Mar. 21, 1907 



233 



^American Bee Journal 



Bees have ii'>nc into the winter in 

 splen(h(l condition and liave a stock of 

 good quality honey in their hives, which 

 should insure their safe wintering. So 

 the prospects for the coming season may 

 be termed "good." 



The volume of our 1906 honey-busi- 

 ness has been very satisf.ictory. Be- 

 sides handling our members' honey, we 

 have also handled quite a (luantity for 

 non-members. Many of these will no 

 doubt see that it is to their advantage 

 to come in and become stockholders 

 now, and thereby reap all the benefits 

 of this truly co-operative association 

 of bee-keepers. 



Our Association is now well known 

 to every car-load buyer of comb honey 

 in the United States. We have the repu- 

 tation of shipping a well-graded article, 

 put up in an attractive manner, and of 

 being thoroughly responsible. This 

 reputation is our most valuable asset, 

 and it bchoo'i'cs crcry iiiciiihcr to do his 

 share in upholding the same by putting 

 out nothing that is not strictly up to 

 grade. 



The prices realized by the Associa- 

 tion for honey sold have been the high- 

 est of any comb honey shipped out of 

 the West this year (1906). No. i honey, 

 graded according to Association rules, 

 has brought an average of $2.75 per 

 case, and $2.50 for No. 2 grade. The 

 returns have all been received and 

 turned over to the respective producers 

 by the Association, and, now that the 

 year's business is closed, we are happy 

 to be able to announce that we zi'llt be 

 in a position not only to declare a 10 

 percent dividend on the stock for the 

 past season, but also for the year 1905, 

 when jc'tr had a crop failure. Besides 

 this, every cent of the commission paid 

 by members during the season of 1906 

 will he paid back to them in the form 

 of a rebate. This is the best showing 

 we have ever made, and should be 

 highly satisfactory to every member. 



We did nearly as well in former 

 years, and in order to give our new and 

 prospective members an idea of this, 

 we herewith give a brief abstract of 

 the account of one of our members. 

 This shows what he has paid in com- 

 missions on his honey-sales for the last 

 seven years, what he has received from 

 the Association in rebates and dividends 

 in that time; and that it has cost this 

 member only a trifle over 2 percent to 

 have the Association handle his honey 

 crop for the past 7 years, besides receiv- 

 ing $136 in dividends on his stock dur- 

 ing this period. 



Taking into consideration that the 

 Association took the honey into its 

 ware-rooms, paid insurance on it, at- 

 tended to all the details of selling and 

 collection, it is evident that this pro- 

 ducer could not possiblv have marketed 

 his honey with as little expense him- 

 self. Another matter not to be lost 

 sight of, is the great saving of time that 

 would otherwise be spent by the pro- 

 ducer in marketing his product, and 

 avoidance of worry incident thereto. 



At • the last annual meeting of the 

 stockholders, it was pointed out by the 

 manager that, in order to have our 

 business grow, the working capital of 

 the Association should also grow cor- 

 respondingly. We now are obliged to 



carry a much larger stock of bee-sup- 

 plies and honey than we formerly did, 

 besides having accounts with reliable 

 firms that average about $2,000 per 

 month. Our store is inadequate for 

 the business, .uid we have to warehouse 

 now a portion of our stock of supplies. 

 Ihcrc IS now more money invested in 

 merchandise, etc., than our present 

 working capital justifies, and it is for 

 this reason the rebates are held over 

 until the next December. To remedy 

 these conditions, it becomes necessary 

 that every member should subscribe lo» 

 more shares of stock. After a discus- 

 sion of this matter at the annual meet- 

 ing, a motion was made and passed that 

 every member should be asked by the 

 secretary to take one-third or more of 

 his annual rebates in stock until all the 

 capital stock of the Association has 

 been sold. 



It is hoped that every member will 

 not only subscribe for more stock, but 

 will also exert his influence to get other 

 bee-keepers, who produce good honey 

 and grade carefully, to become stock- 

 holders in the Association. The strong- 

 er we get financially and numerically, 

 the better work can we accomplish. It 

 seems that it should not be necessary to 

 urge bee-keepers to increase their hold- 



'^A3 



ing in a co-operative company that 

 brings them such good returns on their 

 investment. That the same is consid- 

 ered perfectly safe by those most inti- 

 mately acquainted with its working is 

 evidenced by the fact that its Board of 

 Directors, who were already some of 

 the heaviest stockholders, have sub- 

 scribed for more stock. 



For several years it has been a rule 

 of the Association to make the rebates 

 on the conunission sales payable on the 

 first of December following, thus al- 

 lowing the Association the use of this 

 money for another season, and the foj- 

 lowing plan has been adopted for this 

 year : 



1. To pay the 1905 dividend of 10 

 percent on the stock at once. 



2. To pay the 1906 dividend of 10 

 percent on the stock June i, 1907. 



3. To pay the rebates on the 1906 

 honey sales of members on December 

 I, 1907. 



Always remember that the business of 

 the Association is your business, and 

 that you should give it all the support 

 you can. 



Wishing you all a successful season, 

 I am 



Frank Rauchfuss, Manager. 



Denver, Colo. 



Convention 

 Proceedings 



Convention of Bee-Keepers' 

 Associations at Brantford 



REPORTED BY J. L. BYKR. 



IContinued from page 210 ) 



IMPROVING THE BEE-KEEPINQ 

 INDUSTRY 



Bee-keepers' Opportunity. 



What has been done in regard to the 

 fruit conditions in markets might on a 

 smaller scale be attempted for the 

 honey industry. With the production 

 of larger quantities of honey and wax 

 of uniform grades, with the reputation 

 of an association at the back of it, it 

 seems to me that there should be no 

 trouble in very largely increasing the 

 markets, not only throughout the older 

 parts of the Province, but also in the 

 Northwest Provinces. If the fruit men 

 are so eager to take advantage of the 

 ever-increasing market there, why 

 should not the bee-keepers also be alive 

 to the importance of this same market? 

 The former are arranging to exhibit 

 the best product of the orchards at a 

 number of the larger exhibitions 

 throughout the West this year, with the 

 idea of showing just what can be ob- 

 tained from our associations. I think 

 it would be a very good idea if our 



honey men would, if necessary, ask the 

 Ontario Bee-keepers' Association for as- 

 sistance to do likewise. 



To increase your markets in the older 

 parts of the country it is necessary for 

 you first of all to advertise your wares 

 as extensively as possible. You are 

 already, I believe, working along this 

 line in regard to local exhibits. Ex- 

 tend this as much as possible. If nec- 

 essary, increase the size of your ex- 

 hibits. Make them more attractive and 

 have some advertising material in con- 

 nection therewith. A very good idea 

 was adopted at the exhibition in Mas- 

 sey Hall two years ago, when a small 

 circular stating the value of honey as 

 a. food and medicine was distributed to 

 the public. Such a circular might be 

 printed by the Provincial association 

 and given to branch associations for 

 this purpose. 



Then take advantage of the shop win- 

 dows in your nearest towns and cities. 

 Almost any of the best groceries would 

 allow you the privilege of using their 

 windows once or twice during the year 

 for exhibiting the products of the 

 apiaries. In this connection it would 

 be necessary, of course, for you to keep 

 in stock with the grocerj-man your best 

 goods for the year, allowing him suf- 

 ficient discount to make a fair profit on 



