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Ci I- E A N I X G .s IX BEE CULTURE 





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MAKING OF HONEY A STAPLE 



Importance of Advertising Backed up by a Con- 

 stant Supply 



Notwithstanding the price-fixing and all 

 other attempts to stabilize the prices of 

 food materials, just how well the Govern- 

 ment succeeded and how the prices tiew 

 skyward when Government control was re- 

 moved, is an old story. Now the reaction is 

 on, and it is very hard to say how low the 

 prices will go. It is, however, a matter of 

 great importance to the honey producer to 

 keep the advantage gained during war 

 time. 



As with other foods, the price of honey is 

 bound to fall; but what difference does it 

 make if the relative price-ratio and demand 

 can be held' The honey producer can do but 

 little to maintain the ratio, so it is on cre- 

 ating a larger demand that he must rely for 

 his future. 



During the war period the publicity given 

 by the Bureau of Entomology at Washing- 

 ton and the States Kelation Service gave to 

 the use of honey an impetus that must not 

 only be maintained, but augmented. How to 

 do this is now the producers ' most vital 

 problem. A study of the manner in which 

 other commodities have been made popular 

 is of intense value. The same devices used 

 by the growers of oranges, prunes, raisins, 

 or walnuts will do the same for- honey as 

 they have done for these articles. The de- 

 vices can be included under the following 

 heads: Marketing associations, advertising, 

 and a constant and easily accessible supply. 

 To have all the publicity possible and have 

 a honey advertisement as familiar as that 

 of Camel cigarettes, and not have honey 

 where the buyer can get it will never create 

 a trade. A housewife sees an advertisement 

 and telephones her grocer the order for 

 honey. She is pleased with her purchase and 

 a month later repeats the order. The grocer 

 informs her no honey can be had, and she 

 substitutes a corn syrup. A sale of honey is 

 lost, and a constant customer becomes the 

 patron of some syrup company because' of 

 their attractive advertisement, neat pack- 

 age, and ability to deliver the goods. As 

 centrally located as is St. Louis, Mo., there 

 were only a few stores where honey could 

 be purchased during the summer of 1920. 



If a constant and accessible supply then is 

 the keynote of the question, how can it be 

 obtained? The answer can again be taken 

 from the great fruit firms, a nation-wide 

 marketing association. In such hands, ad- 

 vertising of a widespread and efiicient char- 

 acter is possible at the least expense to the 

 the marketing association. These advertise- 

 ments must be written and placed so as to at- 



tract the housewife. The advertisements 

 should appear in magazines and papers de- 

 voted to the home. At the same time, these 

 papers should receive popular articles on bees 

 and honey from the proper representatives of 

 the marketing association. These advertise- 

 ments, however, should not be as lavish as 

 those of some firms, as the housewife is the 

 prince of economists, and she argues that, 

 if the association can afford such a high- 

 priced display, there is an immense profit in 

 lioney, and she will look for cheaper sweets. 

 There can be but little doubt that a popular 

 magazine article on bees is one of the best 

 salesmen; and, if this is backed by an ad 

 showing where honey can be bought and a 

 constant supply be on hand, you have a reg- 

 ular customer. 



A national marketing association's first 

 and greatest problem is to control the sup- 

 ply. It means that, from California to Maine 

 and Florida to Washington, Mexico and 

 Canada included, the beemen thru their rep- 

 resentatives must pool their issues and allow 

 the central officers so to direct the sale of 

 honey that no lack of honey exists on the 

 market. Not only must they supply regu- 

 larly the established trade, but they must 

 make it possible for stores to handle honey 

 as they do other standard goods. 



The American Honey Producers' League, 

 which was inaugurated last winter, plans to 

 do just this kind of work. Based as it is on 

 the experience of the Colorado, California, 

 Texas, and other state associations and 

 backed by a majority of the beekeepers of 

 the honey-producing States, this league can 

 and will solve these problems. 



College Station, Tex. H. B. Parks. 



UNDUE SWARMING IN ENGLAND 



How the Character of the Honey Flow Influences 

 Swarming 



On reviewing the peculiarities of the pres- 

 ent disastrous honey season three points are 

 prominent: (1) The entire absence of a 

 normal spring fiow; (2) a long and heavy 

 swarming season; and (3) scarcity of au- 

 tumn stores for wintering. Without doubt 

 1920 has produced the scantiest honey crop 

 for some years; and, in fact, in most locali- 

 ties it has been a total failure. During the 

 period of fruit blossom the weather was 

 more or less cool and windy, and instead 

 of the usual surplus of honey from beans, 

 sycamore, raspberry, etc., many colonies 

 had to be fed in order to avoid a check in 

 brood-faising. 



Altho prospects for the main honey flow 

 were fairly briglit, the midday tempera- 



