July 11. 1901. 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, 



437 



this one is worth that sum." Notwithstanding the condi- 

 tion attached, there is the value " at so many dollars." 



There seems no impropriety in the universal custom of 

 naming- values in dollars and cents, the only question being 

 whether the article is really worth the price named. The 

 fact that some one else may lyingly say he has a queen 

 worth J?1000 when she is not worth one-tenth of that sum, 

 although it may have some bearing upon the policy of the 

 case, has none upon its honesty, and it is the honesty rather 

 than the policy of the iV. I. Root Co. against which Mr. 

 Doolittle is training his guns. 



If he thinks S200 is too large a valuation for the queen 

 in question, he has a right to say so, and to show cause why 

 it should be lowered. That valuation appears to be based 

 upon length of tongue and increased harvests. Taking 

 Mr. Doolittle's figures and using a simple proportion, we 

 have $3,750 is to $200 as 10 pounds is to 8"; ounces. So accord- 

 ing to Mr. Doolittle's estimate, if 4000 queens are reared 

 from the queen in question, and one out of four of them 

 makes an increase of a little more than half a pound in 

 the annual harvest, then S200 is none too high a valuation 

 to place upon such a queen. McHenry Co., 111. 



Co-operation 



What it Has Accomplislied for Our 

 Bee-Keepers. 



Jita'i at t/ie Luuf/niuttt meeting/ of the t'uforado State JJee- Keeper.s^ Ax-sori- 

 atiuii, April 30, L'Ml. 



BY W. L. PORTER. 



I PRESUME there are few bee-keepers present who have 

 not been thinking of a plan by which we may sell our 

 honey and buy our supplies in a co-operative way. The 

 fact that we are so far from markets in the East, where our 

 honey is to be sold, makes it quite necessary that we should 

 sell our honey in a combined way. Freights are so high 

 that we must ship our honey in car-load lots. 



Over two years ago the State Association called a 

 special meeting for the purpose of organizing a co oper- 

 ative association. On investigation it was found that, to 

 do business under the statutes of Colorado, it was neces- 

 sary to form a stock company. Hence the bee-keepers 

 organized themselves into a stock company with a capital 

 of SIO.OOO, a share being SIO. It was voted to name this 

 " The Colorado Honey-Producers" Association." A consti- 

 tution and by-laws were adopted and the Association was 

 incorporated in Januarj-, 1899. 



Before co-operation was entered into, the tendency was 

 for the price of honey to be lower each year. For ten 

 j'ears I have noticed this to be the case, so that in 1897 I 

 was compelled to sell my crop of fine honey at $1.70 for 24- 

 pound cases. At this time the Denver Bee-Keepers' Asso- 

 ciation decided that something must be done to better this 

 condition. We advanced a small sum of money and one of 

 our number opened a correspondence with parties in the 

 East. At the same time we pledged our honey, provided 

 we could get the purchaser to come on and examine the 

 honey and pay cash on delivery, if satisfactory. We were 

 successful in getting buyers to come on and we sold our 

 honey in the far East at better prices than we could other- 

 wise have realized. 



The Colorado Honey-Producers' Association, upon open- 

 ing for business, found it a difficult task to get the honey 

 together, as it was very much scattered through the coun- 

 try, and we at once saw that it was necessary to have a 

 warehouse, and a room was rented. The tirst year, the 

 manager was at the wareroom two days in a week to receive 

 the honey, and it was brought and placed on deposit, a 

 receipt taken for the same, and the honey was kept fully 

 insured. There was some opposition from the commission- 

 houses, as they thought we would have all the honey-busi- 

 ness and leave them out. But at present they are very 

 friendly, as they say the price of honey is more stable 

 since we have organized. They see that it is a real con- 

 venience ; when they have a jobbing order to fill, they know 

 where they can get the honey to fill it, and can see the 

 honey displayed, and gel just what they want. 



At this time it was hard to make many of the bee-keep- 

 ers understand that it would be to their advantage to sell 

 through the Association. They were also skeptical as to 

 receiving any rebates. 



Perhaps it would be well for me to explain here that at 

 the first meeting of the Association, it was voted that one- 

 half of the dividend should go to the stockholders, and tlie 

 other half to be divided pro rata per case of honey, 'l^his 

 was found to be an unjust division as some of the stock- 



holders did not sell any honey through the Association. 

