4 GLEANINGS IN 



HONEY MARKETS 



Thore is so little honey, either comb or 

 extracted, left in the hands of producers, 

 that to quote honey ii-arkets may well seem 

 like catering to the curiosity rather than to 

 the service of the beekor-pers. But the hon- 

 ey markets may well be a matter of curiosity, 

 for no such conditions have ever before sur- 

 rounded the market. Almost unprecedented 

 prices, in some instances, have been offered 

 during the last month for qi.iick deli\eries of 

 carloads of honey at New York. For what 

 purpose or market these high prices were 

 offered, we don 't know. How stable the hon- 

 ey market will continue, nobody knows, for 

 sugar prices are uncertain with the proba- 

 bility of easier fi gar in the iiea;- future when 

 the new beet, Louisiana cane, and West 

 Indian crops eome onto the market. Some 

 markets, too report, light retail demand be- 

 cause of too high price. 



With this much said, and saying again 

 that the price of honey today is what the 

 owner can get for it, we would add that, 

 if we were a honey-producer with a crop of 

 either comb or extracted to sell, we would 

 not take less than the highest price we had 

 known to be paid in our locality. 



Below we quote the wholesale price (price 

 to the retailer, not to the producer of the 

 honey) as sent us by various large city deal- 

 ers, also the U. S. Government Bureau of 

 Markets honey prices: 



BEE CULTURE 



Januaby, 1918 



General Quotations of Wholesalers. 



[These firms are asked to quote the wholesale 

 prices they make to retailers. Accordingly, their 

 prices must be figured at least one profit higher 

 than the price paid the producer.] 



NEW YORK. — Market is well cleaned up on both 

 comb and e.xtracted honey, all grades ; prices very 

 firm ; very little domestic in sight. West Indian 

 will not arrive till next month; $1.75 to $1.90 is 

 asked for West Indian to arrive; very little steam 

 space available; freight and insurance rates very 

 high ; export demand therefore is light. 



New York Branch. 



New York, N. Y., Dec. 24, 1917. 



LIVERPOOL. — Since our last cable report the 

 price of extracted honey has remained firm at 24 

 to 26 cents X'er lb in barrels. We see no possibility 

 of a decline in the immediate future because the 

 American Government has commandeered 95 per 

 cent of all space in steamers coming this way for 

 Government puiposes, so that only about 5 per cent 

 remains for the accommodation of the public, and 

 for this the steamship companiCkS are claiming $4.00 

 to $5.00 freight for every 100 lbs. Tliere seems to 

 be a good crop in Cuba, for a shipper has offered 

 us 1,000 barrels, which we are unable to avail 

 ourselves of owing to the lack of transport facili- 

 ties caused by enemy submarines. This is a matter 

 which will govern prices very largely for the future. 

 The price of beeswax is easy at present ; 42 to 47 

 cents per lb. according to quality. 



Liverpool, Eng., Dec. 5. Taylor & Co. 



ST. IjOUIS. — Our market is pretty well cleaned 

 up on comb honey. While receipts of local honey 

 have been quite small this fall, the demand for 

 comb honey has been light owing to high prices. 

 Extracted honey is in good demand, and supplies 

 not overly large. We quote comb honey, extra fancv, 

 per case, $5.50; fancy, $5.25; No. 1,"$4.75; No. 2, 

 $4.25. Extracted honpy, white, ))er lb. 17; light 

 amber, in cans, 16; amber (dark), 14 to 15. Clean 

 average yellow beeswax brings 40 cts. 



R. Hartiuau Produce Co. 

 • St. Lo\iis, Mo., Dec. 17. 



CHICAGO. — During the past month there has 

 been little if any variation in prices, with quite 

 a good demand, so that arrivals have cleaned up in 

 a satisfactory manner. During this month the wea- 

 ther has been too cold for safe shipment of comb. 



Chicago, Dec. 18. R. A. Burnett & Co. 



BUFFALO.- — Market price on white comb honey 

 is .steady. Strained honey is \?cry scarce and in 

 good demand. We quote comb honey, fancy, per 

 lb., 22; No. 1, buckwheat, 21. Extracted honey, 

 wliile, per lb. 17; liglit amber in cans, 16; amber, 

 in cans, 16. 



