THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



133 



only otice, in our thirteen years of bee-keep- 

 ing, have we been thus fortunate. Although 

 honey is a luxury, it is not perishable like 

 small fruits, yet there are few wholesale 

 dealers who buy it out and out. The great 

 bulk of honey passes through the hands of 

 commission merchants. What are the ob- 

 jections to this ? One objection is the oppor- 

 tunity for dissatisfaction. Some bee-keep- 

 ers think their honey first class, when it isn't. 

 They see the quotations of some commis- 

 sion man, and send their honey to him, ex- 

 pecting the highest price. If they don't get 

 it they are dissatisfied and say unpleasant 

 things. The bee-keeper never knows how 

 much his honey will bring him. The price 

 may decline in the market to which he has 

 sent his honey. When he se)it it, the mar- 

 ket may have been the best. Now some 

 other market is best, but it may not pay him 

 to have the honey re-shipped ; besides, by 

 the time the honey is beijig sold in the new 

 market, the price may have declined there. 

 In other words, the bee-keeper cannot select 

 his market at the (iine of sale. He can limit 

 his commission man, that is, tell him not to 

 sell unless he gets a certain price. But this 

 may not be wise : for, as a rule, the com- 

 mission man knows, better than the far 

 away owner, at what price the honey can be 

 sold. When there is an out and out sale, at 

 a certain price, there can be no doubt as to 

 whether honest returns are made. AVhen 

 sold on commission, we have only the seller's 

 ivorcl that the honey sold for so much. Of 

 course, it is possible to prove the truth or 

 falsity of returns, but the trouble would be 

 too great, unless in extreme cases. For such 

 reasons, it would be desirable if the com- 

 mission business could be avoiced. 



We don't wish to insinuate that commis- 

 sion men are more dishonest, by Nature, 

 than the rest of humanity, but the opportn- 

 iiities for fraud are greater than in some 

 lines of business. Right here we wish to say 

 that we believe that some commission men, 

 perhaps the majority of them, are strictly 

 honest ; the difficulties arise from the cir- 

 cumstances that furnish conditions for the 

 growth of a doitbf. But, whether desirable or 

 not, the honey trade has fallen into the hands 

 of commission merchants, and the prospects 

 are that it will remain there for some time 

 to come, and perhaps tlie best thing we can 

 do is to send our honey to those in whom we 

 have most confidence tliat they will get good 

 prices and make honest returns. If there is 



a better plan that is feasible, let it be 

 known. That is what this discussion is for. 



Quite a little has been said about co-opera- 

 tion in some form, as an aid to marketing. 

 We have no desire to oppose progress, but 

 we have little faith in this sort of thing 

 when applied to honey producers. They are 

 too numerous and too scattered. The peach 

 growers of New Jersey have improved their 

 market by forming an "Exchange." The fruit 

 is all sent to a central point, to which buyers 

 resort, where it is sold at auction. If peach 

 growing extended all over the United States, 

 this could not be done. 



We have already mentioned the peddling 

 of honey in large cities. Bee-keepers who 

 have facilities, and a taste in this direction, 

 may do something in this way during the fall 

 and winter, by going from village to village; 

 having a regular route and going over it at 

 regular intervals. 



We believe that Mr. Byron Walker dis- 

 poses of the hulk of his honey by travelling 

 from city to city with samples, a la "drum- 

 mer;" selling direct to grocers. It always 

 seemed to us that his time and expenses 

 would amount to more than the commission 

 charged by a dealer. Possibly the explanation 

 is that his honey has been mostly of the fall 

 variety, which can be sold to better advantage 

 when sold direct to grocers in small towns, 

 than when sent to the commission house 

 of a large city. AVill Mr. W. tell us about it ? 



As to the time for selling, we say have the 

 honey upon the market as soon as berries 

 are out of the way, and the cool of fall be- 

 gins to be felt. Some markets are good, even 

 earlier. Don't hold honey until winter is 

 half over, waiting for better prices. The 

 prospects of loss over-balance those for gain. 



Friends, we have read over the foregoing, 

 and, instead of finding it a well-arranged 

 leader, it seems more like a sort of rambling 

 talk; however, if it "leads" you to give 

 your views upon "Marketing," it will have 

 accomplished its purpose. 



Preventing the Granulation of Honey. 

 UR correspondent, Mr. R. McKnight, 

 refers to an article of his, recently 

 published in the A. B. J., in which he 

 tells how he prevents the granulation of 

 honey, and we copy the part of the article in 

 which this point is touched upon. 



