AUGUST 1, 1916 



a representative to the producer's door three 

 or four times during the season. It costs us 

 something to get along without the associa- 



657 



tion, but we can afford tlie cost in order to 

 enjoy the luxury of having our own way. 

 Brawley, Cal. 



THE WESTERN NEW YORK HONEY-PRODUCERS' ASSOCIATION 



BV WM. F. VOLLMEU 



This association was formed because of 

 conditions that were, we might say, detri- 

 mental to beekeepers. It was a case of 

 every one paddling his own canoe. This is 

 a condition under which beekeeping does 

 not exactly prosjoer. The honey was sold at 

 any fair price, as every one was ignorant 

 of what his fellow-beekeepers were doing. 

 Now, we have not gotten together and ad- 

 vised any price; but the idea in general is 

 to get together and learn what the other 

 fellow is getting and doing, and so some 

 improvement on methods will always be 

 found. In unison of ideas, facts will al- 

 ways spring forth. 



It has been found that something can be 

 saved by buying supplies in a co-operative 

 way. In regard to marketing honey, every 

 member sells all he can locally, as the slogan 

 of this association has always been, "Supply 

 your local home trade first." Those that 

 have more honey than their local trade 

 requires are usually taken care of by some 

 of the other members who may be able to 

 sell more than they produce. So in this 

 way we also co-operate in marketing. 



Proper grading is always required. Aside 

 from this there are many other ways that 

 we can help each other. We have two meet- 

 ings a year where all general subjects are 

 discussed, such as standardization, breed- 

 ing, new ideas in laboi'-saving devices, etc. 

 I have never failed to see some good ac- 

 complished. 



CO-OPERATION. 



Taking tlie word " co-operate," which is, 

 to work or act together or in unison, we 

 are naturalh' confronted by many ideas; 

 and to woi'k together many conditional re- 

 quirements are necessary. Tlie more close- 

 ly the efforts are placed together the more 

 nearly perfect will be the achievement. 

 Take, for example, the California Citrus' 

 Association (Sunkist) ; Tlie Florida Citrus 

 Exchange (Sealdsweet) ; The Alaska Pack- 



ers' Association; The Chautauqua and Lake 

 Erie Grape-growers, and many others, in- 

 cluding also the Colorado Honey-producers' 

 Association. In each of the industries we 

 are forced to take notice of one thing in 

 advance of all others: Each is located or 

 built up in a locality as close as possible to 

 the producers, which usually makes carload 

 loading facilities more convenient to ar- 

 range than if the producers were scattered 

 all over the country. 



We will now look at some other lines in 

 which co-operation is carried on, such as 

 horticultural societies and co-oi3erative 

 creameries. These associations do not as a 

 rule market in carload lots, as their markets 

 are usually nearer and do not ordinarily 

 absorb that amount — especially butter. Thus 

 we will look to fruits and butter and see 

 whether we cannot solve the honey question. 

 Each gi'ower or producer places his product 

 in a package of uniform standard, on which 

 is stamped the grade and variety of the 

 product, and he is at liberty to sell where 

 he pleases ; or in ease he cannot find a suit- 

 able market, some associations handle these 

 products for their members, and usually 

 have such warehouse facilities as are neces- 

 sary to take care of the products in question 

 properly. The essential thing in nearly all 

 eases is to have a uniform grade as nearly 

 as possible, and thus the selling proposition 

 will be simplified considerably. Honey is. 

 therefore, the hardest product to market 

 because of its variety of flavors in different 

 sections, and because the beekeepers ha\e 

 adopted so many different-sized packages. 



Thus the different steps are, first, harn-^o- 

 nization ; second, organization ; third, fbn- 

 centration, not only of the products but 

 also of the minds of the persons involved 

 and of their efforts. If these steps are all 

 in harmony the inevitable result is action 

 or co-operation. 



Akron, N. Y. 



CO-OPERATION IN NEW ZEALAND 



P.Y E. 0. WAKD 



The question of a steady market for 

 honey at a remunerative prise has occupied 

 tlie attention of the leading beekeepers of 



the Dominion for a number of years. Till 

 vej'v i-ecently it was much " go as you 

 please," and, as a consequence, the honey- 