Buffalo, Dec. 15. Gleason & Lansing. 



KANSAS CITY. — The market is very firm on 

 comb honey. It is selling at $4.75 per case for No. 

 I. Tliere is no No. 2 or othrr grades on the mar- 

 ket, and very little No 1. Extracted is selling from 

 15 to 20 cents per pound, according to quality and 

 grade. Clean yellow beeswax brings 35 cts. 



C. C. Clemens Produce Company. 



Kansas City, Mo., Dec. 17. 



PORTLAND. — Stocks of comb and extracted honey 

 are low, with practically no demand, on account of 

 high prices. We quote comb honev, extra 

 fancy, per case, $4.50; fancy, $4.25; No. 1, $4.00; 

 No. 2, $.3.75. Extracted honey, white, per lb., 17; 

 lightamber, in cans, 16 ; amber, in cans, 15. 



Portlajid, Ore., Dec. 12. Pacific Honey Co. 



SYR-A.CUSE. — The stock of honey in the hands 

 of the wholesalers is pretty well exhausted. We 

 hav'j practically nolbing to offer except to city 

 ti'ade. We quote comb hone^', extvii fancy, per case, 

 $5.04; No. 1, $4. so. Extracted honey, white, per 

 11', brings IS. 



Syracuse, N. Y.. Doc. 19. E. B. Ross. 



CLEVELAND. — Demand fair. Supply in market 

 i.s very limited. We quote comb honey, fancy, per 

 case, $5.50; No. 1, $5.00 to $5.25. 

 ■ Cleveland, O., Dec. 20. C. Chandler's Sons. 



MONTREAL. — Market is firm and stocks light. 

 We quote comb honey, per lb., white, 21; No. I, 

 brown, 16; No. 2, per lb., white, 17; No. 2, brown, 

 12. Extracted honey white, per lb. 19 ; light amber, 

 in cans, 18 ; amber, in cans, 17 ; 



Gunn, Langlois & Co., Ltd. 



Montreal, Can., Dec. 17. 



DENVER. — No change from last quotation. 



Tlie Colorado Honey Producers' Association. 



U. S. Government Market Reports. 



Honey Arrivals Since Last Report. — Medina, O., 

 98,607 pounds Idaho; 72,300 pounds Wisconsin; 

 30,020 pounds Michigan; 30,115 jwunds Minn<>sota; 

 J540-pouTuls Ohio. Hamilton 111., 675 pounds 

 Iowa. 



.Vrrivals include receipts during preceding two 

 weeks. Prices represent current quotations. 



Philadelphia. — 12 barrels Southern, 40 cases New 

 York, 297 cases Idaho, 130 cases local comb arrived. 

 Demand very active, market very strong; practi- 

 cally no honey offered for sale ; very few sales. 

 Extracted honey • Southern and imported, barrels, 

 $1.95 to $2.10 per gallon. Beeswax — no sales re- 

 ported. 



Minneapolis. — No rail arrivals; local receipts ex- 

 tremely light. Demand moderate, market strong, all 

 sales in small lots. Comb honey : Minnesota, 24- 

 section cases, extra fancy white, mostly 20 cts. per 

 |)ound; No. I white, mostly 18 to 19 cts.; Colorado, 

 24-section cases, mostly $5.00. Extracted honey: 

 Minnesota, white, 10, 20, and 60-pouiid cans and 

 jiails, mostly 2 1 cts, per pound. Beeswax — no sales 

 reported. 



St. Paul. — No rail arrivals, very light local re- 

 ceipts. Demand moderate, market very firm, very 

 few sales, all sales in small lots. Comb honey, 

 Colorailo, white, 2 1-section cases, $4.75. E.-itracted, 

 Minnesota, white, 50-po'und cans, 17 cts. per pound. 

 lie.iswii;;— -no sales reported. 



Chicago. — Supplies and receipts very light. Comb 

 honey, stock from nearby states, best white, 23 to 

 24 cts. per pound, mostly 23. Extracted honey, 

 best nearby, 16 to 17; California, light amber, 

 mostly 17 cts. 



New York. — .\rrivals, 465 barrels Cuba, 11 bar- 

 rels Porto Rico, 2 boxes Dutch West Indies, 18 bar- 



