May S, 1904. 



TH£ AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



325 



[ Convention Proceedings ] 



Co-operation Among Bee-Keepers. 



Read at the Minnesota Convention, Dec, 1W3, 

 BV w. R. ANSHLL. 



LAST year, when I spoke to you about " Honey Exhibits." 

 I incidentally made some remarks about co-operation. 

 The soil, I suppose, «7as hardly ready for them at that 

 time ; at any rate, nothing- was done, and a certain amount 

 of cold water was thrown on my suggestions. Since then, 

 however, other associations have taken up the matter of 

 co-operation, and in some cases very encouraging work has 

 been done. 



I wish now to place before you a few facts and figures, 

 and to make a few suggestions concerning co-operation, 

 and I claim your earnest attention whilst I do so. 



It is possible that my remarks will not appeal very for- 

 cibly to those bee-keepers who are so fortunately situated 

 as to be able to dispose of their crop at retail prices. The 

 Grocers' Association protects the retail price of honey, and 

 the honey-producers must, if they desire to thrive, protect 

 the wholesale price. 



I speak more particularly to those who from the magni- 

 tude of their crops, or their occupation in other businesses, 

 are compelled to send their harvest to commission houses, 

 or to sell it to agents or grocers. 



With almost every article of common consumption, 

 building materials, help, and even bee-keepers' supplies 

 continually going up, the wholesale price of honey, in this 

 market, is steadily on the decline. Surely, this is not as it 

 should be ! 



The bee-keepers of one State have formed an associa- 

 tion with the result that within two seasons they have bet- 

 tered the price of honey in car-load lots from 20 to 30 per- 

 cent. Also, their members obtain supplies at a great re- 

 duction on the dealers' prices. But of this, more anon. 



In order that you may be able to form some idea of the 

 importance of our industry — an industry yet but imperfectly 

 developed in this State — I will give the result of some in- 

 quiries I addressed to the commission men of St. Paul and 

 Minneapolis. 



During the past season the Twin City commission sales 

 of honey aggregated 440,000 pounds of comb, and 230,000 

 pounds of extracted. The average paice for comb was 12 '2 

 cents, and that for extracted 7,'2 cents per pound. These 

 sales, however, include comb honey from western Wiscon- 

 sin, and extracted honey from the Western States. Of Min- 

 nesota production, I do not think we can claim more than 

 180,000 pounds of comb and 40,000 pounds of extracted 

 honey. These figures represent only commission sales, 

 and, for the most part, the honey would come from a com- 

 paratively restricted area. They in no wise indicate the 

 amount of honey produced in the State, and I give them 

 only to show that our market here is of sufficient impor- 

 tance to regulate the wholesale price of honey in our State 

 and in western Wisconsin. 



Now, what doesl2'2 cents per pound net mean to the 

 bee-keeper? You have to deduct for commission 1'4' cents; 

 an average for freight of '4 cent, and for shipping-cases 1 

 cent — total, 2 '2 cents, leaving 10 cents per pound for the 

 comb honey after its production. 



lam not going into the cost of production, as that is 

 probably a very variable quantity. Bear in mind I am 

 speaking right along of " Fancy " and " A No. 1 " comb 

 honey, and this is sold by the grocers, who have no expense 

 of packages whatever after receiving the honey from us at 

 18 to 20 cents per pound. These prices are, for the most 

 part, consistently maintained by the grocers, irrespective 

 of fluctuations in the market ; and I think the difference 

 between the wholesale and retail prices sut^ciently warrants 

 our endeavor to obtain better prices by co-operation. Pres- 

 ently I will try to suggest how this may be done. 



Taking now extracted honey : Almost the same ratio 

 will be found to exist between the prices we receive and 

 that paid by the public, as in the case of comb. From the 

 average price of 7ji cents must be deducted for freight, 

 tins, and commission, about 1'2 cents, leaving 6 cents net. 

 The grocers' standard price is 12'2 cents, but in this 

 instance they|,have the expense of glasses, generally from 



II2 to 2 cents per pound. The question of extracted honey 

 is also one of greater difficulty to deal with, on account of 

 the huge shipments from the West ; and we must be con- 

 tented if we can maintain the slightly better prices paid for 

 Minnesota white clover honey than those paid for Western 

 honey, bearing in mind the comparatively restricted sale of 

 extracted honey for table use. 



