GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



December, 1917 



FROM THE FIELD OF EXPERIENCE 



one of the most profitable co-operative so- 

 cieties in existence for any class of men. 



The advent of the co-operative idea into 

 Texas becliieeping beg'an in July of last 

 year Avhen 79 beeraen from 19 Texas coun- 

 ties met in San Antonio to discuss market- 

 ing conditions as they affected tlie honey- 

 producers. ' A project was at once launched 

 for every producing' centel* to organize 

 under one head for the purpose of buying 

 for its members all beekeeping necessaries 

 at reduced wholesale prices, and to sell 

 their crops at great advantage thru the elim- 

 ination of middlemen and brokers. In ad- 

 dition a bureau was established to answer 

 difficult questions on beekeeping, to assist 

 in getting the best price for honey and 

 wax, to teach the best method of packing 

 and shipping, and to keep members advis- 

 ed of prioes and crop conditions in other 

 producing centers. Th'is revxice Ls not 

 only given free to all members, but on ap- 

 plication any beekeeper is gladly aciciorded 

 the same information. 



Most important of all, perhaps, has bee.i 

 the adoption of a selling plan by the di- 

 rectors of the new association. A sales 

 manager solicits orders for horey of guar- 

 anteed association pack ard grade, and 

 sends these orders to the ine nbers for direct 

 shipment under the registered trade-mark 

 label. Under tliis method the secretary re- 

 ceives and solicits orders, both great and 

 small, for honey, bees, wax, etc., from all 

 parts of the country, together with the pri'e 

 the prospective customer will pay. 



Each member makes a report of the 

 crop he wishes to sell; when it will be i-eaf^y 

 for movement; its kind, quantity, how it will 

 be packed, and the general conditions in 

 his locality. With a tabulation <of this 

 information the selling agency can at once 

 arrange a " get-together " with the pro- 

 posed buyer in distant markets. Among 

 the advantages of the plan are these: 

 The sale Ls made with practically no ex- 

 pense to the seller ; he gets the best possible 

 price; the produce is shipped direct to the 

 consuming market, which does away with 

 much leaking and breakage as well as re- 

 handling charges; no market is permitted 

 to become glutted with an overstock and 

 a consequent lowering of price; buyers are 

 assured of uniformity of grade and pack- 

 ing; the buyer has to pay freight on the 

 shortest possible haul; and he gets the 

 goods quicker and with the least expendi- 

 ture of labor. 



For many years — and, in fact, until the 



Farir.ers' Congress meeting this summer — ■ 

 the Texas Beekeepers' Assiociation was^ 

 practically speaking, only of nominal bene- 

 fit to the industry. Much good naturally 

 aiccrued from the meetings and reports of 

 the society; but the actual benefits, com- 

 pared -with those of the present, were small. 

 Last year it was determined to ti'y out the 

 plan explained above, and from the first it 

 was a great success. It has been tenta- 

 tively in operation for fourteen months, and 

 at the meeting this summer it was whole- 

 heartedly endorsed by the unanimous adop- 

 tion of the following resolution : 



Whereas, The Texas Beekeepers' Asso- 

 ciation and the Texas Honey Producers' 

 Association are two bodies with practically 

 tlie same membership, and 



Whereas, Both bodies hold an annual 

 meeting, and expense could be saved by 

 meeting at the same time and place, there- 

 fore be it 



Resolved, That for affiliation with the 

 Farmers' Congi-ess these two bodies be con- 

 solidated, and that the name of the affili- 

 ated body be called in future The Texas 

 Honey Producers' Association. 



The annual meeting will be held in San 

 Antonio, in November of this year. It is 

 probable that at this meeting the members 

 will demand a further branching out in 

 the line of supplies, and ask that the asso- 

 ciation purchase all commodities used by 

 the beekeeper, and handle them as it now 

 does the few purchases made thru the secre- 

 tary. This will mean that Mves, cani4 

 foundation, queen-bees, and, in fact, every- 

 tliing needed to secure a year's ha.n'est, will 

 be furnished to the members at a co-opera- 

 tive saving in price. 



One of the salient features of the organ- 

 ization is its Avork to give beekeepers a 

 better and more stable price for their prod- 

 uce. The system of making direct sales 

 thru a central office greatly increases the 

 selling prices. The fact that beskeepei-s 

 have been getting too low a return for then- 

 product when compared to the price paid 

 by consumers has been time and again em- 

 phasized by the agricultural press. 



Not only by personal work and selling 

 effort does the association benefit its mem- 

 bers and the beekeeping fraternity at large, 

 but a great deal of educational work is ac- 

 complished at the conventions held annual- 

 ly in College Station and at Sam Antonio. 

 Altho the audiences may be limited to 50 

 or 100 persons, many of the best plans and 

 suggestions are made there, and every mem- 



