112 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Feb. 1. 



" But," you may ask, " when bce-keopcrs are ed a fair deal on the part of an honest commis- 

 treated in this way is there not some redress by sion house. Of course, there may be mistakes; 

 law?" Yes, perhaps; but. as Byron Walker but there were quite a few extensive honey-pro- 

 said at the convention, the firm may have thou- ducers who verified lhe«e figures, and acknow- 

 sandsof dollars against the hundreds of the bee- lodged them to bo essentially correct. In round 

 keeper, to fight him; and usually the amount numbers, then, if the honey sells on commission 

 involved is less than a hundred dollars; and at 14, the bee-keeper himself can expect only 

 when he comes to figure up the cost of prosecu- about 10 cts. I must confess that the expense 

 tion he decides to let the matter alone. If tfie item of 14 cts. was very much larger than I ex- 

 commission house is dishonest, it will bear on pected; and if bee keepers generally knew the 

 as hard as it can without involving a suit. cost they would be more inclined to market 



In the first place, bee-keepers should go to around home rather than send away their 

 their nearest bank and inquire of the responsi- honey to the crowed centers, subject to close 

 bility of the firm to whom they propose to ship competition, and perhaps in some cases dishon- 

 honey; but, as Byron Walker said at the con- est treatment. If 10 cts. is all the bee-keeper 

 vention, a gilt-edge credit may not always himself gets when the honey sells at 14 cts. In 

 mean fair and honorable dealing. The sugges- the open market, in the hands of an honest 

 tion was made in the convention that a small commission firm, how much will that bee-keep- 

 consignment be sent first, and in the mean time er get if this same honey goes into the hands of 

 inquiry be made of bee-keepers or of bee-jour- a firm that is unscrupulous, or a little sharp in 

 nals who may know them. The moral is, be the tricks of the trade ? Bee - keepers with 

 careful how you trust new firms with consign- whom I talked said tljey had in some cases been 

 ments of your honey, especially when they glad to get 7 and even 6 cts.; and when I asked 

 promise to do very much better than old firms them why they did not sue, they replied that 

 who have been long in the business, and with the cost of the suit, and the chance of judgment 

 whom you have dealt for years, and received in their favor, would be more than the amount 

 honorable treatment. involved. 



ACTUAL COST OF SELLING ON COMMISSION.: u Chicago is a great center for selling honey. 



Atone of the sessions of the convention the The editor of the American Bee Journal, m 



question was asked, "What is the usual rate of commenting on this point, says: 



commission charged?" The replies to this ^ ^^ _, w , • * 



, ; B ^ J ^u ,r> " Selling Honey ON COiMMissiON.— We have just 



showed that some firms charge 5 and others 10 ^^^^ talking with tlie head of what we consider the 



per cent. But some bee-keepers say they would largest firm of Chicago honey-dealers, about selling 



rather pay ten per cent commission, and get honey on commission. We asked particularly 



better service, and not have a long string of ^''^^l^^ir^Vl rl^yZll ^'^^^^^^^ 



items charged up against their honey, than to ^ijich sells for less than $100 gross, their rule was to 



pay 5. But, again, it was shown that some charge 10 percent. On any shipment selling for 



firms charge 10 per cent, and are greedy enough over $100, they deduct .5 per cent for their commis- 



^ .. 1 11 *u „+ur>.. it„.^o Knc.i,qQc TUic sion. We believe»this is about right. 



to tuck on all the other items besides. This .. tj^^ g-gntleman referred to above agreed with us 



question naturally followed in the discussion: in thinking Chicago the principal honey-distributing 



WHEN COMB HONEY SELLS IN SOUTH WATER point in this Country. As nearly as we are able to 



STREET, CHICAGO, AT 14 CTS., WHAT learn (and we believe it is not far out of the way), 



WII L IT NET THE PRODUCER'' since the seapon for shipping honey opened for 1895 



r^, ^ .' ^ „ ,,.,, , . J ^.L,„t .v,;» there have been sliipped to the Chicago market up 



The President, Dr. Miller, explained that this ^^ ^^.^ ^.^^ ^^^^^^ ^ carloads. That means about 



was a very important question. As there was (^qo tons, or 1,200,000 pounds of honey. And that 



a blackboard in the room he desired the conven- would be only about one pound for each person liv- 



tir^r. tnVioln him TTiakP oiit a table of exoenses '"g' in Chicago! Surely that one pound wouldn't 



tion to help him make out a table oi expenses. ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ _ ^^^ ^^^y^^^^^y ^ ^eek. Then some- 



A great many questions were asked and the an- ^j^^^^ j^j^^ g^, ^jj^^g ^^^^ amount miglit be consumed 



swers reduced to figures, the result of which was here every year, if it were properly distributed 



the following table, which I copied from the among the people. , , ,. ^ 



blackboard. The first item, as is shown, is the ,,::^;^^^:^:^:^^:^S^^^;:^^':; ^ 



cost of honey; and the next items of expense Reserves to be used. Let every one do :h is share to 



are expressed in cents and tenths of a cent: popularize the consumption of the best sweet 



,, 1 4r, known— honey." 



Selling price of honey per lb .140 



Freight 004 i am aware that what I have said reflects 



Commission («10V 014 rather seriously on the commission business; 



Cartage 002 but I hope our readers will please bear in mind 



Loss in leakage 007 that these sharp " tricks of the trade " do not 



Shipping case.< 010 apply to <(lt commission bouses. As soon as one 



Total expense •0:i7 is found to be guilty of sharp tricks his quota- 



^^ , . X . u ~^ lions are dropped, so that I believe our list 



Net casn to the purchaser 103 j^ „^^ ^ j^j^ly good one; but even then I think 



Now, understand that these figures represent- it is wise for bee-keepers, before making large 



