THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



191 



her" must always be the motto of suc- 

 cessful txchauges, aud a willing and 

 cheerful agreement by the minority to 

 the will of the majority. This similarity of 

 ideas and oneness of purpose must be the 

 foundation of associatetl effort. First, 

 the association of ideas, next, the associa- 

 tion of individuals holding those ideas, 

 then the association of products and the 

 division of the prolits of the association. 

 All this will cost effort, and money, and, 

 in the pioneer stage, may cost even more 

 than the profits; but, if the course is 

 maintained, results are sure and certain. 



Concentration of products is another 

 essential. First, that all may be inspect- 

 ed and graded according to a uniform 

 system, for no two individual bee men 

 grade their honey alike, and buyers have 

 to take all this into account, and buy on 

 a margin large enough to provide for all 

 variation in grading. 



Car lots can thus be shipped at one 

 time, thereby getting a rebate on rate of 

 at least one-half. Buyers, also, can in- 

 spect a whole consignment at one place, 

 thereby saving expense to them and en- 

 abling them to put more money into the 

 purchase price. The selling agent can 

 keep better posted on prices, and know 

 better how to get the most out of the 

 product, than many individuals with 

 divided interest, scattered over a wide 

 territory can hope to do. 



Competition of buyers could be more 

 easily obtained where there is a large 

 amount than where the product is scat- 

 tered over a wide area. Cash sales could 

 often be made, thereby avoiding consign- 

 ment on commission, which is always 

 more or less unsatisfactory. 



Uniformity of package is another thing 

 that can be secured by association and 

 mutual agreement. Bee-keepers will 

 never realize the best prices for their 

 honey until certain kinds of hooey are 

 put up in a uniform package, the same as 

 dairymen put up their products. 

 To summarize — 



1st, Community of thought; 



2d, Association of individuals; 



3d, Concentration of products. 



Advantages — 



1st, Saving of freight rates; 



2d, Uniform grading; 



3d, Encouragement of cash buyers; 



4lh, Relief of individuals from the trou- 

 ble and annoyance of marketing their 

 own crop; 



5th, Stiffening of prices by knowledge 

 of markets, etc. 



RiCHi,AND Center, Wis., May 7, 1900. 



MPROVE YOUR vSTOCK BY SE- 

 LECTING THE BEST QUEENS 

 AND DRONES IN BREEDING. 

 BY S. E. MILLER. 



In response to your advertisement in 

 April 1 ^th Gleanings "Which is the Most 

 Hopeful Field?" I will offer my ideas for 

 your eonsideralion. 



As you have sounded the key note by 

 naming several problems that might be 

 consideted, I will make a passing note on 

 most of them, and dwell more at length 

 on those that I consider the most hopeful 

 fields. 



The tvintering problem, at this age, 

 can scarcely be considered a serious hin- 

 drance to bee-keeping. A few maj^ hav-e 

 it to contend with, but I think I am safe 

 in saying that the great majority do not 

 look upon it with much anxiet}-. 



Planting for honey alone we ma)- con- 

 sider as unprofitable; yet we should not 

 neglect to encourage the growing of farm 

 crops that are profitable as such, and at 

 the same time yield nectar abundantly; 

 such as white alfalfa, alsike, sweet clover, 

 buckwheat, and probably a few others, in 

 some sections of the country. We should 

 also, as far as possible, stay the destruc- 

 tion of forest trees and wild plants that 

 produce any considerable quantity of nec- 

 tar. Among these are the basswood, 

 maple, smartweed, heartsease, Spanish 

 needle, boneset, and many others indig- 

 enous to the various sections of countrj'. 

 The bee-keeper himself should know 

 which plants rank highest in this respect 

 iu his own immediate locality. 



