56 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



the millions of pounds now annually 

 thrown upon the markets of the 

 world ; that we have not learned to 

 dispose of the same in an advanta- 

 geous and profitable manner, the 

 over-crowded and constantly glutted 

 state of those markets proclaims in 

 thunder tones. 



Some cry over-production 1 To such 

 I would say that there is no over- 

 production, nor is there likely to be, 

 if we but educate the people to its 

 use as we produce it. 



The practice of forcing honey in 

 large consignments upon tne commis- 

 sion men and dealers of the great 

 trade-centres of the country, is doing 

 more to break down prices and ruin 

 the business of the apiarist than any- 

 thing J know of in the category of 

 evils to-day. And so wide-spread 

 and general has this mania become 

 that prominent commission mer- 

 chants are advertising that they will 

 not receive consignments of honey 

 without previous arrangement with 

 the owners. Prices quoted in the 

 over-glutted markets of New York, 

 Boston and Philadelphia become the 

 standard for Cincinnati, Toledo and 

 Chicago— in fact, the whole country— 

 and the demand ever unequal to the 

 supply, the tendency is always down- 

 ward. And so it seems that if this 

 state of things continues, the bee- 

 keepers must be content to work for 

 a very small profit in the future. 



I have a remedy for this much-to- 

 be-deplored state of affairs, and it is 

 contained in one short sentence, viz : 

 "Work up your home market!" 

 These few words contain volumes; 

 they are the key to the whole prob- 

 lem, and if acted upon they will "work 

 miracles toward keeping up the price 

 of honey and creating a demand 

 therefor. The secret lies in keeping 

 the honey out of the hands of com- 

 mission men, out of the large cities, 

 and bringing into actual contact with 

 the consumers in the country. 



Having lost its rightful prestige 

 through the folly and neglect of our 

 ancestors, it remains for us by per- 

 sistent endeavor in wise methods to 

 restore it to its proper place in the 

 commerce of to-day. Consumers hav- 

 ing long since learned to exclude it 

 from their every-day list of edibles, 

 and regard it as a luxury to be in- 

 dulged in only on rare occasions, no 

 longer run after honey as they would 

 after meat, flour and other staples, 

 and consequently we must run after 

 them and solicit their patronage if we 

 would market our product. 



Had I a large crop of honey to dis- 

 pose of, I would start out and canvass 

 the surrounding country, taking in as 

 much territory as the amount of my 

 crop would warrant. I would have 

 my honey in attractive shape, my 

 comb honey in one and two pound 

 sections, extracted in one, two and 

 three pound glass jars, ten-pound tin 

 pails, and fifty-pound kegs. I would 

 stop at every house, show them what 

 I had, explain its merits, and I would 

 make sales. In a month or so I would 

 canvass the same territory again, and 

 so continue till all was sold. 



In placing honey in the hands of 

 dealers, I should select such as under- 



stood its merits best, and could best 

 explain them to his customers, and 

 would push its sale ; those who leave 

 it to sell itself are not the proper per- 

 sons to handle honey. 



Dr. J. P. H. Brown, of Augusta, 

 Ga., in an essay read before tlie Texas 

 convention in 18S3, and published in 

 the American Bee Jouenal for 

 that year, truthfully said : " Not one 

 grocery merchant in fifty knows how 

 to handle honey. The expert sales- 

 man, like the expert producer, must 

 have a natural fitness for the business. 

 When a merchant is willing to un- 

 dertake it, and displays the necessary 

 tact and ability to introduce the com- 

 modity to his customers, the bee- 

 keepers of the neighborhood should 

 sustain him ; because there would be 

 a likelihood of his being better able 

 to keep up the price and extend the 

 sales, than if it was put in the hands 

 of half-a-dozen grocerymen of the 

 town to sell at all sorts of prices, and 

 to be offered in all sorts of shapes." 

 I presume all can verify the truth of 

 these remarks, which are as applicable 

 here as in Georgia. 



Honey placed in the hands of dealers 

 to be disposed of, should always be in 

 the most attractive shape possible. 

