ILLINOIS STATE BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION 



133 



EVENING SESSION. 



Convention convened at 7:30 p. m. 



President Miller — We have "Market- 

 ing Honey," by N. E. France, Mr. 

 France has sent a letter with a few 

 statements and remarks — some good 

 points, written briefly. 



Marketing Honey. 



First of all we must produce No. 1 

 goods and sell in attractive packages. 

 Unfinished sections. Unfinished or un- 

 capped extracting combs should not be 

 considered marketable goods. Chi- 

 cago's best honey dealer for years has 

 claimed this the great cause of low 

 price for honey, 



(2) Bee-keepers have not educated 

 the public in the food value of honey. 



When consumers consider honey one 

 of the cheap, condemned foods and 

 not a luxury it will be more in demand. 



(3) Every bee-keeper should have 

 some standard brand, such as he can 

 every year provide his customers and 

 see they get it. I cannot produce a 

 blend like wholesale dealers, so fur- 

 nish clear clover and clear basswood 

 honey. My customers are reminded at 

 close of honey season what I have, 

 and soon I am sold out. This kind of 

 consumer market takes from 35,000 to 

 50,000 pounds per year and list of con- 

 sumers is growing rapidly. 



Home Market. 



(4) Each of my out apiaries is on 

 farm with telephone at the farm house, 

 and the day I am to extract honey at 

 that apiary I call up the farmer's wife, 

 notify her of same. She at once gives 

 the neighbors notice, and, as they come 

 from milk factory, bring along a milk 

 can for winter supply of honey. 



I have several times seen teams 

 waiting their turn for honey, same as 

 unloading milk at factory, and 1,800 

 pounds sale single day this way, and 

 no cans to furnish, but cash in hand 

 the same day the honey is extracted. 



Home Store Market. 



(5) I supply merchants honey in 

 glass containers. Charge them selling 

 price to consumer. What I trade out 

 is where they make profit, or, if I draw 

 cash, deduct 10 per cent. 



This label is all I use on cont-ainers. 



I never had enough honey to supply 

 my market (own production 23,000 

 pounds to 54,000 pounds) and have to 

 buy when I can get goods like my own. 



Eighty per cent of my honey is sold 

 in five gallon cans to consumer direct. 



Educate the consumer and produce 

 quality goods. That is all. 



N, E. FRANCE. 



President Miller — Are there any re- 

 marks in the discussion of this? 



Mr. Stewart — It is all practical and 

 right to the point. 



President Miller — Mr. France's mode 

 of selling would not probably suit all 

 of us. We would not all want to sell 

 in milk cans. We would not all want 

 to trade it out to stores. This process 

 is probably best for him; it would not 

 do in all cases; it might not be best 

 for us. 



Mr. France sells 25,000 to 35,000 

 pounds in 60 pound cans. Is this the 

 best way to sell it? Undoubtedly he 

 has to sell it for a low price if he sells 

 it in 60 pound cans. Has anybody a 

 better way? 



A member — He ought to get a pretty 

 good price direct to the consumer. 



Mr. Stewart — What do you consider 

 a low price? 



President Miller — I have heard white 

 clover honey sold at 6% 'cents this 

 year. 



Mr. Hassinger — I understand Mr. 

 France gets nine cents direct to the 

 consumer. 



President Miller — Is that drawn 

 from the extractor, candied honey, or 

 is it liquefied and clarified? 



A member — Is it warmed after ex- 

 tracting before he puts it in the cans? 



Mr. Hassinger — He warms it while 

 it is yet fresh from the bees. He warms 

 it up right away next day after he ex- 

 tracts it. 



President Miller — I don't want it 

 understood I am criticising Mr. 

 France's method; he has the very best 

 methods for his locality; perhaps some 

 of us have better in regard to our lo- 

 cality. 



A member — I might explain: He 

 warms it up before he ships any of it, 

 no matter how fresh it is; he does not 

 let it go to market until it has been 

 warmed up to a temperature of 140 or 

 150 degrees, and lets its cool down 

 again. He says that helps to prevent 

 granulating and it keeps a longer time. 

 He settles it and then strains it in ad- 

 dition. 



Mr. Wilcox — This is touching one of 

 the points that I have considered very 

 vital. In marketing our own honey. 



