Foi" the American Bee Journal. 



Honey, the Supply and the Demand. 



The market price of honey lends down- 

 ward. It is nuich less than it was a few 

 years a^'o. It seems probable tliat those 

 now producing? honey, will, with their 

 increased experience and facilities, be able 

 to prodnce a larger amount. It seems prob- 

 able, too, that not a tew new producers will 

 enter the held. With the supply of honey 

 thus lartrely increased, it is probable that 

 the market price will continue to fall. — 

 This probability has led not a few thought- 

 ful men to doubt the wisdom of continuing 

 in the business of bee-culture themselves, 

 and to think that it is unwise to encourage 

 others to enter the business. Perhaps a 

 study of the progress of some other branch- 

 es of production may give us some light to 

 guide us in tlie work of producing and sell- 

 ing honey. 



1 lived for several years among people 

 whose income came from fruit-growing. It 

 was a great pleasure to see the order and 

 beauty of the many fruit-farms. In spring, 

 the strawberry fields, the raspberry fields, 

 tlie peach and pear orchards were seas of 

 bloom. In early summer, the delightful 

 fragrance of the strawberry was borne on 

 every wind, and many thousands of bushels 

 of the luscious fruit were sent to the mark- 

 ets of Philadelphia, New York and JJoston. 

 In autumn the peaches blushed on many a 

 laden bough, and the grapes grew purple in 

 the sunshine. Of the latter, several hun- 

 dreds of tons, nicely put up in small boxes, 

 were shipped every year. Living thus 

 among people engaged in fruit-growing, it 

 was not difficult for me to obtain some 

 knowledge of the progress of the fruit 

 business. 



Thirty years ago the quantity of straw- 

 berries sent to the markets of the largest 

 cities was small comjpared with the quan- 

 tity now sent. A tew growers, in the 

 innnediate vicinity of the large cities, sup- 

 plied the whole demand. The berries were 

 sent to market in neither elegant nor con- 

 venient style. But prices were high. Pro- 

 ducers always found a ready sale. Soon 

 they began to produce more largely, and to 

 improve the style of their packages. — 

 More persons took up the business. Some 

 competition was aroused, which resulted in 

 improving the varieties of the strawberry, 

 and the elegance and convenience of berry- 

 baskets and crates. Still,.the demand was 

 large enough to absorb all the supply at 

 good prices. Growers were stinnilated to 

 increased efliorts. Many new growers took 

 up the business. At last the markets were 

 glutted, and prices fell very much. It was 

 no uncommon thing for cargoes of berries 

 to spoil and be thrown away. Soon prices 

 were down so low that berries retailed for 

 from 10 to 15 cents per quart. After paying 

 freight, drayage, and commission, but a 

 small sum, per quart, found its way to the 

 pockets of the producers. The producers 

 were nearly in despair. 



The large quantity of fruit was, however, 

 the means of advertising the fruit. It 

 forced itself silently on the notice of the 

 people. It was a fragrant and beautiful 



fact on rail-cars, steamboats and drays, in 

 tlie markets and the fruit-dealers stalls. — 

 People could not iielp seeing it; they could 

 not help be^ng attracted by its tempting 

 lusciousness. And then it was so cheap, 

 they could afford to buy a quart or two. — 

 Moreover, the berries began to be found in 

 every small and remote grocery, and fruit 

 stand. Formerly, when the prices were 

 high, they were for sale only at the places 

 patronized by the wealthier people. But 

 soon the dealers in poorer quarters found 

 that their customers would buy them at the 

 cheap rates. The consumption of berries 

 was immensely increased. Soon the grow- 

 ers found that their largest crops were 

 absorbed by the great cities, as regularly 

 and certainly as a quantity of flour, or meat. 

 The fact that the tempting fruit was right 

 before the customer, ana at such a low 

 price that he could afford to buy, created a 

 demand. 



Ere long, the production of strawberries 

 became a large industry. It now employs 

 a large number of people in the states along 

 the Atlantic coast, in quarters whence the 

 berries can be sent to the great cities. The 

 season opens early, with fruit from the 

 south. As the glad summer creeps over the 

 northern hills, it sends the health-bearing 

 berries into all the cities, by every avenue 

 of approach, both by water and land. Not 

 until the middle of July does the Boston 

 market get its last consignments from 

 fertile nooks among the hills of New Hamp- 

 shire and Vermont. The growers, south 

 and north, do not get large prices. They do 

 not get suddenlv rich, but they do find a 

 demand for their jiroduct, at prices which 

 enable them to live comfortably. They 

 have a regular, legitimate, honorable busi- 

 ness. They have disasters, now and then. 

 An unfavorable season cuts off the crop. — 

 A very large yield puts prices away down 

 to almost nothing. But in spite of occa- 

 sional disasters, the growers succeed very 

 well. 



I have spoken about growing straw- 

 berries because with that I am somewhat 

 familiar. But what is true of growing 

 strawberries is true, essentially, of growing 

 peaches, grapes, apples and sweet potatoes. 

 It is true, also, oi the manufacturing of 

 cotton and woolen goods. If we choose to 

 go into the statistics of sugar, tea and coffee, 

 we should find that the production of these 

 articles has had a similar history. 



After looking at the above facts, and at 

 others in the same line, whicli will readily 

 suggest themselves to thoughtful people, 

 could a person be accused of reasoning on 

 false and insutficient premises, if he should 

 affirm the following propositions? 



1. Bee-keeping will continue for some 

 years to come to attract capital and intelli- 

 gent labor. 



2. Intelligent bee-keej)ers will continue 

 to make improvements in the science of 

 bee-culture, until the business reaches its 

 greatest normal capacity of ijroduetion. 



3. The increased niimbe'r of producers, 

 and the improved methods will result in a 

 largely increased production of bees, honey 

 and wax. 



4. This large production will continue to 

 put prices down until they will be a good 



