824 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



November, 1917 



HONEY MARKETS 



The price of honey is what the owner of it 

 can get. We do not know how better to put 

 the situation of the honey market today 

 than bj' just that statement. The previous 

 uncertainty of price is increased by the un- 

 precedented shortage of sugar that now pre- 

 vails. This shortage will undoubtedly in- 

 crease the demand for honey, and that de- 

 mand even heretofore has been greater than 

 the supply. It seems probable now that the 

 •retail price limit will be set by the acute- 

 ness of the sugar shortage, for there are 

 present restrictions on the amount of sugar 

 sales to everybody and anybody, but no re- 

 strictions on the amount of honey that any 

 one person, firm, or corporation may buy. 

 If the demand for sweets and sweetening 

 materials becomes acute enough, what price 

 may honey not reach? We don't know, nor 

 does anybody else. Of course, there can be 

 a price at which nobody will buy. This 

 situation suggests that holders of compara- 

 tively small crops of honey, at least, should 

 try to sell retail — to the consumer direct, for 

 such customers will be easy to find, and the 

 price need not and should not be cut below 

 the prevailing retail prices of the local store- 

 keeper, and that is high. 



Take the honey market conditions in a 

 typical section of the white-clover region — 

 central New York. One of the foremost 

 beekeepers there writes us under date of 

 Oct. 21 that there is very little honey on the 

 market or in the hands of producers, and 

 that he knows of only 4000 lbs. of buck- 

 wheat extracted honey, and this is held at 

 12 cts. at shipping-point. No. 1 white comb 

 is $4 per case, and No. 2 mixed comb is 

 hold there at $3.25 a case at shipping-point. 

 We print below the prices as quoted us 

 by wholesale dealers in cities. We also 

 print the U. S. Government market report, 

 date of Sept. 29. We have not received a 

 later quotation from Washington, as we gen- 

 erally do — perhaps because of the great press 

 of work in the Government printing-office, 

 due to the sale of the second Liberty Loan. 



At such a juncture in the honey market 

 as this, we sincerely hope for the day when 

 honey will be considered a food staple, and 

 quoted in the general food markets daily 

 — just as butter and eggs and sugar are quot- 

 ed. With the aid of clear-headed honey- 

 j)roducers and business-like honey -producers' 

 associations, together with big honey-pack- 

 ers, this day is drawing nearer — a day that 

 will benefit every beekeeper. 



General Quotations of Wholesalers. 



CHICAGO. — Ihe market has been active, receipts 

 being taken upon arrival, so that there has been no 

 accumulation of either the high or low grades. 

 Fancy and Al grades of comb honey are selling at 

 22 to 23 cts. per lb.; No. 1 at 20 to 21. No ambers 

 have been offered, but would bring within 1 to 3 cts. 

 per lb. of the white grades. Extracted clover is 

 selling freely at 15, with clover and basswood bring- 

 ing the same price, whether individual or blended. 

 Different amber grades are from 1 to 5 cts. per lb. 

 lef=K according to color, flavor, and body. Barrels 

 bring within Ic per lb. of that in the five-gallon 



cans. Beeswax is without material change, bring- 

 ing from 35 to 37c per lb., according to color and 

 cleanliness. R. A. Burnett & Co. 

 C!hicago,' Oct. 17. 



ST. LOUIS. — Comb honey is only in moderate 

 demand, as trade here regards prices as extremely 

 high. Stocks here are also verj' light, as local comb 

 honey has not yet appeared on this market. , Ex- 

 tracted honey is in fair demand, and supply quite 

 ample. The following quotations are what we are 

 getting from the retail trade, and not what we are 

 offering producers: Comb honey, extra fancy, per 

 case, $4.75; fancy, $4.50; No. 1, $4.00; No. 2, 

 $3.50. Extracted honey, white, per lb., brings 15 

 cts. ; light amber, in cans, 13 ; amber, in cans, 12, 

 and in barrels 11. Clean average yellow beeswax 

 brings 37 cts. R. Hartman Produce Co. 



St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 18. 



PORTLAND. — Comb honey is coming in very 

 slowly and is in good demand. For some reason 

 the producer is not marketing comb honey as eai'ly 

 as in former years. Freight rates in many in- 

 stances make it prohibitive being double first-class 

 in L. C. L. Extracted is eoming in more freely; 

 but prices being very high naturally restrict con- 

 sumption. Quality of both comb and extracted is 

 very good. We quote comb honey, fancy, $4.00; 

 No. 1, $3.75; No. 2, $3.50. Extracted honey, white, 

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

 in cans, 13. Beeswax, clean average yellow, brings 

 30 to 32 cts. Pacific Honey Co. 



Portland, Ore., Oct. 12. 



SAN FRANCISCO. — Extracted honey of all de- 

 scription is moving out splendidly, altho the local 

 demand is slow. Only liquid honey attracts jobbers, 

 but for export it makes no difference if granulated or 

 not. Hawaiian honey is in more free supply, but on 

 account of the general run always being packed in 

 second-hand containers, and so' presenting a rather 

 uninviting appearance, it does not receive the at- 

 tention that other grades of honey do. We quote the 

 following prices to jobbers: Comb honey, fancy, per 

 case, $3~.50 to $3 00; No. 1, $3.00 to 3.25; No. 2, 

 $2.50 to $2.75. Extracted honey, white, per lb., 

 131/2 to 14; light amber, in cans, 12 to 13; amber, 

 in cans, 10 to 11. Hawaiian 9 and 10c in 5-gal. 

 tins. Beeswax, clean average yellow, per lb., 33 to 

 36c. Leutzinger & Lane. 



San Francisco, Cal., Oct. 17. 



liOS ANGELES. — Very little honey in stock here. 

 There is a heavy demand for amber and light amber 

 — not so heavy for white. Comb honey is just 

 coming into this market. High prices lessen de- 

 mand. We quote comb honey, fancy, per case, 

 $4.50; No. 1, $4.25; No. 2, $4.00. Extracted 

 honey, white, per lb., brings 15 cts. ; light amber, 

 in cans, 13; amber, in cans, 12. Beeswax, clean 

 average yellow, brings 40 cts. 



Los Angeles, Cal., Oct. 17. 



DENVER. — We are at present selling new honey 

 to retailors at the folloAving prices. No. 1 white 

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

 $4.00. Extracted white, according to quantity, 15 to 

 16; light amber, 14 to 15. We are buying bees- 

 wax at all times, and are at present paying 38 cts. 

 in cash and 40 in trade for clean yellow wax de- 

 livered here. 



The Colorado Honey Producers' Association. 



Denver, Col., Oct. 17. 



KANSAS CITY.— Demand is moderate. Re- 

 ceipts are slightly heavier, and prices a little lower. 

 AVe quote comb honey, No. 1, per case, $4.25 ; No. 

 2, $4.10. Extracted honey, white, per lb., brings 

 15 cts.; light amber, in cans, 14; amber, in cans, 

 12 to 13. Beeswax, clean average yellow, brings 

 40 cts. C. C. demons Produce Co. 



Kansas City, Mo., Oct. 17. 



SYRACUSE. — The situation of the market is 

 about the same as it was at last month's quotation. 

 We think honey is being consumed more as the 

 season advances. Wc quote comb honey, extra 

 fancy, per case, $4.80; fancy, $4.32; No. 1, $4.00; 

 No. 2, $3.60. Extracted honey, white, per lb., 

 brings 15 cts.: light amber, in cans, 13: ami er, in 

 cans, 11. E. B. Ross. 



Syracuse, N. Y., Oct. 16. 



