SIXTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART IV. 317 



auctioneer do all the selling, and that he have in tne ring one helper 

 who will work with him in harmony. Be sure that the auctioneers are 

 men who have good knowledge of stock, a \5ride acquaintance among 

 breeders, and standing as to judgment and business integrity. 



There are two branches of advertising that should receive equally 

 careful treatment. For local effect, liberal use of county papers circu- 

 lating in the immediate vicinity is advisable, and should be supple- 

 mented by (Tbvering the territory well with bilte. To attract the atten- 

 tion of breeders and those from a distance the agricultural and live 

 stock publications must lae resorted to. These are somewhat ejcpensive 

 so that only those should be used .tjsat «irculate most in the territory 

 from which buyers may be expected. In my own sales I have confined 

 my advertising to two or three of the best, choosing those that stand 

 best among breeders. I find that there fe a double means of drawing 

 through this plan. First is the actual result from the paper itself 

 The other is the personal work and influence of the representative of 

 the papers. This last is apt to bring buyers for the best things In the 

 sale. This influence, however, can only be secured through a contract 

 sufficiently large to justify the special attention received. I favor good 

 large advertisements in a few good papers to the same amount of money 

 expended on smaller spaces in more papers. 



Catalogues should be carefully prepared, complete In every detail, 

 and giving all the arguments you have to offer. In addition to those 

 sent to applicants brought through the advertising, it Is well enough 

 to send them also to such acquaintances as you have reason to believe 

 would be interested in the stoxik you have for sale. It Is important 

 that every call for catalogue be attended to and I have found It espec- 

 ially profitable to follow each with a personal letter and invitation 

 to attend the sale in person, and suggesting that if that cannot be done 

 a bid be sent. It is quite a help to have In the crowd the more promi- 

 nent breeders around home, and better yet, one or two "big guns" from 

 the outside. These men often help through buying, acting as leaders. 



Personal popularity is to be cultivated, and for this reason it is well 

 to place all settlements in the hands of a backer. It avoids any bad 

 paper, and fErows the responsibility on the banker. 



At the close of this paper Mr. Benson said: "I would like 

 to call special attention to having a programme for your sale 

 before the morning th^ you begin. I think that is one thing 

 that many breeders fall down on. We have occasion very often 

 to go to sales where when we get to the farm we would have 

 no reason to think he expected a sale, perhaps not have them 

 numbered and when we ask him for a certain lot of hogs he 

 says they are around by the barn or straw stack. Some get 

 out their catalogues and get them in the office just a day or two 

 before the sale, or do their advertising just two or three weeks 



