THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 
107 
because it is neat, handy and clean ; but after a 
time it is found that people do not like “ pure 
garden honey” of this kind. It possesses something 
of the flavour and appearance of honey, but does 
not create a desire for a continuance of the treat 
after the first two or three experiences. It is not 
like honey in that respect, because honey never 
palls the palate when used in moderation, whilst 
the glucose imitation creates a surfeit within a very 
short time. “ But why not make up the real honey 
in equally attractive and handy form?” says one 
who knows nothing about the difficulties. First 
then, there is the fact that the glucose syrup can 
be made at almost a nominal cost; then the attrac- 
tive, brilliant, artistic labels are not easy procurable, 
and the glass jars are so very high in price here. 
Perhaps, if imparted direct, as is done by the 
“ glucose honey ” makers, they might be got for 
about t}£d. each ; but the beekeeper can only buy 
them through middlemen by the dozen or gross, 
and then the price is a i^d. to 5d. each for jars 
holding lib. of honey. Then the jar must usually 
go through the hands of the grocer, who fairly asks 
id. to 2d. per lb. profit making the cost of the 
honey 6d. to 7d. per lb. before the beekeeper gets 
a chance for his own profits. If he sells honey in 
kerosene cans of 6olb. each he expects 3d. to 4d. 
per lb. for it ; and if he puts it up in glass jars with 
expensive labels he ought at least to get 4d. per 
lb., which would make the price to the consumer 
9d. to iod. per lb., which is too high to make honey 
a popular article of diet. We require thin, light, 
well-made clear jars that will hold from 1 to 3 or 
4lb. of extracted honey, such jars not to cost more 
than l^d. to 4d. each. Very few people would 
mind paying 2s. for a 4-lb. jar of honey, because 
the glass jars would always be handy in the house 
after the honey was used. If we can put the honey 
up in as attractive a form as is the case with 
‘•glucose honey” the grocers would be glad to take 
it up, and there would soon be such a demand for 
it that our beekeepers would not have any difficulty 
in getting quit of all they can produce. 
Now we come to the root of the matter. To 
fight the glucose imitation, to beat the imitators, 
and to place honey upon a proper base, it is neces- 
sary to work upon a large scale. We must be in a 
position to purchase jars, labels, cases, and packing 
materials upon a large scale j* o as to secure the 
lowest rates; we must be able to pack up by scores 
of tons in place of scores of pounds. It will be 
hardly possible, except in a few isolated cases, for 
single apiarists to do this ; therefore they must 
adopt co-operation, just as is done with dairymen 
and others. All honey should be sent into one 
common centre, and there it would be graded up, 
acked, labelled and distributed through the 
readth of the land. If any apiary should be too 
far away from this centre it could be arranged to 
send out the necessary material for packing, or also 
even a person skilled in the work, and the apiarist 
could make his own arrangements for the disposal 
of the honey at the nearest villages. Being a 
member of the co-operation he would obtain his 
labels, jars, &c.. at c< mpanys prices. . Those 
apiarists residing within a reasonable distance from 
the centre would send in all their extracted honey 
in tins or other suitable vessels. At the central 
store it w'ould be received by the agent, who w'ould 
grade it and credit the sender with its proper 
weight and grade. The honey would then be 
packed up an I disposed of to the best advantage, 
and after deducting the costs and charges the bal- 
ance would be paid over to the consignor. 
Much the same plan is now in operation except 
as to packing and labelling (the absence of W'hich 
is the occasion of very serious losses to the bee 
keepers). Country apiarists send their honey into 
Adelaide in old kerosene-tins, or sometimes in tins 
of the same size and form made for the purpose, 
each containing about 641b. Sometimes it is sent 
in barrels or even boxes, but in such cases the 
honey runs through the crevices and will hardly be 
received by carriers or storemen. Anyway, the 
packages are too bulky for retailers, and are often 
so dirty that they are dubious about the character 
of any parcel. The result is that honey so packed 
must be sold “ with all faults,” for which a liberal 
margin is often provided, and it often happens that 
Ij^d. or 2d. per lb. is paid for honey that should 
sell wholesale at 3d. to 5d. per. Ih. 
There are agencies in the city who deal with 
honey sent in to them, and it would be possible, 
perhaps, to induce these people to undertake the 
packing and labelling, as well as the disposal of the 
produce ; in fact, we are certain that this could be 
arranged, but it would be necessary that a good 
number of beekeepers should guarantee to send in 
their produce regularly to their agents. They 
would hive to set apart a store, to provide tins, 
jars, labels, cases, and servants to deal with the 
honey; and it would not pay to provide all this 
without a certainty of employment . — Adelaiae Ob 
server. 
NECTAR. 
Very few bee-keepers will require to be told 
what nectar is— a sweet, sap-like exudation 
found in various part-, of plant, principally near 
the bases of flower petals, highly flavoured, and 
medicinally charged with the active principle of 
the plant which secretes it ; this nectar being 
very rich in cane sugar, which is changed by the 
bees into grape sugar, such a change being abso- 
lutely necessary before cane sugar can be used in 
either bee or animal economy as heat-producing 
f<>od, assimilation being otherwise imj ossible. 
This is all very well, but it only goes part of the 
way. Nectar is more than all this, for it varies 
as much probably, as do the drugs on the shelves 
of the chemist’s shop ; it is health-giving or 
poisonous, agreeable or positively distasteful, 
according to its plant source ; and it is only by 
the accidental mixing by the bees, when the 
source of income is various, that we are so 
seldom brought into contact in this country 
with its deleterious or distasteful properties. 
When we get unmixed nectar, unmixed honey, 
we run a risk of finding odd individuals who are 
unable to partake of such honey without un- 
pleasant consequences, but in the other and 
great majority of instances the same honey is 
not only a delicious sweet, a wholesome food, 
but a positively beneficial diet from a medical 
profit of view. 
