1902 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



1019 



He is protected from the sun and rain (so 

 are his tools); lifting- is reduced to a mini- 

 mum, and work can be done which would 

 probably be deferred in an open apiary. 

 For lady apiarists a shed is a. sine qua non. 

 For the tropics it is indispensable. 



WHOLESALE MARKETING OF HONEY. 



Necessity of a National Organization for Doing it. 



BY B. S. K. BENNETT. 



Do we realize what we are up against? 

 that for decades the world has produced 

 large amounts of honey that has found its 

 way to ready market? that, while this pro- 

 duction has not kept pace with the supposed 

 increased demand, the price has steadily 

 declined; that the vast use it is made of in 

 bakery goods, honey-cakes, cookies, and 

 confections, has not tended to better prices? 

 that in a way the supply is limited to the 

 range of flora, which being- mostly wild 

 ranges, can not be increased? Why, then, 

 low prices with a limited supply and the 

 demand increasing? 



The great bakery trust in the United 

 States, with factories in each main city, is 

 such an extensive user of honey that they 

 pay their honey-buyer $15,000 a year, or 

 $47 a day. This man does nothing but 

 manipulate the market. How does he earn 

 his salary? It matters little to him how 

 many buyers there are. He sets the price, 

 and sees to it, as has just been demonstrat- 

 ed in California, that no click can g-et a 

 corner on the market nor on him (this is all 

 private information ), but it is what I went 

 into the honey business to learn. I had no 

 idea that there were so many Indians and 

 enemies to the buying, and even in the pro- 

 ducing- business. I've raked up a snake's 

 nest. 



The production of honey through the short- 

 ening of pasturage is decreasing, while the 

 demand should be increasing; for in 1884, 

 with 800 carloads in Southern California, 

 that nearly all found its wa3' to European 

 markets, that the trade was well satisfied 

 with and wanted more (a demand), wh}' in 

 years since has this European shipment 

 been so limited? I answer, a poor product 

 and the influence on prices. So long- as 

 the present condition remains — i.e., that 

 we producers antagonize each other, fight- 

 ing for the first market, buyers scrambling 

 for the handling at lowest prices, yet un- 

 knowingly aiding the large user, we can 

 not hope for a qviick movement of honey and 

 still less for advanced prices. 



The only real aid will be through organ- 

 ization, or devoting our attention to our home 

 markets. 



California is the worst element against 

 advanced prices because of our unequal 

 yearlj' yields. We flood our markets one 

 year with cheap honey, only to have our lo- 

 cal custom refuse it the next 3'ear because 

 of its increase in price. Wholesale mar- 



keting- of honey for California can come 

 only through organization, and not by co-op- 

 eration or exchanges. I believe in holding 

 the bee-men's interests. Control their api- 

 aries by small local companies officered by 

 the best men in that locality. 



Capital does not believe in any producing 

 enterprise (it's too much contingent on the 

 elements); then there are too many poor 

 fellows who will attempt it (capital takes 

 the results); but to perfect our marketing 

 scheme among ourselves we must deal with 

 reliable org-anization of ourselves. 



A national honey company I hope to see — 

 one strong- enough to control all local organ- 

 izations so that, when you've got the man, 

 you've got his honey. Then the money — 

 we must have it on loading here, as we 

 have for years been able to do. The Na- 

 tional simply acts as distributor, placing 

 all surplus honey in the central East, where 

 there is an immense field for the develop- 

 ment of the consumption of honey, and keep 

 an eye on Europe. 



Californiaproducershave an ofTer, through 

 one of the agents of this bakery trust, of ^}i 

 cts. per pound for all amber extracted hon- 

 ey for a three-year-delivery contract. In 

 good years we rarely get above 3}^ cts. Is 

 this a feeler as to our condition? or is it an 

 expectance of an advance in price through 

 our efforts of organization? 



Los Angeles, Cal. 



MORE IN FAVOR OF A HONEY=PRODUCERS' AS- 

 SOCIATION. 



The Trials of One who has Produced more Honey 

 than he can SelL 



BY G. R. FRYE. 



Rlr. Root: — I note with great interest and 

 much pleasure that a glimmer of light be- 

 gins to illuminate the future of the bee-keep- 

 er, and that of the projected "Honey- pro- 

 ducers' Association." Most fervently do we 

 trust that this agitation will accomplish 

 the desired result. Nothing has appeared 

 in the bee- journals for j'ears which so vital- 

 ly touches the interest of the bee-keeper as 

 this. A few words of vc\y experience ( which 

 is, I presume, the same as that of all other 

 bee-keepers, except a few of the largest who 

 have an established market) will explain 

 why I speak so earnestly. 



During the last four years I have produced 

 upward of 50.000 lbs. of extracted honey. 

 Thanks to the bee-journals and various bee- 

 books, our production has been a success, 

 but not so our marketing. The sale of this 

 honey has given four times over the amount 

 of trouble and worry required in its produc- 

 tion. The disposal of the crop is to-daj^ the 

 bane of the bee-keeping industry. There is 

 where the trouble lies. We can generally 

 get a fair amount of honpy: but where and 

 to whom shall we look for a buj-er? 



Twice I have made large consignments to 

 commission men; and in each case, after 

 waiting four months, I got an extremely 



