April, 1915 



American Hee Journal 



ard size of sections and standard ship- 

 ping cases. No product subject to 

 variation in weight, flavor, color, etc., 

 can be satisfactorily placed in a distant 

 market, unless well defined rules for 

 grading and packing said commodity 

 are first adopted, then strictly carried 

 out, and most important of all, a line 

 of customers secured who have confi- 

 dence in the parties offering the goods, 

 that the goods will come up to repre- 

 sentation. 



All of these subjects were carefully 

 gone over by this little band of bee- 

 keepers, and the decision was that first 

 a set of grading rules should be drawn 

 up and later submitted to the Colorado 

 State Beekeepers' Association for adop- 

 tion ; second, that those present would 

 agree to grade by these rules ; third, 

 that as soon as possible they would all 

 adopt the 4Hx4'4xlJ/s sections and the 

 double-tier glass front shipping cases 

 as their standard ; fourth, to appoint a 

 secretary to develop a carload market 

 for their product. To start the ball 

 rolling each of those present con- 

 tributed the big sum of 25 cents for 

 stationary and postage stamps. The 

 writer was elected secretary, without 

 pay, and instructed to go ahead. 



A buyer for a carload was found in a 

 comparatively short time at $2.40 per 

 case for No. 1, and as local buyers only 

 offered $1.7.5 for the same grade every- 

 body was highly elated. Thr secretary 

 made all the arrangements for the 

 loading, and each producer hauled his 

 honey direct to the car where it was 

 inspected, and each one lent a hand in 

 loading. Within a few weeks after this 

 car had arrived at destination the same 

 party wired for another car. As there 

 was not enough to make a car, others 

 were invited to come in and fill the 

 order. 



The following season a store room 

 was rented. This was kept open one 

 day each week during the shipping 

 season to receive honey until carload 

 shipments could be made. The next 

 year steps were taken to incorporate 

 under the laws of the State of Col- 

 orado. To comply with the statutes a 

 stock company had to be formed. The 

 capitalization was originally fixed at 

 $10,000; shares of stock $10 each, to be 

 sold to beekeepers only. 



After some stock had been sold, it 

 was decided to establish a warehouse, 

 carry a complete stock of bee supplies 

 and also supply the local honey mar- 

 ket. The secretary was appointed as 

 manager with a small salary. 



The policy was adopted of handling 

 bee supplies of highest quality only 

 and selling them at a small margin of 

 profit, not only to members but to all 

 comers, giving the small beginner the 

 same opportunity in buying as the 

 large specialist. 



The handling of honey was done on 

 the following basis: Honey received 

 at the association warehouse was 

 stored there, insurance carried on it, 

 local sales made out of such stock, and 

 carload shipments were filled ; the as- 

 sociation doing all the work and charg- 

 ing 10 percent of the selling price. 

 Carload shipments from the outside 

 points were handled in the following 

 manner: Members at such points 

 would store their honey themselves, 

 carry insurance on it, haul it to the 



car to be loaded when ordered to do 

 so and bear all expenses of loading; 

 the manager of the association doing 

 the inspecting of each lot at the car 

 door and supervising the loading, such 

 shipments being handled by the asso- 

 ciation on 5 percent of the selling 

 price. 



To identify each member's honey 

 consignment, numbers are used to 

 stamp on each end of a case of honey 

 immediately above the hand hole, the 

 mark designating the grade is made 

 with lead pencil in each hand hole. 

 (Since the federal net weight law is in 

 force, a somewhat different form of 

 marking was adopted.) 



The inspection problem is a difficult 

 one, and has some very unpleasant fea- 

 tures to the party entrusted with the 

 enforcement of the rules. It is evi- 

 dent that of the number who are anx- 

 ious to do a good job of grading and 

 packing, there is quite a percentage 

 who for one reason or the other do 

 not succeed at first. Many of these 

 will conquer the subject after a while, 

 but there is now and then a hopeless 

 case. Central grading stations at the 

 various shipping points, managed by 

 an impartial grader, appear to be the 

 best solution of this problem. 



Settlement for carload shipments is 

 made with the members as soon as re. 



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KK ANK KAUCHKUSS AND HIS ASSISTANTS IN FRONT OF THEIR DENVER STORE 



