The matter of marketing is an item which must not be overlooked. Few people can afford to indulge in beekeeping for pastime only. Cash return is usually the ultimate object of even the novice.

The great bulk of the extracted honey produced is put in five gallon cans, two in a case, and finds its way immediately into the hands of the wholesalers located in the large centers. The better grade honeys are there repacked in glass or tin retail packages suitable for the retail grocers' trade.

The lower grade honeys are consumed largely by the bakers and confectioners.

All bee journals carry the advertisements of honey buyers. Small producers especially those located in or near small towns usually find ready local demand for all their crop provided it is good table honey and put up in an attractive container. Glass jars are the best retail containers for extracted honey. The average customer seldom buys more than a quart at a time. The price of the jar is added to the price of the honey. The jar may be used for putting up fruit when emptied. Smaller glasses the size of a jelly glass may also be used. A nice label always helps to sell any article. Comb Honey is a very delicate article. It will not stand rough handling, collects dust and attracts ants, flies, etc., if exposed. It is usually packed for market in a paper lined wooden case having a glass face. The individual pasteboard retail carton with transparent face makes a very attractive package more than justifying the additional cost.

Most honey will granulate and become solid in cold weather or even before. Some people prefer it that way but most users prefer it liquid. Liquifying and bottling honey is not much of a trick and when done on a small scale does not call for expensive apparatus. It is the universal practice to store extracted honey in five gallon cans till the time comes to bottle it for sale. Even if it has not noticeably granulated it is advisable to heat and strain it. The heat will break up the invisible crystals that may have started and will therefore extend its liquid life. The can should be placed in a hot bath. A deep wash tub with a couple of sticks to keep the can at least one half inch from the bottom does very well. One gas burner will bring the water up to the required heat, one hundred and eighty degrees. The honey should be stirred occasionally to aid in distributing the heat. Do not attempt to estimate the heat, use a thermometer. Overheating seriously damages the color and flavor of honey. When the temperature of the honey reaches 150 degrees strain it through a cotton cloth, muslin does very well, cheese cloth is too coarse. A round tank with the cloth tied loosely over the top so it will sag and a honey gate at the bottom is the customary rig. In a couple of hours it will be ready to draw off into bottles. The California law requires that honey in retail containers must be labeled with the grade, net weight and name and address of the bottler

The price of honey is always influenced by color, the darker grades selling for less, no matter how good the flavor. Honey grades by color as follows: dark amber, amber, light amber, white and water white. How much profit per colony per season should I expect from my bees? is a question frequently asked by beginners. Of course it is quite impossible to give an arbitrary answer, so many factors enter into the matter. Six to ten dollars each per season is very fair indeed.