54 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



Jan. 23, 1902 



throw out this sug^gestion in view of the splendid record 

 just won at Buffalo. 



Pres. Xewton — Mr. Sladen, of England, was at Buffalo, 

 and asked for some samples, and among others he had eulo- 

 gized Canadian and basswood honey. 



M.^RKETING HONEY — A BEE-KEEPBRS' EXCH.\NGE. 



Mr. Gemmill was pleased to see Mr. Patulla at the Ox- 

 ford convention. It was decided at the last meeting of the 

 Oxford Association to bring the suggestion of a Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Exchange before the Ontario Association. He was grate- 

 ful to Mr. Patulla for bringing this matter up. 



Mr. Frith advocated an exchange. 



Mr. Brown favored developing the home market first, 

 then the foreign. 



Mr. Couse — I somewhat agree with Mr. Brown. I be- 

 lieve Canadians are having greater faith in Canadian goods. 

 The Government had taught them to do things well ; they 

 were honest in their dealings, and Canadians had greater 

 confidence in Canadian honey than United States people 

 had in United States honey. This year all the honey could 

 have been sold locally. Bee-keepers were amalgamating 

 more and consulting more in selling. 



Mr. Craig -The low price has originated not with the 

 expert but with the smaller bee-keepers — those outside of 

 the Association. I would advise trying to interest outsidert, 

 more. More could be made of the home market. As to the 

 foreign market, they had not the regular supply. In poor 

 seasons they are "left." 



Mr. Dickinson — This question is a broad one. We 

 should have an outlet in the years of extra-production. We 

 have had such years ; one year I had 1,000 pounds I could 

 not sell. There should be an outlet. When fruit is plenti- 

 ful honey is not in so great demand. 



Mr. McEvoy endorsed all that Mr. Dickinson said. 



Mr. Laing had been told of men who sold this year's 

 honey very low. He advocated an organization such as the 

 Colorado Honey-Producer's Association. 



Mr. Brown spoke about getting at a way of finding out 

 the amount Of honey produced. There was more than five 

 times the honey produced by men outside than in the On- 

 tario Bee-Keepers' Association. 



Mr. Pickett advocated local markets. 



Mr. Roberts also advocated local markets ; he could not 

 get enough to supply the demand. As to England, they re- 

 ceived there 8 cents per pound. If he had a ton he could 

 have sold it as well as the few pounds he had. 



Mr. Dickinson advocated the British market for the 

 man with good honey and a considerable quantity. 



Mr. Couse thought the best way was to buy out the 

 small bee-keepers. 



Mr. Sibbald — I have closely observed honey-markets 

 and have had a good deal of honey to sell. Two years ago 

 the honey crop was a partial failure ; dealers got it early and 

 made a good profit. This year they had secured it early, 

 and this had helped them out. Fruit also helped them out. 

 Bee-keepers should combine and get crop reports. 



On motion of F. A. (Jemmill, a committee was appointed 

 to take in hand the matter of a Bee-Keepers' Exchange. 

 Messrs. Hall, Frith and Eaing were appointed such com- 

 mittee. 



TUESDAY EVENING SESSION — DEC. 3. 



R. H. Smith read a paper on 



Exhibits of Honey. 



Exhibits of honey at our local fairs and exhibitions 

 have come to be recognized as much a part of agricultural 

 displays as fruits or vegetables, and in any locality where 

 bee-keepers have taken sufficient interest in agricultural 

 societies, and attend their meetings, the directors have seen 

 to it that the premiums were liberal and encouraging. 



There is no better means of educating the general pub- 

 lic in the nature and use of honey than a good display at 

 fairs : I do not mean such as is usually called for in the 

 many prize-lists, perhaps, " strained, five pounds " and " in 

 comb, five pounds," which is often taken literally. The 

 liquid is very much strained, but not all of the pollen is 

 strained out of it, and, as I have seen large brood-combs 

 shown for comb, all this is pretty good evidence that there 

 was no up-to-date bee-keeper on the committee for revising 

 the prize-list. 



