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STATE bee-keepers' ASSOCIATION. 83 



be sold; that would have been enough for four to six months. 

 In all my travels I never saw so much. I saw 25 or 35 

 cases of comb honey in one place, and the distribution seemed 

 to be general all over Chicago. Some told me that they ^ 



had paid 10 cents, 11 cents, 12 and 13 cents, and one firm 

 with three or four stores were retailing their honey for 14 

 cents! The market was simply knocked all to pieces by this 

 dumping of« honey on the market, and people have been after 

 me again and again. They know I have honey to sell and 

 they say: "What are you asking? Not asking much are 

 you?" I don't believe, far and wide, that we have an aver- 

 age crop. I really believe that there is not over an average 

 crop, but by an unwise dumping on the market you are out 

 two, three and four cents on the pound. The grocers said 

 to me so and so out here had 10,000 pounces of honey, as 

 much as to say that that was something. I say, keep those 

 things in your own bosom. Other trades keep their busi- 

 ness to themselves. Do a lot of thinking, and do very little 

 talking. If they ask you what the crop is, say: "Well, about 

 the same as last year, near as I can tell." Don't tell them 

 that there is lots of honey, or I had 10,000 pounds, or my 

 neighbor. "Be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves," 

 and everyone will gain. 



Mr. Whitney — I believe as Dr. Miller does: I don't know. 



Mr. York — Mr. Muth, what do you think about it ? 



Mr. Muth — I believe in honesty. I believe when we 

 have a big crop of honey throughout the country, dealers 

 should know it, because the law of supply and demand makes 

 the price. Suppose we would buy a carload of comb honey 

 at 16 cents, as it started off early this season, and we didn't 

 sell that carload? (I am talking from my standpoint now). 

 There is a concern in Nevada who a year ago sold us three 

 or four carloads of honey. They start off and offered me a 

 carload of honey this season at 16 cents delivered in Cin- 

 cinnati. I told my book-keeper they will holler a little bit, ■• * 

 anS^then they will come down to 15 cents. It was no more 

 than two weeks until they came down to 15 cents. I says, 

 "They are scared. There is honey coming in. They will 

 sell for ID cents before the season is over." I never even 

 answered their letters. It came down to 13^^. Two weeks 

 ago they offered to deliver a carload of fancy white honey 

 at my plant for 12 J^ cents. I told the young lady: "It will 

 come down to 10 cents." It is the law of supply and de- 

 mand that makes the market. If you are selfish it will burst. 

 Here, on the other hand, you hold up your honey very high. , 

 It was only this morning that I sold 15 barrels of honey : 

 before I started ; this was before nine o'clock, at a price that 

 none of you folks would want to sell me your honey for. 

 I have to go outside to buy this honey. I will duck under you 

 and beat you every time. You hold up your end and I am 

 glad of it. It is the law of supply and demand; it is finding 

 its level. These people in the West who have big crops of 

 honey, they will come down. If you want to select your 

 price for honey get it out earlier. Honey that is produced 

 in May— get it out. There is a demand early in June and 



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