December, 1932          WISCONSIN BEEKEEPING                         Page
95 
 
 
prove.   Tberefore, it seems to   me 
fundamental that the prices for farm 
products must increase, and as the 
condition improves so must the situ- 
ation for the smaller farm industries 
become better. 
   Just what is going to be the re- 
sult of continued chain competition, 
no, one can say, but probably the 
chain stores are just as anxious for 
better prices as any one else. As long 
as our beekeepers furnish them with 
honey at low prices, just so long will 
they be able to produce competition 
that is serious in securing higher re- 
tail prices for our beekeepers. This 
is a matter   which   our   beekeepers 
throughout the entire State need to 
consider seriously, and this can only 
be done through group meetings. Dur- 
ing the coming winter the local lead- 
ers should get as many of their bee- 
keepers as possible together and dis- 
cuss the matter thoroughly.  If noth- 
ing else is to be done, our commercial 
beekeepers must reduce their costs to 
the very minimum to meet the un- 
natural competition which is almost 
sure to exist for an indefinite number 
of years. 
   Many commercial beekeepers have 
the idea that the smaller and amateur 
beekeepers are a detriment to the in- 
dustry. As a matter of fact, the small 
beekeepers are a very important cog 
in the machine because they are the 
publicity agents who keep honey con- 
tinually before the public locally. The 
great effort which the commercial bee- 
keepers can make is to try to induce 
the small beekeeper to ask better re- 
tail prices for their product. 
   The pages of "Wisconsin Beekeep- 
ing" are open to a discussion of the 
subject, by all of its members, and I 
hope that during the coming months 
many individuals will come forward 
to discuss the matter through its pages. 
   A suggestion has been made by 
Holsum Products, Inc., of Milwaukee 
that they might act as brokers for our 
Wisconsin beekeepers, and if the pro- 
 
 
per arrangements can be made, it is 
entirely possible that this suggestion 
may prove beneficial to the members 
of our Association. 
   Heretofore, we have had no brok- 
erage firm in Wisconsin, and our bee- 
keepers have had to send their crop 
to brokers outside of the State with- 
out having any check whatever on 
what was being done. 
   This matter will be presented to 
the Association at the time of the 
convention for consideration, with the 
prospect that individual members may 
find it desirable to do business with 
this firm. Mr. Gwin and other mem- 
bers of the Department of Agricul- 
ture and Markets are working on the 
possibility and are hopeful of having 
a plan to present to the convention. 
                     H. F. Wilson. 
 
 
'BUZZES ABOUT WISCONSIN 
     BY ARLENE WEIDENKOPF 
 
 
I 
i 
 
 
   Our requests for reports on local 
conditions   throughout    Wisconsin 
have brought forth some very in- 
teresting material for this issue of 
"Wisconsin Beekeeping." 
   Mr. Jos. Garre, Aniwa, Marathon 
County, writes on November 7, "An- 
other bee season has ended up here in 
our Northland. In my 20 year's of bee- 
keeping experience in the south and 
north of the United States, 1932 has 
been the poorest of all for us.  Our 
average per colony was 12 pounds of 
surplus, or about 1600 pounds of 
honey in all. Of all the honey gathered 
by our bees, 70 % of it came from the 
hard maple blossoms.    Some of our 
stronger colonies filled nearly two su- 
pers with it. Very little honey was 
broughit in after July 10th. The bass- 
wood trees were heavily loaded with 
blossoms but failed to yield on ac- 
count of the hot dry weather which 
already prevailed at that time. The 
 
 
Page 95 
 
 
December,, 1932 
 
 
WISCONSIN BEEKEEPING