Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-09-19
DispOsing Ofthe Honey Crop.

is a fair crop of honey to be market
ed this season, though it Is far from
being as large as the crop OF last
year. There are two main causes for
its elimination: the stock OF bees
was Greatly reduced by the almost
DnnaTalleled mortality that prevailed
last winter among these bnsy little
workers, and this season bee-keepers
have been obliged to pay special at
tention to the increase of colonies
rather than to the production of sur
plus honey. And again, the drought
which in the early part of the sum-
mer was severely felt in many sec
tions Of the country prevented the
production Of full crop Of white
clover honey. But, in spite of these
two causes, the crop is larger than 1t
was at one time expected TO be. In
California the drought was so severe
that many bee keepers hardly expect
ed to produce honey enough to carry
their stocks through the coming viii
ter. but later rains increased the fora
and now the crop is said to be good.
In most localities the honey yield is
now over and the market opening.
To dispose of the crop at the
greatest profit, close attention
should be paid to the wants of the
market; and generally it is best.to
choose a near market in preference
to a more distant one. Endeavor to
create a home demand. This can be
done by advertising the product and
occasionally making judiciouS pres
ents of small quantities of the best
honey; by making the packages as
attractive as possible, and by taking
pains to suit the whim of customers.
Small producers especially should
never send their honey to distant
markets if there is a possibility of
selling it at home. We have known
instances in which twenty-five and
thirty per centum per pound was paid
in the home market more than the
quoted market price in the large
cities.
Study the wants of the market.
At present consumers seem to have
preference for the small section box
es which measure 4 by a inches and
2 inches wide, and hold one pound
of capped honey. To make the box
more attractive, it is covered on each
side with a plate of thin glass, the
glass being held in place by close
fitting light cap of wood or paste
board at each end of the box. If
the comb should happen to leak the
honey then cannot run out and
"muss" other boxes, but will collect
in the lower cap. A firm of this
city, that sells immense quantities of
honey on commission, informed us
recently that they sold more comb
honey in one pound boxes put up in
this way than any other form in
which it was offered for sale. For
foreign markets, on the other hand,
the prize box has the preference.
Extracted honey should be in glass
jars, holding from one to three
pounds, and when it is emptied it
can readily be utilized in the house
hold. Much is also sold in tin cans,
holding from one to five pounds, but
this is not an attractive form, and
honey thus put up cannot command
a high price.
Label every box, jar and can with
neatly printed labels, giving the
name of the producer, the place
where he lives, and the quantity and
quality of honey. This is the only
way to establish a reputation among
the consumers, and to dealers in an
article that is SO easily adulterated,
a good name brings a good trade.
The wholesale price of honey is not
so high at present as at one time
there was reason to believe it would
be. Extracted honey ranges from
six to eight cents pound, and comb
honey from ten to twelve cents, ex-
ira fine going as high as fifteen cents.
Though there is a fair crop, there is
but little danger that the market will
be overstocked, and the demand is
likely to be as great or greater than
last year; the taste that has been ac-
quired and stimulated under the in
fiuence of low prices has not vanish
ed. We apprehend, therefore, that
prices will rise later in the season,
and bee-keepers should be in no hur-
ry to market their surplus honey.
RaGrdl Welo Yorker.