1895 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



209 



per lb. His plan is to hold his honey until he 

 can get his price. 



Capt. Wood sold the most of his honey in the 

 home markets, and would not sell for less than 

 6cts. 



There were some pertinent remarks in rela- 

 tion to the commission men and their practices, 

 and it seemed to be the desire of the bee-keep- 

 ers to get along without the commission men, 

 and to get into a more satisfactory way of dis- 

 posing of the product. 



In the afternoon session Mr. Brodbeck read a 

 paper upon the cooperation of bee-keepers, 

 which was followed by a long discussion. 



SELLING HONEY ON THE COOPERATIVE PLAN; 

 GIVING COMMISSION MEN THE GO-BY. 



Mr. Mellen cited the fact that a cooperative 

 store had been organized in the town of Acton, 

 which was a success. Cooperative stores are 

 being established all over the country. These 

 cooperative associations act together; and if 

 the sale of honey could be effected through 

 such organizations we could secure better prices 

 for it. At present we are at the mercy of the 

 capitalist, and the cooperative plan is the best 

 way out of our difficulties. 



It was stated that plans were in progress to- 

 ward forming some such organization in Los 

 Angeles for the purpose of handling honey; 

 and if the coming season should be a bountiful 

 one, as the abundant rains indicated, it would 

 be a good season to start such an organization. 

 The exchange, or whatever it may be named, 

 should have an officer at the bead of it. Every 

 producer who would support the organization 

 should state the amount and quality of his hon- 

 ey, and attach his name to every package. 

 The officer of the association has samples only 

 in his hands, and secures orders from these 

 samples. This obviates the necessity of stor- 

 ing large amounts of honey in any given ware- 

 house, with its attendant expense and risks. 



Bee-keepers, instead of putting their honey 

 into five-gallon cans exclusively, should use a 

 greater variety of packages. Some recom- 

 mended one-pound cans, and all the way up to 

 the standard five-gallon. 



Prof. Coolf said that great corporations held 

 together as one man. The laboring men should 

 in like manner hold together. He believed the 

 time was coming when the laboring men would 

 do this, and better prices would result. Have 

 patience, and agitate. The producers are too 

 suspicious of each other, and so scattered that 

 the cooperative plan had not been adopted. 

 The fruit-growers had been compelled to or- 

 ganize, and the result is better prices for their 

 fruit. It needs enthusiasm and some self-sac- 

 rifice, perhaps. 



The great fundamental principle is, to first 

 establish a good price and stick to it. The fra- 

 ternity were greatly handicapped by so many 

 needy bee-keepers who are obliged to sell their 

 honey in order to purchase the necessities of 



food and raiment. If an organization is form- 

 ed it must have a little capital to enable it to 

 advance some money to this class of producers. 



Capitalists are afraid of cooperation, and will 

 hinder its establishment if possible. The pro- 

 fessor did not believe in the mushroom growth 

 of such organizations. A slow growth gives it 

 a more substantial footing. 



Mr. Touchton said that California honey had 

 to compete with the whole United States and 

 Cuba. He thought that an exchange, however 

 small, if once established, would grow. This 

 would lead to putting up honey in such pack- 

 ages as the public demanded. Each producer 

 should keep his own brand on his packages, 

 and thus make a reputation. 



Mr. Wilder thought that California honey 

 should bring as good a price as eastern, and he 

 proposed to take a carload east and sell to the 

 consumer. He believed that but a small por- 

 tion of California extracted honey found its 

 way to the tables of eastern consumers; it is 

 used largely in manufacturing establishments; 

 and, coming in competition with sugar, when 

 the price of honey advanced above a certain 

 figure, sugar is used instead. 



Mr. Flory said that Central California bee- 

 keepers were ready for cooperation. They 

 were subject to low prices, high freight rates, 

 and an unjust tare on all of their packages; 

 upon a crate for comb honey weighing only 4 

 lbs. they were obliged to allow 7 lbs. tare, or an 

 actual steal of 3 lbs. 



An expression of the meeting was taken in 

 relation to organizing on the cooperative plan; 

 15 arose in favor of it and 6 against, while 

 there were several not voting. The 6 had fa- 

 cilities for storing their honey, and were able 

 to keep it until their price, 6 cts. per lb., was 

 obtained. 



BEE -PARALYSIS SCARCE IN CALIFORNIA. 



The next subject under consideration was 

 bee-paralysis. The opinions upon this malady 

 were somewhat contradictory. Locality had 

 much to do with the opinion in relation to the 

 cause. The fact was brought out, however, 

 that there were but very few cases of paralysis 

 in California. Several bee-keepers, owning 

 their hundreds of colonies, had observed only 

 three or four cases at any one time in their api- 

 aries. The disease usually disappeared when 

 new honey began to be gathered. 



Mr. Touchton gave a lecture upon practical 

 bee-keeping, demonstrating his remarks with a 

 hive and all tools for management. There 

 were some criticisms upon some of the meth- 

 ods; but on the whole Mr. Touchton, being a 

 practical bee-keeper of many years standing, 

 his ideas were generally indorsed. 



The evening session commenced with an ejt- 

 cellent annual address by Pres. A. J. Cook. 



Several of the points brought out in the ad- 

 dress were discussed. The so-called new bee- 

 disease, also the controversy between fruit- 



