I do not think that the largest honey dealer in Chicago is doing the
fair thing by his patrons--that is, if he wishes to do a permanent
business and retain his best customers. He would rather buy honey in
large boxes and frames, and then cut it into three or four small strips,
put it in glass jars, and fill up the jars with inferior strained or
Cuba honey. At the same time he discourages the bee-keepers from taking
their honey from the combs with the melextractor, for the simple reason,
I suppose, that he can make more money by straining the honey himself,
as I was told he had a nice steam apparatus for fixing over strained
honey.
As to the commission men, there are not many of them to be trusted, as
it is seldom that honey is handled with the care it ought to receive;
and when it gets to leaking, they sell it for any price they can get, in
order to be rid of it.
There is a great fault, too, in the manner of shipping it, to have it go
through in good shape, as the railroad men do not handle things very
carefully. To get the best price from honest dealers, the box honey must
be put up in neat, small boxes, weighing not over seven pounds gross;
and to get a market established for extracted honey, it should be
shipped to some reliable man; and the jars must be labelled with the
quality of the honey and the name of the producer. Then the agent can
recommend it to his customers, and warrant it pure; and all you have
should be shipped exclusively to him. When properly put up, I do not
think there is much to be feared from adulteration.