they propose, I am inclined to believe that 

 there are. some serious objections to the 

 plan. We will admit, for the sake of the 

 argument, that the large producers may be 

 able to select parties and make satisfactory 

 arrangements for the sale of their crops, 

 but how, let me ask, are you going to in- 

 duce the "small fry" to send theirs to the 

 same parties? Will they not, as heretofore, 

 send to the first commission house they hear 

 of? Will not a large proportion of the 300 

 commission houses on South Water street, 

 Chicago, receive consignments in this way, 

 and will not the same rule obtain in all the 

 other cities? Now, suppose all these obsta- 

 cles could be removed, how long would the 

 average apiarist be content to send his crop 

 to market and be compelled to wait for re- 

 turns till said crop could be sent to Europe 

 and there disposed of? Can you see anything 

 very flattering in the prospect? 



We believe that the laws of trade will 

 eventually control the honey market to the 

 same extent that the markets for all other 

 commodities are controlled ; the law of sup- 

 ply and demand alone w,ould regulate the 

 matter if producers would only act with or- 

 dinary prudence. 



Producers of honey should at all times 

 endeavor to keep themselves thoroughly in- 

 formed as to the amount produced in all 

 countries with whom we trade ; then it will 

 not be very difficult to make a fair estimate 

 of the value of our crops. The want of such 

 knowledge has been the prime cause of the 

 unsettled condition of our honey markets. 

 Let me illustrate : A case in my own neigh- 

 borhood will show clearly how it works. A 

 party living a few miles from our town 

 raised a few hundred pounds. of choice 

 white clover honey in 2-lb. sections, last 

 year, and, as a matter of course, took it to 

 bur town (that being the market) for sale. 

 He had made no effort to inform himself as 

 to the value, and the party to whom he of- 

 fered it being equally ignorant, finally paid 

 him 8 cents per lb. for it. I presume hun- 

 dreds of similar transactions occurred 

 throughout the country. 



I cannot close without mentioning one 

 very bad habit we as honey producers have 

 been guilty of : I refer to the reckless and 

 ruinous manner in which we have forced 

 our products on the market, the entire crop 

 going in during a period of 2 months or less 

 annually. Is it surprising that the market 

 becomes depressed and a ruinous deprecia- 

 tion follows? If such a policy was pursued 

 with cattle, hogs or grain, how long think 

 you a market could be maintained? Here- 

 tofore our means of obtaining information 

 were so meager that we were somewhat jus- 

 tified in doing as we did, but now that we 

 have daily and weekly quotations in addi- 

 tion to the monthly reports in our bee papers, 

 we have no excuse for wrong doing. 



It is claimed by some that our conven- 

 tions are working a great injury to the 

 honey-producing class, in that hundreds are 

 induced to embark in the business, thereby 

 overstocking the markets and depressing 

 prices. Now I am firmly convinced that 

 one bee-keeper who does not attend conven- 

 tions, nor take the bee papers, will work 

 more injury to the honey markets than any 

 ten who use all available means to inform 



themselves ; they are the very persons who 

 throw their miserable products on the mar- 

 ket to bring what it will, and you who have 

 seen it, will agree with me. that it was dear 

 at any price. But it is to include such stock 

 as this that quotations have so wide a range, 

 thereby appearing so vague as to be almost 

 worthless. Let us work on with the hope 

 that time will bring all things right. 



C. P. Dadant— In selling honey the great- 

 est trouble comes from small producers, 

 farmers, etc., who take to market their 

 honey in all shapes, and take what the gro- 

 cers offer them ; they never take it home 

 again, if they only get 6 cents a lb. To sell 

 honey well, we should furnish it in the best 

 shape. We have a set price for our honey, 

 and hold it at that, preventing the beating 

 down of prices by buyers by going from one 

 commission house to another. I believe we 

 ought to all set our price and hold our com- 

 mission men to that price, but do not think 

 it best to give it all to one or two firms of a 

 large, city. 



Jas. A. Simpson — I think the same as to 

 commission men, but find a market at home 

 as much as possible. In 1868 or 1869, I sold 

 21 barrels of extracted honey at home at 75 

 cents a gallon. It was looked on with sus- 

 picion ; could hardly sell any of it outside 

 my circle of personal acquaintances, but 

 soon worked up a trade where I could sell 

 40 gallons a day in a town for awhile. Get 

 yourself known, sell a good article, sive 

 good measure. I have no fear of overstock- 

 ing my home market. I would go west, or 

 send into the farming country, rather than 

 send to the large cities. 



E. D. Godfrey— I do not believe in selling 

 honey at 5% cents a lb.; it does very much 

 to injure our honey trade. 



T. G. McGavv— Such sales have injured 

 my trade right here in this city. It spoils 

 my market for extracted honey. I never 

 sold any for less than 10 cents. 



Jas. A. Simpson — 1 am a free trade man, 

 sell where I can, get the most I can, and buy 

 where I can buy the cheapest. I have been 

 compelled to sell my honey for a low price. 

 I am afraid to ship honey to Chicago and 

 other places ; they claim leakaue, etc., that 

 does not exist, and growl about its being 

 granulated. 



C. P. Dadant— In the last 2 years we have 

 sold 30,000 lbs., and almost all of it was 

 granulated. It netted us about 10 cents a 

 lb. We only handle extracted honey. Can 

 only sell about 6,000 lbs per year near home. 



Mrs. C. M. Kingsley— We never sold any 

 honey at less than 10 cents a lb., and do not 

 have to go away from home to sell it ; we 

 sell about 1,000 lbs. a year. 



C. P. Dadant— As to leakage we put up all 

 our honey in tin cans, well labeled ; they 

 do not leak. We do not get returns till all 

 is sold, but nearly all commission men give 

 drafts for nearly all they have sold for you. 



Who are best qualified to select good 

 queens, the bees or thejiee-keeper ? 



T. G. McGaw — The bee-keeper is, un- 

 doubtedly. Many a poor queen is kept in a 

 colony and doing no good, when the bee- 

 keeper coidd remove her and put in a good 

 one. 



