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THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



On Co-operation 



By AVESLEY FOSTER, Boulder, Colorado. 



The Bee Journals have been tell- 

 ing us all along that we must im- 

 prove our methods in order to pro- 

 duce a marketable product and I 

 believe now, that there are thous- 

 ands who do produce a fine) article 

 fit for any market. Let this work 

 go on, we will urge it forward with 

 all our energy, but also we must 

 not forget longer the necessity for 

 progressive business methods in 

 marketing. We beekeepers a 

 thousand miles from the fancy 

 comb honey markets must learn 

 how to reach those markets with 

 our honey in as good shape as 

 when it left our store house. 



Reaching the customer and get- 

 ting more than thirty per cent of 

 what the consumer pays, must be 

 accomplished. It may require coop- 

 eration where a beekeeper does 

 not produce in carload lots. Let the 

 bee men get together and agree 

 on the size section to be used, the 

 the grading rules to be followed, 

 size and styles of shipping case, 

 the grading rules to be followed, 

 and let them appoint one man 

 sales manager, who will do all the 

 corresponding with buyers or deal- 

 ers and let him judge the different 

 cooperators' grading. All cooperative 

 sales may be subject to the vote 

 of the several interested if the 

 number is not too large. 



This correspondence will soon re- 

 veal to the correspondent the 

 markets where the kind of honey 

 the membrs raise can be best mar- 

 keted. This knowledge of the mar- 

 ket the special product and pack 

 goes to is very valuable. This market 

 must be cultivated year after year, 

 constantly endeavoring to furnish 

 it with choicer goods more honestly 

 packed. Such a market will "come 

 back" year after year. 



Now the way these cooperative 

 understandings work out is unfortu- 

 nate in many cases, for no sooner 

 have the individual members profit- 

 ed by the cooperation to the extent 

 of, say twenty-five cents a case, 

 than they get suspicious of each 

 other, and of the managers think- 

 ing some are profiting to the others 

 detriment. There have been grounds 



tor such charges in numerous cases 

 and to avoid any difficulty every- 

 thing should be free and above 

 board. The manager should be paid 

 for the time he puts in and all 

 should share alike. 



By all means provide for hon- 

 esty through and through and then 

 have faith. Even though some 

 tnings are not strictly fair, remem- 

 ber that things are better than be- 

 fore. The spirit of enthusiastic co- 

 operation in an association of pro- 

 ducers is almost priceless and will 

 go further towards success than 

 even bumper crops. Suspicion and 

 distrust are and always will be 

 fatal in the end. 



If we who are cooperating for 

 the sale of honey have markets 

 close by, an intimate study of the 

 way to keep honey displayed in 

 the most prominent positions in 

 the stores is necessary. Honey sales 

 are much lower in volume because 

 of unattractive labels, lack of dis- 

 play, cases neglected and becoming 

 fly specked, and the honey dusty 

 and soiled. Honey should look at 

 all times as if it had just been 

 brought into the store. It makes a 

 great deal of difference whether 

 the honey is in a pretty glass case 

 that shows off the goods and keeps 

 them fresh, and the same goods 

 under the counter gathering dust 

 on the jars and combs and hidden 

 where no one can see it. Customers 

 ask for sugar, potatoes, canned 

 goods, etc., but they will not ask 

 for honey unless it is displayed 

 where its sight will be a potent 

 suggestion. 



Might I not make these state- 

 ments without successful contradic- 

 tion? It is as important for our in- 

 dustry that the position and display 

 of honey in the store should re- 

 ceive as careful attention on the 

 part of beekeepers as the position 

 of honey in the winter quarters of 

 our hives. 



We say the retailer should attend 

 to that display of honey, but you 

 will notice that the corn syrup 

 salesmen line up a half dozen orig- 

 inal cases along right in front of 

 the counter and then will pile cut 



