THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



89 



or at least WDuld imt he compcllod, to 

 take loss for their piodiu-t than the 

 actual eost of produciiit;' it. At pres- 

 ent the bee-keepers, like all other agri- 

 (idtnrists. have nothing to say regard- 

 ing what their wares shall bring in 

 the market, no more than they have 

 regarding the price of such articles 

 as they may wish to purchase. This 

 seems a great wrong, and by such 

 cond)iuation as this exchange would 

 securi>. the agriculturist can win a 

 right which in all the world's history 

 tlius far he has been deprived of. 



Again, this system of marketing 

 Vvould enable the producer to arrange 

 an intelligent and Avise distribution, 

 so that Avhile no section was crowded 

 by a surplus of his product, all sec- 

 tions would at all times be supiilied 

 with a sufficient amount for the needs 

 of all the people. Heretofore there 

 l.as lieen no system at all in +his mat- 

 ter of distribution of products. Who 

 can doubt but that a wise reform in 

 in this matter would be fraught with 

 the greatest results to any industry 

 that should secure if? 



A third advantage would be the 

 fact that the honey would be all put 

 up and graded in a uniform and ex- 

 cellent style, so that buyers would be 

 attracted as they cannot be where 

 much of the product is sold in a form 

 that is neither attractive nor econom- 

 ical. The packing could also be done 

 very much cheaper. The grading also 

 would be perfect, and thus every 

 man's pi'oduct would be sold on its 

 own merits. This improvement in 

 style of packing and this thorough 

 grading would of necessity increase 

 the demand for the product every- 

 where, and Avould result in greatly 

 increased sales. The reduction in cost 

 ef packing has been about one-third 

 U\ the fruit exchange. That it would 

 be l(>ss in the honey exchange I see 

 uo reason to believe. 



Still another advantiige from this 

 system of doing business would be a 

 combination in the purchase of sup- 

 plies, and thus all supplies would be 

 bought at uniform rates, would be 

 uniform in style, and all would be of 

 the very best style, pattern and finish. 

 Here again the Citrus Fruit Exchange 

 has made a great advance over the 

 experience of the orange and lemon 

 growers before the association was 

 founded. 



In the case of the Citrus Fruit Ex- 

 change the cost of marketing, hiclud- 

 ing telegrams, all clerk hire, every- 

 thing, is a little less than three per 

 cent, and is done much better than it 

 ever could have been through com- 

 mission men. I see no reason why 

 the same large gains may not accrue 

 to the bee-keepjers if they can only 

 consent to form such an organization 

 as is outlined above. 



Again, the losses during the nine 

 years of the history of tl'e California 

 Citrus Fruit Exchange where about 

 thirty million dollars worth of fruit 

 has been sold, have been less than one- 

 fourth of one per cent. We some- 

 times hear it said that farmers can 

 .not do their own business. I would 

 like to know of a business firm or any 

 organization or association, the coun- 

 try over, that has done business of 

 such magnitude with such an infin- 

 itesimal loss as the Citrus Exchange. 



If our bee-keepers will only consent 

 to ;ict together and will secure men 

 of that large business capacity that 

 will enable them to run successfully 

 the large undertaking, I see no reason 

 v.'hy an abundant success may not be 

 secured. The scheme is a grand one. 

 and must develop slowly. California, 

 Colorado, and Arizona, ought soon to 

 be ready to carry it out. and with 

 them as examples we may hope that 

 the other States will soon wheel into 

 line." 



