1919 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



371 



can easily see that it will take but a 

 small effort on the part of American 

 beekeepers to more than treble the 

 gifts expected. 



We are deriving profit from high 

 prices and those high prices are due 

 in great part to the suffering of Eu- 

 rope. If each reader of one of the 

 American bee magazines was to give 

 but SO cents, it would constitute a 

 liberal donation to Belgium and 

 France, in beekeeping. There is 

 plenty of generosity in this country 

 and it has not reached the limit. 

 Come, friends, let us have your sub- 

 scription, no matter how small. Large" 

 ones accepted. Everything will be 

 acknowledged and a statement pub- 

 lished of where the money and sup- 

 plies go. 



We don't expect subscriptions from 

 all our subscribers. But we do know 

 that if they can afford to send a re- 

 mittance such as they will probably 

 not miss, they will feel great pleas- 

 ure in having helped. Dollars, in 

 American money, just now, increase 

 in value nearly 60 per cent, when 

 changed for French or Belgian funds. 

 We propose to forward the cash re- 

 mittances before the European funds 

 regain their value, and we are going 

 to be very careful to secure proper 

 distribution. 



Grading Honey in New Zealand 

 For Export 



By I. Hopkins 



SOME 25 or more years ago, when 

 our export trade in butter, 

 cheese and meat began to as- 

 sume fairly large proportions, and 

 promised to expand enormously in 

 the future, provided it was conducted 

 in a straightforward manner, our 

 Government, with commendable fore- 

 sight, took a hand in it, with the ob- 

 ject of preventing, through fraud or 

 carelessness any injury to the grow- 

 ing trade by the export of inferior 

 produce. Legislative measures were 

 passed, regulations formed, and offi- 

 cial graders appointed ; and none of 

 the commodities mentioned were 

 from that time allowed to be export- 

 ed without being officially graded 

 and stamped as to grade. The effect 

 of such regulations was that the ex- 

 port trade went ahead with the pro- 

 verbial leaps and bounds, because it 

 gave confidence to buyers without 

 examination. The Government grade 

 marks were sufficient. Today the 

 annual value of our export trade in 

 butter, cheese and meat is an enor- 

 mous sum for so small a country. 

 . The foregoing is a brief account of 

 the commencement of our grading 

 system. I may state that practically 

 all our export trade is with Great 

 Britain. 



The first honey raised in New Zea- 

 land under the modern system of 

 beekeeping , exported to Britain, was 

 raised by myself in 1883, and subse- 

 quently, in 1888 and after, I exported 

 considerable quantities of the best 

 quality. This was the means of 

 creating a good name for our honey, 

 which it has retained ever since. In 

 order to preserve the good name it 

 was considered advisable, some years 



ago, to include honey in the grading 

 system, and in November, 1915, Gov- 

 ernment grading regulations were 

 gazetted and they became law, since 

 when no honey has left the country 

 ungraded. The confidence of oversea 

 buyers is evidenced by their pur- 

 chases en route on the Government 

 grade marks. I enclose a copy of 

 our grading regulations, from which 

 you can quote the salient points. 

 Aukland, New Zealand. 



(Our esteemed contributor in- 

 cludes with his letter a copy of the 

 New Zealand grading regulations. 

 These are too lengthy for full inser- 

 tion, but we pick out the following 

 interesting points : 



No honey may be exported until 

 it has been graded. Four different 

 ports are named in which honey 

 may be graded and the location 

 given where the grading is done. 

 The honey must be divided into uni- 

 form classes, 'with distinguishing 

 marks, if not of the same kind or 

 quality. All honey submitted must 

 be granulated. No honey is graded 

 or allowed to be exported unless 

 granulated. It must be packed in 

 clean, strong tins, lacquered or oiled 

 on the outside to prevent rusting, 

 with leak-proof lids which may be 

 removed and replaced- easily. The 

 packing cases must be clean and new 

 and constructed of well-seasoned 

 timber, planed on the outside and 

 strapped with' metal or wired. They 

 must contain not to exceed 120 

 pounds net. The cases must be 

 branded with an export brand to be 

 registered and approved. The net 

 weight of the honey to be marked on 

 the cases. 



