September, 1917 



G L E A >^ I N G S IN BEE CULTURE 



GC3 



HONEY MARKETS 



The honey market is as full of complica- 

 tions as possible. The general but uncertain 

 high prices of all foods, governmental inter- 

 vention by Food Commissioner Hoover in 

 the sugar market, unprecedented buying of 

 honey for export, si)eculative buying of 

 honey, and the still uncertain total amount 

 of this season's crop, are all factors in pres- 

 ent market prices. 



Very recent inquiry by "Gleanings" over 

 the Northern and Western states (not the 

 Pacific Slope nor South), of fair and un- 

 prejudiced sources, would indicate that the 

 total crop is materially short. There are 

 localities, notably in New England and Wis- 

 consin, where the crop is reported as above 

 normal. There are "spots" over the whole 

 North and West where the honey-yield has 

 been excellent, but these are the exception. 

 New York, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Colo- 

 rado, and Idaho report a crop of only about 

 50 to 60 per cent of normal. Illinois has a 

 very poor crop and Iowa perhaps even 

 poorer. California's crop is short and the 

 Texas crop almost a failure. 



In this same general section of the coun- 

 try, honey-buyers have been offering from 10 

 to 13 and 14 cents per pound for white ex- 

 tracted, and some producers are holding for 

 even higher prices. Comb honey is not at- 

 tracting the market attention it formerly 

 did, but the price offered is high — for fancy 

 17 to 20 cents generally. It should be in- 

 teresting to comb-honey producers to know 

 that a number of beekeepers in New Eng- 

 land report selling comb honey locally to 

 consumers at from 30 to 40 cents a pound. 



Buyers are more numerous than ever, with 

 Italy an active buyer, altho Great Britain 

 and France are not actively in, the market 

 for the time being, waiting until prices shall 

 be a little easier, so we are told on good 

 authority. 



Should the producer sell now or wait till 

 later? "Gleanings" is not prejiared to ad- 

 vise. If honey sells on the docks in New 

 York at 14 and 15 cents, and even 16, what 

 should the beeman get? Freights are high 

 and congested. Cartage, lite-rage, and stor- 

 age are advanced. The average broker or 

 big buyer does not care to bother with little 

 shipments. A carload or a hundred-ton lot 

 will interest him; but a lot of a thousand 

 pounds, more or less, does not attract him 

 unless he can arrange with some one to 

 gather up these small lots and make up a 

 shipment. On the average it costs about a 

 cent a pound to get extracted honey to the 

 market. This does not include container. 

 The freight on a carload shipment from Cali- 

 fornia to New York is IV* cents, one cent 

 from Colorado, and about a cent for less than 

 carload shipments east of the Mississippi to 

 the eastern markets. Taking it on the aver- 

 age, some one must pay one cent a pound for 

 freight. The average buyer or broker will 

 not ordinarily handle a crop on a margin of 



less than about one cent. He may be able 

 to buy on a margin of half a cent; but he is 

 I'ight now tiiinking of what Food Controller 

 Hoover may do (for Hoover has already 

 closed the New York sugar exchange), and 

 he does not propose to be caught. 



To get down to brass tacks, if the honey 

 sells for 14 cents on the dock in New York, 

 the producer may not get more than 12, and 

 he will have to furnish the container. In 

 the same way a honey that brings 15 cents 

 might bring the producer 13. On the other 

 hand, we know of a number of lots in Cali- 

 fornia that sold, f. 0. b. producer's station, 

 for around 13 and 14, and some as high as 

 15; but the average of the honey has sold 

 for less than that. The producer must re- 

 member that some one must pay freight, 

 cartage, literage, and storage, and some one 

 must find the market, and for that service 

 he will charge not less than an average of one 

 cent. ' ' Gleanings ' ' believes that some lots 

 of clover that sold on the docks in New York 

 brought 16 cents; but so far as we can ascer- 

 tain the most of it sold for less. 



Below we i>rint the markets as quoted by 

 the large buyers and by the U. S. Govern- 

 ment Bureau of Markets: 



CHICAGO. — Several small consignments of honey 

 are appearing on the market. The price of white 

 comb that grades from No. 1 to fancy is '20e per lb. 

 No ambers so far offered. Extracted white of good 

 flavor and body brings 14e in the 60-lb. cans. Bar- 

 rels bring about le per lb. less. Beeswax is ranging 

 from 35 to 38c per lb. R. A. Burnett & Co. 



Chicago, Aug. 17. 



PORTLAND. — New comb honey is coming in slow- 

 ly ; demand better than last report ; prospects fair 

 for later shipments. Very erratic market at present. 

 Very little new extracted is offered, as season is 

 late. Generally speaking, would .say that prices will 

 be higher than last year. We quote comb honey, 

 extra fancy, per case, $4.00; fancv, $3.75; No. 1, 

 $3.50; No. 2, $3.25. Extracted honey, white, per 

 lb., brings 12e; light amber, in cans, lie; amber, in 

 cans, lOe. No beeswax offered. 



Portland, Ore., Aug. 13. Pacific Honey Co. 



KANSAS CITY. — Demand for both comb and ex- 

 tracted is improving, while receipts are light. No 

 carlots have been received on this market yet. Most 

 of the supply is native. We quote comb honey, ex- 

 tra fancv. per cai^e, $4.50 to $4.05; fancv, $4.50; 

 No. 1, $4.35 to $4.45; No. 2, $4.25. Extracted 

 honey, per lb., brings 15c ; light amber, in cans, 14c. 

 Clean average jellow beeswax, per lb., 40c. 



C. C. Clemons Produce Co. 



Kansas City, Aug. 17. 



DENVER. — We are at present selling new honey 

 to retailers at the following priceiS : No. 1 wliile 

 comb honey, per case of 24 sections, $4.50 : No. 2 at 

 $4.00; extracted white, according to quality, 16 to 

 18c. We are buying beeswax at all times, and are 

 at present paying 34c cash and 36c in trade for 

 clean yellow wax delivered here. 



The Colorado Honey Producers' Ass'n, 



Denver Aug. 17. F. Rauchfuss, Mgr 



CLEVELAND. — Old crop of comb honey is en- 

 tirely exhausted. Only a very little new honey is 

 yet coming in. This sells at about $4.50 per case. 

 We quote comb honey, new crop, fancy, per case, 

 $4 50. Supply very limited and uncertain. 



Cleveland, Aug. 18. C. Chandler & Son. 



ARIZONA. — Everybody is anxious to sell with 

 ^tron^ price, except tho.se who were foolish enough 

 to contract at $7.00 to $8.00 per case some time ago. 

 Quality is good so far. Later yield, if any, will be 

 lower grade and price. White mesquite extracted 



