GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



June, 1919 



in time, the trouble may be stopped by the 

 use of honey instead of sugar. 



Also those factors, such as a greatly in- 

 flated currency, Europe 's acute need of 

 food, and the labor situation, that have, 

 during the war, increased the cost of living 

 61.3 per cent, have also had their share in 

 increasing the price of honey. 



Last fall, and up to the middle of Janu- 

 ary, honey was held at its highest figures. 

 As the price remained stationary, with no 

 apparent tendency to drop, many loaded up, 

 when, without warning, the ban was lifted 

 from sugar. The arts and trades that could 

 not get their requirements of sugar up till 

 then, now figured that they could make a 

 syrup for about seven cents against honey 

 at three times the price. All at once they 

 were seized with a panicky desire to unload 

 the higher-priced article for which they had 

 paid 22 and 23 cents, and buy sugar at nine 

 cents or a seven-cent syrup that they could 

 get in unlimited quantities. Some of the 

 big icecream concerns that had been using 

 honey by the carload now put it on the 

 open market at IS cents, while they had, as 

 they admitted, paid 22 1/^ cents for it. 



Then there was the ever prudent house- 

 wife who likewise was compelled to use 

 honey to complete her requirements. Now 

 that the restrictions on sugar had been re- 

 moved, why should she pay 40 and 50 cents 

 per pound for honey when she could now 

 get all the sugar she needed at 10 cents or a 

 syrup at 7 f She didn 't see that honey 

 would go further because it had more food 

 value per pound, and because it had a flavor. 

 Oh, no! she could get a syrup for one-fifth 

 the cost of honey. The honey she had would 

 be "kept for company," and, of course, she 

 would not buy any more. Such a course 

 would slow down sales for the time being. 



There was one more important factor; and 

 that was that Europe stopped buying honey 

 temporarily — probably because it was con- 

 eluded, now that the armistice was signed, 

 there would be a drop in all food products. 



The heavy export demand during the last 

 two years of the war had a tremendous in- 

 fluence on the price of honey. Buyers were 

 out . everywhere hoping to make a ' ' big 

 scoop ' ' by selling it for export. Many of 

 them did make a ' ' scoop. ' ' When, there- 

 fore, this demand suddenly stopped early 

 last winter many found themselves over- 

 loaded. The result was, these buyers, in- 

 stead of being out to get more honey, were 

 trying to unload before the market went 

 too low. One broker, we are informed, lost 

 $42,000 on 7,000 cases of honey he unloaded. 

 Others lost like amounts. All this made 

 buyers cautious. The result has been fhat 

 sales have been few and far between. Buy- 

 ers have been waiting to see where the bot- 

 tom would be before investing. 



This would be discouraging; but, happily, 

 the cloud has a silver lining. The bottom 

 has been reached, and the market is now- 

 looking upward. The conditions that caus- 

 ed the previous high prices still exist; with 



the exception of the sugar situation, which 

 has changed. Yet even that is now improv- 

 ing. In addition are several new factors 

 operative for higher prices. 



The first important factor we shall con- 

 sider is whether California will have a crop; 

 and if so, how large? It should be borne in 

 mind that the seasons in California are very 

 uncertain. When there has been 18 inches 

 or more of rainfall in the southern part of 

 the State, a crop of sage is almost a sure 

 thing. With the certainty of a crop, and a 

 prospect of 500 cars to go east, the market 

 is inclined to weaken. If, however,there 

 has been insufficient rainfall, the market 

 east as well as west is inclined to stiffen. 

 This year California has had only ten inches 

 of rainfall for most sections in the southern 

 part of the State. These sages are not yield- 

 ing as they should, and the crop will be very 

 short from present indications. While orange 

 is usually a sure crop, it is going to be light 

 this year. Moreover, orange in the aggre- 

 gate represents only a small part of the 

 amount produced from the sages, wild alfal- 

 fa, and wild buckwheat, for sage is often 

 mixed with either or both of the two last- 

 named sources. Northern and central Cali- 

 fornia usually have a crop; but we are ad- 

 vised that the prospects are not of the best. 



Taking it all in all, it is evident that the 

 California crop will be light. There will be 

 some sage, but not many cars from present 

 indications, and the editor has been over 

 the State pretty well. 



The second factor that has an influence on 

 the price of honey is the price of sugar, and 

 whether it will be scarce or not. It has 

 been stated that there is going to be a 

 scarcity of sugar this summer. Already the 

 price is beginning to go up. Candy has 

 taken a sharp advance; and soda-fountains, 

 even in addition to the war tax, are begin- 

 ning to charge ten cents where formerly 

 they charged but five. 



The third factor is that the nation is go- 

 ing dry. Experts tell us that this will make 

 an enormous demand for sweets in all forms. 

 Saloons everywhere are preparing to put in 

 candy and to handle soft drinks. They know 

 that the craving for alcohol can be met by 

 some form of sugar. While liquor is a tem- 

 porary stimulant, sugar (or, better, honey) 

 is a more lasting stimulant — a stimulant 

 that nature expects and one that leaves no 

 bad after-effects unless eaten to excess. 

 Now, then, if there is going to be such a 

 demand for sugar, surely honey will find its 

 rightful place. 



Another very important factor is that the 

 export demand for honey is beginning to 

 pick up. There is no question that an in- 

 creased export trade will help the honey 

 market considerably. 



The price of honey, for the reasons named, 

 is sure to begin advancing — just how 

 much no one can predict. It has evidently 

 reached rock bottom, and should go up; but, 

 as sure as fate, it will not go up to war- 

 time prices. 



