Angeles, Cal., S. W., July 20. 



The Riverside Pcp.sssays; "Reports from bee-men through- 

 out this section imiicate that the honey crop this sea.son will 

 be in excess of that of last year, but not nearly as large as it 

 should be for a normal season. One great reason for tins is 

 the cool spring which has kept many of the flowering shrubs 

 from blooming at the usual time. Bees as a rule are (n excel- 

 lent condition, however, and the bee-men generally are ijuite 

 encouraged with the outlook for the rest of the season." 



The Fowler Eiixir/n, Fresno Co., says, " County Bee-inspector 

 J. J. Bowen filed his regular monthly report with the supervi- 

 sors. The bees thmughciut the county are re]iorted as being 

 in a highly unsatisfartory r'dnclitlnn. unci the nutlnok for the 

 season is not proTuisjng. As a result i>f tbis poor ronilitioii of 

 the apiaries, home-grown honey will probably reacli the top- 

 notch tigure this year. In the Coast Range Mouutaii*s the 

 bees are working up to the average." 



COLORADO. 



Colorado's crop to date averages about 8 lbs. per hive. If 

 conditions are favorable a fair yield may be sequred. Regard- 

 ing prices on carload lots I would say that, so far as I can size 

 up the situation at present. I think S:i.25 F. O. B. Colorado com- 

 mon points would not be too much, and we expect to hold up 

 to that price if we have any thing to ship out from here. 



July 20. F. IlAUCHFUSs, Mgr. Col. Honey-producers' Asso'n. 



GEORGIA. 



I have taken no honey as yet. nor have I heard of anybody 

 .who has. Bees are now gathering some honey. 

 La Fayette, Ga., N. W., July 18. J. A. Clement. 



ILLINOIS. 



Season abnormally late, and there is no telling yet what the 

 outcome will be. Clover is now yielding; began June 28. May 

 make an average croi> if it keeps late enough, but may stop 

 short any time. No basswood to amount to anything here. 

 Haven't the first super finished vet. C. C. Miller. 



Marengo, III.. N., July 19, 1907. 



Bees will not be able to get any surplus here — too much 

 rain. I think they will make enough to winter. 



Elvaston, 111., N. W., July 20. C. S. Caldwell. 



I was at our yard yesterday tor a little while, and I found 

 the bees doing very nicely. Honey seems to be coming in rap- 

 idly. R. Russell, of (ilencoe, reports that several of his colo- 

 nies have nearly completed the two supers of comb honey. C. 

 E. Woolgerth. of Monee. reports about the same. We have re- 

 ceived several sin)ilar rei)orts. Owing to the lateness of the 

 season, of course it will be useless to expect a large crop; yet 

 the prospects seem to be quite favorable. 



The a. I. Root Co.. per R. Boyden, Mpr. 



Chicago, 111., N. W., July 22. 