 The day is past when honey can be 

 sent to market in uncouth shape, and 

 command a paying price. Wherever 

 progressive specialists have planted 

 themselves in a community, loose 

 comb honey defiled by bee-bread and 

 dead bees, is no longer considered " a 

 dish fit to set before the gods ;" and 

 must, in the near future, together 

 with the log-gum and box-hive, joiu 

 the silent army of the things that 

 were. 



I have found comb honey to sell 

 well here in the one and two pound 

 sections, the one-pound being prefer- 

 able. I do not think a smaller sec- 

 tion would sell to any extent in towns 

 of this size. Extracted honey I have 

 found to take best in pint and quart 

 Mason jars. Larger packages do not 

 seem to sell well in the stores, but in 

 soliciting orders I have sold consid- 

 erable in 10-pound and still larger lots. 



As to the time of selling, I would 

 advise to begin as soon as customers 

 can be obtained, but not to push its 

 sale early in the season. The demand 

 for honey is never very great until the 

 advent of cool weather. There is 

 always a lull in the honey-trade at 

 the time new sorghum comes into 

 market, but this lasts but a few weeks, 

 and the honey-trade goes on again. 



In conclusion I would say, bide 

 your time ; be in no hurry ; show no 

 disposition to sacrifice your product, 

 and, my word for it, you will be able 

 to dispose of the same in due season, 

 and at remunerative prices. 



These, in brief, are ray methods. 

 If any one has other or better methods, 

 or can improve upon those which I 

 have given, I shall be glad to hear 

 them. 



Mr. Hambaugh had found from per- 

 sonal experience that the small pro- 

 ducers were the ones that ruined the 

 markets. Grocerymen were inclined 

 to place their own price on the honey 

 of unposted producers, who would 



accept the price rather than return 

 home with their honey. 



Mr. Middleton said that he had no 

 trouble in selling honey in Jackson- 

 ville markets. He had never got less 

 than 15 cents per pound for comb 

 honey. 



The convention adjourned until 1 :30 

 p.m., when it was again called to 

 order. 



It was decided that Mr. Middleton 

 should mail to each member of the 

 society, packages of white California 

 sage seed, now in his possession, at 

 the expense of the society. 



The subject of uniting the two so- 

 cieties in one— the " Illinois Central " 

 and the " Pike County Association "— 

 was then discussed, and the idea met 

 with favor. It was unaminously de- 

 cided to retain the present officers, 

 and meet with the Pike County Asso- 

 ciation at their next annual meeting, 

 for the purpose of uniting with the 

 same, the name to be changed to the 

 " Western Illinois Bee-Keepers' Asso- 

 ciation," or some other equally appro- 

 priate name. 



Mt. Petty then related his experi- 

 ence of the past in wintering bees, 

 being largely in favor of cellar win- 

 tering. He stated that he had weighed 

 his colonies when put into the cellar 

 and when taken out, and the con- 

 sumption of honey would aggregate 

 about 6 pounds. He had not lost a 

 colony of bees in five years, but had 

 lost a few weak nuclei through 

 neglect. 



In regard to a question from Mr. 

 Camm concerning Alsike clover, Mr. 

 Cooper said that it was preferable to 

 the red for hay ; it was not so dusty, 

 and kept much better in the mow. 

 He would sow no more red clover 

 when he can get Alsike. His neigh- 

 bors sowed it and were well pleased 

 with it. 



Is pollen in the combs a detriment 

 to bees in confinement V" Mr. Petty 

 said it was not of sufiacient detriment 

 to pay for removing it. Mr. Ham- 

 baugh said under certain circum- 

 stances that it was, such as during 

 long confinement and continuous cold, 

 with no relief by cleansing flight. Mr. 

 Camm thought if the pollen was kept 

 from souring, it would not injure 

 them, and that sour honey was as 

 conducive to disease as pollen. 



" Would you extract honey from the 

 brood-chamber during a honey flow V" 

 Mr. Hambaugh said that he would 

 not, unless it was necessary to give 

 the queen laying-room. 



"Will it do to feed dry sugar 

 to bees in confinement V" Mr. Camm 

 said, "yes," if it was Porto Rico, a 

 soft sugar. 



The convention then adjourned, 

 to meet as stated above. 



J. M. Hambaugh, Sec. 



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