iuK BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



VIM 



iu which the language was highly parlia- 

 mentary, but so trauspiireut that the feel- 

 ings of the writer were plaiuly visible. By 

 return mail came a letter explaining that 

 the writer had to dictate from 200 to :!(X) 

 letters per day, and the uuly way in which 

 the task could be accomplished was by num- 

 bering tiie letters and replies, and thronijh 

 some slip the reply to my letter received a 

 wrong number, hence I had received a re- 

 ply intended for another man. Then follow- 

 ed a few suggestions iu regard to allowing 

 people to explain before condemning them 

 etc. 



There are many instances when it is well 

 to write very plainly to a man, to call 

 things by their proper names, and to be 

 out spoken, but all this can be done calmly, 

 with no show of passion, aud it is certainly 

 the proper thing to ask for an explanation 

 before "pitching into " a man. A harsh 

 letter does not hurt me as it did once, but 

 it hurts yet, and I wish ttiat people would 

 not write them to me until they know that 

 I deserve them. 



«»^^*m«^»^M 



FBDIT GBOWEBS UNION. 



The American Bee Journal in a recent 

 issue notices this Association, and speaks 

 very favorably of it. It seems that the 

 California Bee- Keepers' Exchange expects 

 to try working in connection with this 

 Union. All this reminds me that I had a 

 visit last spring with a Mr \ oorheis of this 

 State, who is a member of the Fruit Grow- 

 ers' Union, aud he described to me the 

 principle features of the or^'anization. 



To their sorrow, many growers of perish- 

 able fruit, like berries, tomatoes, peaches, 

 and the like, know that a glut in some mar- 

 ket so reduces prices that the fruit does not 

 sell for enough to pay ihy freight and com- 

 mission. At the same liiue, within less than 

 200 miles, the same kinds of fruit maybe 

 selling at good prices. The trouble is not 

 that too mauy strawberries are raised, 

 but that the distribution is unequal. 

 They are often massed iu a few points. The 

 grower writes to the coiiunission man aud 

 receives a favorable reply. He ships his 

 fruit: but hundreds of growers have done 

 the same thing. The tendency is to ship to 

 central points like Chieai: s or Cincinnati, 

 and neglect the smaller towns. The great 

 object of the Fruit Grower-' Union is to pre- 

 vent this massing ci prodixts. It has agents 



scattered all over the United States, and 

 these agents are constantly reporting to 

 headquarters the condition of their respec- 

 tive markets. In the case of perishable 

 products, or whenever the occasion de- 

 mands, the telegraph is freely used. Re- 

 ports are also constantly being received in 

 season regarding the condition of the crops. 

 The (xijueral Manager knows, for instance, 

 all through the strawberry season, where 

 the berries are being grown, when they are 

 jipeiiing, how they are " turning out, " etc. 

 He also knows where they are being sent, 

 and is promptly notified if there is any ten- 

 dency towards a glut in any market, or if 

 any market is needing more berries than it 

 is receiving. When a grower is ready to 

 ship, he notifies headquarters, by telegraph, 

 saying how many berries he has, and is at 

 once notified by telegraph where to send 

 his berries. The Union has absolute con- 

 trol of the product of its members, and so 

 closely are the markets watched that a ship- 

 ment is often diverted after it has been 

 started. For instance, it started for Chica- 

 go, but while on its way notice is received 

 that there is a glut in Chicago, while Jack- 

 son Michigan is " short. " By means of the 

 telegraph the shipment that started for 

 Chicago has its route changed to Jackson. 



Ten per cent of the proceeds are retained 

 as commission, but at the end of a year ( I 

 think it is ) if it has not cost ten per cent, 

 then there is a rebate. In other words, a 

 member has to pay only what it actually 

 costs to sell his product, and he has the sat- 

 isfaction of knowing that his product has 

 been sold in what was, in all probability, 

 the best possible market that he could have 

 reached. 



I don't know whether the Bee-Keepers' 

 Union will ever be able to do anything in 

 this line, neither do 1 know whether the 

 Fruit (irowers' Union could put honey upon 

 their list and make it advantageous to all 

 concerned, but it is worth thinking about. 



The year when I had my largest crop of 

 honey I sent it to the New York market. In 

 that m rket the quotations were some two 

 or throe cents luL'lier than in other markets; 

 but by the time that niy honey had arrived, 

 that from a whole lot "f other fellows was 

 there too, all after that two or three cents 

 extra, aud down went the market two or 

 three cents below tli.it of other cities. It 

 does seem as though ttie Union might have 

 an agent or correspondent in at least each 



