STATE bee-keepers' ASSOCIATION. 129 



opportunity. Wherever you see in the newspaper an article 

 with this falsehood, go to the newspaper, or write, and have 

 it contradicted, if possible, and do not let a single instance 

 go by of contradicting this infamous lie that has been passed 

 around from one end of the world to another. That is the 

 way in which this Association, and we as individuals, can do 

 good; whenever we see a head, hit it! 



Mr. Becker — It is a fact that there are many people who 

 believe that there is adulteration both in comb and extracted 

 honey. I sell honey right here in Chicago. I have bought 

 it from Mr. York and from Mr. Dadant. I ship honey to 

 Chicago. They wouldn't under any consideration buy the 

 honey here in Chicago and believe that it actually was pure 

 honey. They have told me so, time and again. I have tested 

 the honey to-day that I shipped here ten years ago, and which 

 has been kept in an open jar. I told them that the honey 

 was too strong. They thought it was delicious. It was pure 

 honey. A few years ago we brought in honey and I told 

 some of the parties here that I would guarantee they would 

 get pure honey here in Chicago, and I told them where to 

 get it. They got some of it. They said, "Oh, that was not 

 pure honey; that was not honey like you sent me." But it 

 was pure. We all know that there is no adulteration in comb 

 honey, but when it comes to extracted honey of course there 

 is sometimes adulteration. There are so many varieties of 

 honey; there is bass wood, white clover, alfalfa, Spanish- 

 needle, heartsease, and other varieties of honey, and one 

 does not taste or look like the other, especially sweet clover 

 and basswood. You give them some of your honey and they 

 have been used to white clover or alfalfa, and they just de- 

 clare up and down, and you cannot make them believe that 

 it is not adulterated honey. I have sold honey in Springfield 

 for the last 20 years, and one traveler there accused me 

 two weeks ago of having a monopoly because he couldn't 

 sell any. I told him I was glad that I had the monopoly, 

 if I had it. But the only way I got that monopoly was by 

 selling them an article that I stood behind. I said, "If this 

 honey isn't pure, and if anybody does not like it, don't argue 

 with them, but tell them to bring it back and give them their 

 money back ; it is my honey and I will take it off your hands." 

 And to-day should I go to Springfield I am asked no ques- 

 tions as to its purity. I simply ask, "Do you need any 

 honey?" And they say, "Yes, two, three or four dozen, and 

 as high as a gross." I never buy on the Chicago market. 

 I don't send any honey here. I am right the other way; 

 I take it from Chicago and sell it at other places; and I 

 sell it at home, and I will stand behind my honey, and 

 never sell anything but what I know is pure, genuine honey. 

 If you all do the same thing I think you will have no trouble 

 in selling your honey. 



Mr. Dadant — I wish to insist on the necessity of our 

 explaining the comb-honey story wherever we can. We must 

 do it. I have a better opportunity perhaps than any one 

 else of finding out what the general public thinks of the 