An inquiry, why the wholesale price of comb honey is 

 so low to-day, would probably be instructive. I think I can 

 give some reasons, though probably not all. 



A phenomenally good crop in most sections around us 

 this year has, no doubt, something to do with it, though it 

 ought not to have. Without any central association it is 

 not to be expected that we can all know just where our 

 honey is wanted. We send it, year after year, to the same 

 market, too often forgetful of the influences of a full or 

 short crop. 



Another reason is, the farmer bee-keeper who brings a 

 thousand pounds or so of choice comb honey to town on his 

 wagon, and sells it for spot cash to the grocer who will 

 offer the most money. I have known instances this season 

 where grocers have obtained such lots at S'i and 10 cents 

 per pound. The farmer bee-keeper is, no doubt, very well 

 meaning ; he wants to get the best price he can, but he has 

 not much time to spend on selling honey, and having pos- 

 sibly a long memory, he distrusts all commission men for 

 the faults of a few. If he only knew it, there are a number 

 of most reputable commission houses in the Twin Cities, 

 who would obtain much better prices for him, and with 

 whom he would be perfectly safe to leave his honey. Also, 

 he does not know just what that honey really costs him, 

 like the professional bee-keeper. Such sales are quite 

 enough to influence a market, and should, if possible, be 

 prevented. 



I have promised to say something as to the cost of sup- 

 plies. It is a subject we can not afford to ignore ; and 

 though there is at least one person present who does not 

 like to hear it mentioned, I think you will admit there is jus- 

 tification for it, when I tell you that a certain honey-pro- 

 ducers' association sells goods to their members at from 25 

 to 30 percent cheaper than they can be bought from 

 the manufacturers themselves. To give one or two in- 

 stances : An 8-frame hive and super for comb honey, in 

 the flat, which is listed in one catalog at $1.65, is sold by 

 the association referred to for SI. 10. No. 1 sections, cata- 

 logued at $4.00 per thousand, are by that association charged 

 $3.05 : and all other goods can be bought by its fortunate 

 members at proportionately low prices. 



These figures are absolutely reliable, and are certainly 

 instructive. Considering that a bee-keeper may be reason- 

 ably expected to spend on supplies from 50 to 75 cents a year 

 per colony, a substantial saving should be effected by our 

 combination. 



Crudely speaking, my idea is that all Minnesota and 

 western Wisconsin bee-keepers should form a co-operative 

 association. Its members would have to agree to hold their 

 honey at a minimum price which would be periodically fixed 

 by their committee. The committee would keep itself 

 thoroughly informed as to the prospective honey crops, and 

 various markets throughout the States ; would advise mem- 

 bers where to sen'd their honey, and would, for preference, 

 undertake its sale for them. It would also purchase supplies 

 on the lowest possible terms, and in the best market, and 

 would distribute them to members according to their needs, 

 at cost prices. If members undertook to sell their crop 

 through the association, the supplies could probably be paid 

 for out of the crop, when sold. 



I think I have now said all that time will permit at 

 present. I could quote many more facts in support of my 

 contention that supplies are unreasonably high ; but I will 

 content myself with asking you to appoint a committee to 

 inquire further into these matters, and, if possible, to take 

 some definite action in your interests. W. R. AnselL. 



In accordance with my suggestion, the Minnesota Bee- 

 Keepers' Association, at a meeting which was the best 

 attended for years, appointed a committee on co-operation, 

 consisting of the following members : W. R. Ansell, Chair- 

 man ; W. K. Bates, S. Lindcrsmith, Wm. McEwen, H. V. 

 Poore, P. B. Ramer, A. D. Shepherd, and Mrs. Thompson. 



In January, at the convention of the Southeastern Min- 

 nesota and Western Wisconsin Bee-Keepers' Association, 

 the subject of co-operation was also discussed, and a com- 

 mittee of the following members was appointed to further 

 the principles then advocated . W. K. Bates, Chairman ; 

 Josef M. Reitz, and L. A. Stickney. 



Developments have taken place since these meetings. 



