240 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



stuff in tanks for which there was no 

 demand, but the time came when they 

 were forced to lower prices 50%, just 

 as honey producers would have to were 

 the supply doubled a few times. The 

 cotton raisers of the South have gravely 

 considered the expediency of burning 

 half the crop to raise prices, while the 

 tobacco producers resorted to stringent 

 methods to keep up prices, and farmers 

 have often tried to combine for their 

 mutual benefit. 



SUPPLY AND DEMAND. 



The question of supply and demand 

 is so simple a one that I often wonder 

 people can write seriously of altering 

 the law. ]\Ir. Schnoll may gain a little, 

 and I think he does, by cutting out the 

 middle man, but all bee-keepers cannot 

 do this : — from lack of ejcperience, 

 amount of honey to be handled, or other 

 reasons. Mind, I am not in favor of 

 low prices, for I want all the traffic 

 will bear, and have always got a fair 

 price for the little honey I was able 

 to produce. In fact, I have generally 

 got somewhat better prices, because I 





J+c^ 



One of Dr. Bonney's advertising post cards. 



Evidently he believes in original 



advertising. 



am not near enough to another pro- 

 ducer to clash with him. When I go 

 out of my own immediate territory to 

 sell, however, I must make my prices 

 to correspond with those existing there, 

 all other things being equal, or else not 

 sell, and I fancy Texas bee-keepers are 

 in a similar position, for I am assured 

 the people of the state consume the 

 honey chop, wdiile Iowa bee-keepers 

 ship much honey to out of state dealers. 



A few years ago this part of the 

 country was literally flooded with honey, 

 for clover, basswood, heartsease and 

 wild flowers, as golden rod, bloomed as 

 never before. The result was that 

 Iowa producers shipped largely to for- 

 eign markets, and prices ruled low, six 

 cents. I think, being about the minimum 

 for the darker grades. Now with less 

 than 40% of an average crop I am get- 

 ting, locally, an average of 14 cents for 

 extracted honey, and have no comb at 

 all. I never sold honey for six cents, 

 and never expect to, but six and four- 

 teen is twenty, and the average is ten, 

 a very nice average price for extracted 

 honey. 



In the middle west we now have a fine 

 illustration of how prices follow supply 

 and demand. A drought has prevailed 

 all summer, and the potato crop is a 

 practical failure. The result is that we 

 have been paying about a dollar a peck 

 for spuds, though they are but 75 cents 

 as I write. Last- year the price was 

 about fifty cents a bushel. 



It would be interesting in this con- 

 nection to ask : What is a Low Price 

 for Honey ? 



FIRING UP THE SMOKER. 



It seems odd that so little a thing as 

 building a fire in a stove six inches 

 high and three wide should produce 

 discussion, but a look at the bee jour- 

 nals will show it does. 



The odor of kerosene is so offensive 

 that 1 do not doubt honey will be 

 tainted witli it. at any rate I imagined 

 it injured some for me, and as the sea- 



