1896 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



297 



then say, "There, you don't need any officers — 

 go ahead, you'll win! the battle"? And, for 

 that matter, of whatusip are incorporated cono- 

 panies or firms of any kind? •' A feeling that 

 you are able to take care of^yourself without 

 help." Mr. Doolittle, take courage. Plutocra- 

 cy will vanish like morning mist if you only be- 

 come inspired with a certain " feeling." 

 Arvada, Col., March 31. 



SUPPLYING THE HOME MARKET. 



HOW TO SELL TO GROCERS. 



By F. A. SneU. 



I have found it of greater value to sell in my 

 own and adjoining towns than to ship to the 

 large cities. A certain amount of tact must be 

 possessed by the honey-producer to make a 

 good salesman. If one is a good bee-keeper 

 and also a good salesman he is fortunate in 

 that respect. I have tried to keep the grocers 

 of my own town supplied with honey so long as 

 I have had any to sell. It is not so easy to sell 

 where one is not known in other towns. In 

 going to such places I always take along a 

 buggy load. I drive up in front of the grocer- 

 ies and hitch my horse and then call on the 

 grocers, always trying to be as pleasant as I 

 am capable of being. I greet one with a "good- 

 morning," which is pleasantly returned, as a 

 rule. If he is at leisure I make myself and 

 business known, telling him that I have some 

 honey with me which I should be glad to show 

 him. He is generally willing to look at it. I 

 take a crate or case from the buggy and show 

 it to him. The case is neat, glassed on both 

 sides, tight cover, sections clean. The combs 

 are looked over. I show him how nicely it may 

 be handled and wrapped up. The honey pleases 

 him, and he thinks it will his customers, so I 

 am able to sell him two or three cases. Settle- 

 ment is made. I thank him for his patronage, 

 and ask that, if more is wanted, that I have 

 the chance to supply him. 



I then pass to the next dealer. I bid him a 

 good-morning. Perhaps he is busy. I wait un- 

 til he is at liberty. I then make my errand 

 known, giving my name and residence, and 

 state that I have some honey with me that I 

 should like to have him look at. The case of 

 honey is placed in as good a position as is at 

 hand for inspection. He is pleased with its 

 appearance through the clean bright glass. I 

 remove the cover and take out and show him a 

 few of the boxes. He remarks, " The honey is 

 fine; but as you see" — he shows me a lot of 

 honey in dirty boxes — "I have a good deal on 

 hand." I reason that, while he is waiting to 

 sell this, he might be able to sell quite a lot of 

 the nice honey at a better price, and perhaps 

 lose the sale to those of finer tastes. He de- 

 cides by not taking my honey, however; that 



the other had better go, and that he will not 

 invest in any more just now. I want his trade, 

 and have faith in my honey, so I offer to leave 

 him two cases to sell on commission, as I know 

 he is reliable. He consents. The honey to be 

 paid for when sold. 



The third grocer is visited, where I proceed 

 about as before stated. The honey suits him, 

 and he takes only one case, as he is a little 

 afraid he can not sell it so as to make a profit 

 to suit him. I am well suited, as I am confi- 

 dent he will have no trouble, and I have made 

 a start that I hope may prove of value in the 

 future, for I try to please, give good weight, 

 and put the honey in the cases so its outside 

 appearance will not be deceptive, or, in other 

 words, the finest I do not place next to the 

 glass, with that not quite so nice in the middle, 

 or where it will not be so readily seen. If one 

 is so unjust as to try to deceive, he will find 

 later on that he is the one most deceived; and, 

 if a honey-producer, he will find his trade or 

 sales much injured or his customers few. 



Milledgeville, 111. 



SELLING HONEY AT LOCAL FAIRS. 



THE VALUE OF THE $1000; REWARD CARD. 



By F. W. Humph7-ey. 



r I have had considerable experience in ped- 

 dling comb honey and in selling at our local 

 fair. Four years ago i made an exhibit of 

 hives and tools, bees and honey, at our county 

 fair. 'There was a good deal of talk about 

 "manufactured comb honey," especially when 

 the comb foundation was examined. ■'I tacked 

 up some of A. I. Root's reward cards, and found 

 them a great help in convincing people that 

 my honey was "bees'" honey; but It was 

 weary work to stand there all day and assure 

 people, who thought they knew more about my 

 business than I did, that artificial comb honey 

 was a myth. A motherly old lady stopped at 

 my stand one day and asked the usual ques- 

 tion, " Is this manufactured honey or bees' 

 honey?" I replied that it was bees' honey, and 

 that there was no such thing as artificial comb 

 honey. " Oh I but there is, you know, lots of it; 

 they make it by machinery." I saw that she 

 was a hopeless case, and said no more, only 

 asking her to read the* .?1000 reward '' card I 

 handed her. 



I have sold honey at every fair held on those 

 grounds since, and find that the belief in arti- 

 ficial comb has died out to a great extent — 

 partly. I think, owing to the persistent preach- 

 ing by myself, and other exhibitors, of the doc- 

 trine of pure comb honey. 



My sales have increased from a few pounds 

 the first year to several cases at the last fair. 

 Those who buy once come again. I have sold 

 1000 pounds in this vicinity since the honey-flow 