 Yet when the adjustment was made the man vpho had a 

 ten-dollar share got $8.50 dividend. So at the annual meet- 

 ing, 1900, the by-laws were changed so that Sec. 10 reads : 



" .\iiy surplus money accruing over and above the expenses of 

 the Associatiiin shall be (iivided as follows: 



1. A dividend of one dollar shall be paid on each share of stock 

 issued. 



2. All surplus honey reniainint; after said dividend has been 

 declared shall be rebated to the stockholders in proportion to the 

 amount of commission paid by them during the year, said dividends 

 and rebates to be paid only to those who have become stockholders 

 previous to August 1 of the year in which surplus accrues."' 



As you will see by this plan, it is to the stockholder's 

 interest to sell as much of his honey crop through the Asso- 

 ciation as possible, as by so doing it would not only 

 increase the volume of the Association's business, but also 

 insure him a large share of the rebates. As a consequence, 

 the past year's business of the Association was greatly 

 increased and the rebates covered nearly all the commis- 

 sion charged, so that the members had their honey stored 

 in a proper place where it was always on display, insurance 

 was carried on the honey while in storage, and the honey 

 was sold and loaded on the cars, the money collected for it, 

 and all of this was done at an expense of only one-tenth 

 of one percent to the stockholder. This proved very satis- 

 factory to the members. It was also satisfactory to the 

 buyers, as it is better for them to have the honey stored 

 where it can be displayed and they can see it before buying. 

 It saves them time and expense in canvassing the country 

 to buy the honey, and when the honey is s*ored at the rail- 

 road it can be easily loaded at short notice. 



The producer is benefited in another way. When a 

 buyer comes here he is at an expense of at least $10 per 

 day, and that must be paid by the bee-keepers. 



Our difficulties have not been with competitors or in 

 finding market for honey, but to inspire faith in the doubt- 

 ing bee-keeper. Instead of its being hard to find a market 

 for the honey, it has been hard to get the honey to fill the 

 demand created. But the two years" business has given us 

 confidence. I don't know of a single member who has 

 given his patronage, that would wish to sell outside another 

 year. Of cour.se we must take into consideration that last 

 year was very favorable for us. Honey was scarce in most 

 sections, and we may have years when it will take the 

 whole ten percent commission to run the business. But 

 should we have an unfavorable year, there are still great 

 advantages in associated work. Buyers, when honey is 

 cheap and plenty East, will not come here as they did last 

 year. But if we are organized we can take our honey 

 East and lay it do%vn in the market at whatever price the 

 producer is receiving. We are on an equality with him, 

 and the rare excellence of our honey is in our favor. 



I have now given you a brief history of the workings 

 of the Colorado Honey-Producers' Association. I wish 

 now to point out the possibilities of co-operation, and the 

 obstacles in the way. As to the possibilities, I believe we 

 can find a market through the Association for all honey 

 except that which is required to fill our local demands. 

 Each bee-keeper should try to encourage home consump- 

 tion, and sell as much in this way as he can, at the same 

 time holding up the market. After that is done, he can 

 market his remaining crop through the Association cheaper 

 than he can do it himself. This has been my experience. 

 In past years it took a good deal of time to deliver in small 

 lots to my customers, and very often I had to stop in the 

 midst of urgent business to deliver a single case of honey. 

 Trade is exacting and must be attended to. Now I deliver 

 to the Association, have no more bother, and receive a bet- 

 ter price. This can be true of every bee-keeper in the 

 State. To illustrate this I wish to give you an example : 

 Lately, a bee-keeper in a remote place, wrote us that he had 

 a large amount of comb honey. He had sent agents to 

 Denver several times, and they could not place the honey. 

 He finally put it in our hands. By the time the honey 

 reached Denver, it was sold in.the East at good figures, 

 and the draft was on deposit at the bank in Denver to pay 

 for it. This I consider quick work. 



I wish now to point out some of the difficulties: It 

 costs money to do this work. To go into the office you will 

 see on file hundreds of letters that have been promptly 

 answered, telegrams and long-distance telephone messages 

 that have been expensive. We issue, also, a crop report. 

 We receive bulletins, posting us on the crop of honey from 

 Colorado, Utah and Arizona. This report is paid for. 

 Money, money, is what it takes to carry on business. We 