The honey is divided into 4 classes, 

 white, light amber, medium, dark. 



No charge is made for grading. 



Each class is divided into 4 grades : 



A, Special grade, 94 to 100 points. 



B, Prime grade, 88 to 93^4 points. 



C, Good grade, 80 to 87J4 points. 



D, Manufacturing grade, 65 to 79{^ 

 points. 



For the purpose of grading, the 

 maximum number of points that may 

 be allotted to each class in respect of 

 the several qualities follows: 



Flavor 40 points 



Color 10 points 



Condition 15 points 



Grain 12 points 



Aroma 8 points 



Freedom from scum and froth 



10 points 

 Packing and finish 5 points 



Total 100 points 



In our exceedingly free country, 

 the first impression of the reader in 

 regard to such a government regula- 

 tion is: "too much paternalism." But 

 what if it renders export more easy 

 and protects the honest producer 

 against the speculation of dishonest 

 middlemen and unfair producers? 



Some years ago we read a book en- 

 titled: "Newest England," by Henry 

 Demarest Lloyd, a description of 

 New Zealand and its progressive and 

 democratic administration. It has 

 left to us the impression of wonder- 

 ful possibilities in an entirely differ- 

 ent method of democratic govern- 



ment from that to which we are ac- 

 customed. 



Those people at the antipodes may 

 have good ideas, worthy of investi- 

 gation. — Editor.) 



To National Association Members 



SOME time ago the writer ad- 

 dressed an appeal to each Unit- 

 ed States Senator and Repre- 

 sentative from California urging 

 their endorsement and support of 

 the bill introduced in the Senate by 

 Senator Arthur Capper, of Kansas, 

 making it entirely legal for workers 

 of the soil to rganize and co- 

 operate. Many interesting letters 

 have been received from these gen- 

 tlemen in reply, and since California 

 is a hotbed of co-operation, particu- 

 larly among the producers of the 

 soil, the beekeepers will be pleased 

 to know that the sentiment in favor 

 of co-operative organizations among 

 the farmers is running very high. 



The writer, as Secretary of the 

 National Beekeepers' Association, 

 asks that beekeepers everywhere, and 

 particularly the officials of beekeep- 

 ers' associations everywhere, write 

 to their United States Senators and 

 Representatives urging similar en- 

 dorsement of the Capper bill in the 

 United States Senate and in the 

 House of Representatives. 



The beekeepers should organize on 

 strictly co-oporative lines; by that 

 we mean non-stock, non-profit asso- 

 ciations. They should be reasonable, 

 just, and not exorbitant in their 

 prices, and strive to build a dependa- 

 ble outlet for their goods, with a firm 

 policy in the matter of grading, 

 packing and branding, and maintain 

 at all times a serious and watchful 

 consideration for the laws of supply 

 and demand, keeping their honey al- 

 ways moving out freely on to the 

 market after the assembling period 

 has commenced. By carrying out 

 these principles and processes they 

 command the respect, interest and 

 attention of the buying public; they 

 win valuable and confiding custom- 

 ers for their goods. The benefits of 

 organization give them a handsome 

 reward and maintain an unbroken 

 link from producer to consumer. The 

 producer is by this steady outlet in- 

 sured a normal return every year for 

 his effort, labor and skill; production 

 is thus greatly increased; the con- 

 sumer reaps his large reward in the 

 increased production, which likewise 

 ultimately the new distributing sys- 

 tem can handle at the lowest con- 

 ceivable cost, thus benefitting both 

 producer and consumer alike, elim- 

 inating needless speculation and pre- 

 serving only the legitimate and nec- 

 essary middleman. 



It costs only $1.50 a year to join 

 the National Beekeepers' Associa- 

 tion and help along our work in this 

 and a hundred other similar ways. 

 The new slogan should be : "Govern- 

 ment of the beekeepers, for the bee- 

 keepers and by the beekeepers." 

 CHARLES B. JUSTICE, 

 Secretary-Treasurer National Bee- 

 keepers' Association, 318 Invest- 

 ment Building, Los Angeles, Cal. 