The secretary and directors of agricultural societies are 

 generally progressive and intelligent men, who wish to 

 have their exhibition outshine all the others, and to do this 

 they must be well-informed, and I have always found them 

 willing to do all possible in the way of alloting space and pre- 



miums for displays of honey, especially after it has been 

 shown what an attractive display may be made with honey, 

 and other products of the apiar)'. Of course, I do not mean 

 that display should be encouraged before quality — quality 

 should count most, every time. 



Some years ago, when living in the district of Muskoka, 

 I exhibited honey at the Muskoka County Fair, showing 

 the small quantities called for in the prize-list ; it was 

 classed with preserves, pickles and other home produce, and 

 attracted no particular attention. 



The next year I exhibited at the Industrial at Toronto, 

 and, on my return to Bracebridge, applied for space at the 

 county fair to put up a display of comb honey in sections, 

 also extracted honey, both clover and buckwheat, some of it 

 clear and some in the candied form, several hundred pounds 

 altogether. Well, the result rather astonished me; I was 

 overwhelmed with questions about honey. " How did it 

 get into the little boxes ? " " How was it some was so light 

 and clear, and another kind so dark in color ?" "What 

 made it candy ? " 



People who had never seen or tasted honey before 

 stopped to admire, and expressed a desire to purchase some; 

 the result was, we sold all cull sections by cutting them into 

 five-cent pieces, that were eaten on the spot, instead of 

 candy ; and many who had once tasted honey purchased 

 some to take home with them. I had a crowd around the 

 exhibit the whole time. The honey was all sold, and orders 

 taken to be filled later. 



This proved to be the best advertisement we ever had, 

 and was the means of introducing honey into many homes 

 where it was found to be so much more healthful and 

 economical than many of the preserves in common use. 



When on a visit to Muskoka, during the fall of 1900, I 

 found the display of honey still kept up ; the bee-keepers in 

 that district, who are as progressive as any in the Province, 

 evidently see that they are represented on the board of their 

 flourishing county agricultural society. 



A mistake is sometimes made, when attempting to 

 make a display of honey, in not having a sufticient variety 

 of packages. I have known an exhibit to be made of several 

 tons of extracted honey, all put up in 60-pound cans in 

 their cases. While such an exhibit may be impressive to 

 the amateur who has a few colonies, to my mind it is not as 

 attractive to the general public as a much smaller quantity 

 would be if put up in a variety of packages of both glass 

 and tin. 



Another large exhibit I remember was all put up in one- 

 pound glass jars. In both cases these were extremes, and 

 were rather monotonous to the beholder. It must not be 

 supposed that a good display of honey is made without 

 some work. Honey of good quality is first required ; the 

 comb in sections, with its delicate, white cappings, must be 

 freed from propolis and cased in new, clean, no-drip cases 

 of various sizes, with glass on both sides to show the con- 

 tents. 



The extracted honey, if in the candied form, will be of 

 the previous season's crop and put up in glass jars, or, if 

 liquid, it is best to have a variety of packages of both glass 

 and tin of a size and style that may be useful after the 

 honey is used, with a sprinkling of fancy jars for display 

 only. 



I find it best to heat all honey, to be shown as liquid, to 

 about 145 degrees to remove all signs of granulation ; after 

 it is cold it may be run into glass and pails of various 

 sizes, that have been nicely labeled, care being taken 

 not to use jars that have a green tinge, or it will give the 

 honey an unnatural color. 



The exhibitor is now ready to set up his display, and in 

 doing this he has to be guided by the quantity to be set up, 

 and the space at his disposal. A small exhibit artistically 

 arranged is far more attractive than a large quantity 

 massed together without design. And, last, but not least, 

 if there are many entries, and he is trying to get ahead of 

 his competitors, he must not forget that very likely the 

 other fellow is doing the same. R. H. Smith. 



Mr. Craig, in opening the discussion upon the subject, 

 said that some thought this question did not receive the at- 

 tention it merited. The producers at large centers come in 

 contact with large buyers, and are also educatin-g the public. 

 Mr. Smith brought out desirable points — neatness and 

 attractiveness are important. The Ontario Bee-Keepers' 

 Association should take hold of this matter. At Toronto this 

 year the exhibit was stuck in a tent. Exhibitors should get 

 fair play. This exhibit was not local, but visitors from 

 other countries saw the exhibit. 



Mr. Evans corroborated what Mr. Craig said as to ac- 



