The American Apiculturist 



A JOUHXAL FOIJ TIIK NOVICK AND KXl'KKT. 



Devoted to Best Races of Bees, Best Hives, Best Implements and Best 



Methods of Management to make Beekeeping a Success. 

 PUBLISHED MONTHLY. HENRY ALLEY, 3Ianarjer.. 



VOL. VL 



WENHAM, MASS., JUNE, 1888. 



No. 6. 



CoiTespiiiJciicc. 



Improvement of the Honey Market. 



NUJIBElt ONE. 



Geo. F. Kobbins. 



Best means for increasing the consump- 

 tion of iioney — Shipping on commission- 

 Importance of home market— Best founda- 

 tion and use. 



A jrood Iioncy market involves these two 

 tliiiigx, viz: A ready sale for our honey 

 and remunerative prices. To improve onr 

 honey market means to obtain in a measure 

 those two things. A\u\ to improve tlie 

 market means vastly more to the honey 

 producer tlian to tlie wheat grower or hog 

 raiser. Bread and meat are standard liv- 

 ing commodities; honey is not. The for- 

 mer may l)e regarded as necessities and 

 always must be ; tlie latter is not a necess- 

 ity and never can be. How then to create 

 a demautl and secure living prices for 

 honey may well be a matter of absorbing- 

 inquiry. Wlietlier or iiot honey may ever 

 become a staple is a much mooted ques- 

 tion. Some contend that it can be; others 

 that it must always remain chiefly a lux- 

 ury. I hold to a mean between these two 

 extremes. Honey, I believe, may become 

 and is becoming largely a staple, but it 

 will never l)e so much of a staple as sy- 

 rup. It will always be more of a luxury 

 than apples. However, be it as a staple 

 or a luxury, how shall we increase the de- 

 mand? 



Best means for increasing the consump- 

 tion of honey. 



I have found it to be a fact, though a 

 strange one to me, that there are far more 

 who like syrup than who relish or can eat 

 honey. , Yet I have also learned that many 

 will use it largely in place of syrup, if it 

 can be procured at a price within their 

 means. When there was a large crop in 

 this region and 1 sold honey at 20 to 40 

 per cent lower than when it was scarcer 

 I could .sell considerably more. Tliat crop, 

 188G, flooded Springfield, III., with honey, 



11 



and prices tuml)led, and it was the low 

 prices that enabled it to sell. One of the 

 most successful and reliable grocers of 

 the city told me that when lie retailed' 

 comb honey at 12^ cents, he sold it regu- 

 larly to lalioring men, who would not buy 

 it, at least not so extensively, when the 

 price was 1.5 cents. He said also that it 

 cut into the syrup trade. These are pretty 

 good indications as to how nearly honey 

 may be made a staple. As for luxuries,, 

 that luxury which is cheapest is the lux- 

 ury that people will purchase most. Hence 

 to lower prices is one of the best means 

 to increase consumption. Now this looks 

 like tearing down instead of building up — 

 like injuring rather than improving the 

 honey market. But wait a little. I do not 

 believe in slaughtering prices. I simply 

 mean that to put prices down as far as pos- 

 sible to where honey can more nearly com- 

 pete with other table commodities, is one of 

 the best means to increase the consumption 

 thereof. It is with honey as it with every- 

 thing else the world over. The best article 

 that can be procured the cheapest will be- 

 used the most. But here is another point 

 that means something just now. It is- 

 only of late years that the honey trade has 

 become a factor in commerce. Hence the 

 low prices of 188G-7, and greater consump- 

 tion, had the eflect to create a taste and 

 consequent demand for honey when higher 

 in price. Still, I repeat, I object to slangh- 

 teriiu/ prices. There is no excuse for bee- 

 keepers rushing fine comb honey into mar- 

 ket and actually offering it at about 10' 

 cents per lb, as I have known some to do. 

 That is unnecessary and consequently in- 

 jurious. What I contend for is just this. 

 We shall find it to our interest ito study, 

 not so much to keep prices at the higiiest 

 possible point, as to produce at the low- 

 est possible cost and sell at the smallest 

 remunerative profit. 



Having spent so much space on the 

 above I can no''more than indicate some 

 other points and they are hardly new. 

 The one idea is to keep it before the peo- 

 ple. Kaise a gilt edge article aiul put it 

 on sale in a handy and attractive form. Do 

 not pack your nice sections into a cracker 



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