THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



261 



does not pay, or is unfair in any way, the 

 first thing the victim does is to write to 

 his editor and ask him what to do. A 

 jjjreat many things come to an editor in 

 tliis way that he may not feel at librty to 

 pubhsh. If he did, he might lay himself 

 open to libel; but he can give to a sub- 

 scriber, privately and confidentially, 

 what it would never do to publish. I 

 think that there have been very few, if 

 any, losses where the shipper has con- 

 sulted the editors of the bee journals and 

 they have advised shipment. There are 

 a few dealers in hone\' in this country for 

 whom I would unhesitatingl}' vouch. I 

 would mention them here, only that it 

 would be a reflection upon the honesty of 

 others who may be just as honest, only I 

 am not so sure of it. 



.\fter the question of honesty and re- 

 liability is settled, comes that of ability 

 and experience. To 'handle honey to the 

 best advantage and get the best prices a 

 man must know something of the busi- 

 ness. I frequently hear of some mau 

 seii'liny: honey to some commission firm, 

 perhaps because he has been sending it 

 other produce, that knows almost noth- 

 ing about the honey business. In such 

 cases honey is almost sure to be sacrificed. 



Then there is occasionally a dealer or 

 commission man who, while he maj' not 

 be an out and out swindler, that is, he 

 may make some kind of returns for the 

 goods consigned him, yet there is always 

 something wrong. Ivither the honey is 

 badly broken, or the packages are leak- 

 ing, or the bottom has dropped out of the 

 market since the shipment was made. I 

 don't mean to say that none of these 

 things ever happen, but there is occasion- 

 ally a firm that makes such reports, when 

 it thinks it safe to do so, even when they 

 have not happened. Then there are some 

 firms that are very slow pay. As I have 

 said before, write to your bee-keeper edi- 

 tors. All of these things come to their 

 knowledge. 



The question of whether a man shall 

 sell his crop out and out, or ship on com- 

 mission, is one that lias Ijeen much dis- 



cussed. Bo^h plans have their advan- 

 tages and disadvantages. If sold out 

 and out for a certain price that has been 

 agreed upon, there is no uncertainty and 

 no chance for a dispute or dissatisfaction. 

 The shipper knows exactly how much he 

 is going to get for it, and when he will 

 get it; provided, of course, that he is 

 dealing with a reliable firm. On the 

 other hand, a dealer can not afford to pay 

 as much cash down, using his own money, 

 as he might be able to get for the goods 

 if he had them on commission. There 

 must be a greater margin for profit if he 

 buys them and puts his own money into 

 them, than when h'e is doing business on 

 the capital of the shipper, and the latter 

 is taking the risk of a change in the mar- 

 ket. If the dealer buys the goods he 

 must buy them at such a price that he " 

 can afford to put his own money into 

 them, and then take his chances of mak- 

 ing a profit. There has been a lot of talk 

 about the commission man doing busi- 

 ness on the other fellow's capital. It is 

 true that he dues, and that is the very 

 reason why he can afford to do it on a 

 less margin. 



Some shippers limit their commission 

 man. They say, "Get 15 cents for that 

 honey, or don't sell it." I have done 

 this and made money by doing it; and I 

 have also lost by the same operation. I 

 knew one bee-keeper who made a large 

 shipment of comb honey, and limited his 

 commission man, and the result was that 

 most of the honey was held until in Feb- 

 ruary, when it began to candy, and was 

 then sold at a greatly reduced price. As 

 a rule, I think it better not to limit the 

 dealer. He is right on the ground. He 

 knows the markets, the supply and the 

 demand, the prospects, etc., better than 

 does any one else. I would not send my 

 honey to a dealer unless I had confidence 

 in him, and believed that he would do 

 the best he could, and, having put my 

 honey in his hands to sell, I would not 

 turn around and tie those hands. 



Much has been written and said in 

 favor of developing a home market, and 



