Publisht Weekly at 118 Michigan St. 



George W. York, Editor. 



$1.00 a Year— Sample Copy Free. 



38th Year. 



CHICAGO, ILL., DECEMBER 1, 1898. 



No. 48. 



UNITED STATES BEE-KEEPERS' UNION. 



Report of the 29th Annual Couveiitlou Held at 

 Omaha, Nebr., Sept. 13-15, 1898. 



DR. A. B. MASON, SEC. 



SECOND DAY— Afternoon Session. 

 IContlnued Irom page 741.1 



The afterooon sessioa was called to order by Pres. York, 

 and was opened by singing. 



The following was written by Mr. S. A. NIver, of Tomp- 

 kins Co.. N. Y., and read to the convention by the Secretary 

 In Mr. NIver's absence, entitled, 



Experiences and Suggestions in marlietiiig Honey 



After the honey harvest is over, we look proudly at the 

 piles of nice white cases with such beautiful, clean looking 

 combs shining through the glass, and realize that all that care 

 and skill can do to make it attractive has been done, we come 

 face to face with that momentous question — What shall we do 

 with It ? The old, time. honored method of bundling the whole 

 crop off to some city commission house, selected by guess 

 usually, to get returns for it perhaps, sometime, has proved 

 so unsatisfactory that we have all been working at this vexing 

 problem which has not kept pace with other improvements in 

 apiculture. 



Eliminating unnecessary charges and expenses, getting 

 closer to the consumer, trying to educate the public to the 

 knowledge of the beauties, healthf ulness and desirabilty of 

 honey as a food, and a medicine; airing the subject In bee- 

 journals, even forming exchanges, and talking of combina- 

 tions, trusts, or what not ; some good has come of this agita- 

 tion, doubtless, but the principal point imprest on my mind by 

 the greater part of the sage counsels of the experts is — get 

 your honey in nicer shape than the other fellow, and you can 

 sell yours, and its none of your business what he does with 

 his. This method is strictly in accord with the Golden Rule 

 (Chicago edition) — " Do others or they'll do you." But that 

 other fellow cuts the price, and in these hard times the price is. 

 of more importance to the consumer than polish. The result 

 is a constant strife to outshine your neighbor, and a more 

 pronounced vacuum in the wallet, as well as a more exacting 

 market. 



"Competition is the life of trade," and death of profits. 

 Eight here it might not be too badly out of order to quote 

 some crumbs of concentrated wisdom from the ready pen of our 

 General Manager, Mr. Secor : 



"There was a time in the history of mankind when the indi- 

 vidual seemed to be the more potent (actor in society and business 

 than at present, but the world is older than it was. almost every- 

 thing is done differently from what it used to be. Business meth- 



ods have so improved that a dollar goes farther in transacting the 

 world's business than it did in the olden time. This has been 

 brought about through organization and combination. A great 

 many individual dollars brought together through associated 

 effort, may be made to produce effects which never could have 

 been brought about by the same individuals acting each for him- 

 self independently. Men interested in a common purpose are en- 

 abled to unite on a common plan of action, and work to some 

 effect." 



That would seem to point to a combination of bee-keepers, 

 to make the most possible out of their product, to do business 

 at the minimum expense, and maximum profit — but few be- 

 lieve it possible for so large a body to hang together, and so 

 all stumble along in the same old rut. 



My first experience as a honey-salesman was pleasant 

 enough, for I had an extra fancy crop to sell, and it was be- 

 fore sand-papering sections was fashionable. To set a white, 

 clean sample beside a grimy, travel-stained one, was just fun. 



One dealer in Scranton had a very large stock of comb 

 honey conspicuously displayed, which made me doubt my 



H. E. Hill, Editor American Uee Keeper— See page 755. 



ability to make a sale there. He came out of his ofJBce with 

 the usual eye to business, and I remarkt, "You seem to be 

 loaded for bear in the honey line. Sorry I did not get here 

 earlier in the season, but just take a look at my samples, and 

 perhaps you will wait for me next year." 



With this I laid a sample of "fancy white" before him. 

 He pickt it up, held it to the light, turned to me with a curi- 

 ous look and said, " Great Scott 1 how did you make that?" 



