THIL BEL-KEEPERS REVIEW. 



properly constructed hives against loss in 

 winters, as any other live stock. 



With the failure of honey a tendency to 

 rob is often manifested. I scarcely believe 

 the tendency is inherent, but has been de- 

 veloped by the careless exposure of honey 

 for generations. Bees are suspectible of 

 lasting impressions. This is evinced by 

 their ability to combat the bee moth, which 

 □pon its first appearance in this country 

 was much more destructive than in later 

 years. The bees patrol the hive entrance 

 each flveniug to prevent their inroads. The 

 exposure of honey also makes an impres- 

 sion, which they not only remember during 

 life, but by some means transmit to the 

 younger ones. 



I have never experienced any trouble from 

 robbing. I leave no honey or sweets ex- 

 posed in any form. All colonies are main- 

 tained strong. All entrances are contracted 

 according to the strength of the colonies. 



Jackson, Mich, August 18, 18i)7. 



How to Sell Honey Near Home at Good 

 Prices. 



FEED H. LOUCKS. 



J.\M more and more impressed as to the 

 necessity of disposing of our honey near 

 home as the best and surest way of main- 

 taining prices, and the good of all con- 

 cerned. I am sure that nine-tenths of all 

 the bee keepers could get more money out 

 of their honey if only they would drum up a 

 home trade instead of shii)ping to a congest- 

 ed centre, saying notliing of dishonest com- 

 mission merchants. 



My comb honey is all put into three 

 grades, according to the following rules: 

 No. 1 White, straight, clean, nicely capped 

 and filled boxes, retail selling price, 14c.; 

 in large lots, not less than 100 pounds, Vl^^c. 

 No. 2, slightly colored, corners not tilled or 

 capped and small imperfections of the 

 comb, retails at l'_" jC. No. H, dark, crooked, 

 half filled or half capi>ed, retail price, 10c. 

 I have private customers enough to take all 

 of grades 2 and '■'> at my house. Now crate 

 No. 1 in nice clean crates, with paper under 

 each layer of sections, so there can be no 

 dripping of honey inside, or out of the 

 crate. Drum the grocery trade first, and if 

 yon ?trike a man who will take 'JCO pounds, 

 or contract for 100 or •_'<X) poands, sell to 



him, allowing a discount, which you can 

 afford to do on an order of that size. I 

 usually allow PoC. per pound on such size 

 lots for cash. .\11 other lines of trade give 

 discounts to heavy buyers, why should not 

 the honey trade? If you succeed in getting 

 an order from one of the best grocers, then 

 go to his competitor and tell him Mr. So- 

 and-so has bought 200 pounds of honey of 

 you at 12>^c. cash, talking to him as a 

 drummer should, and the chances are that 

 you will get a duplicate order from him, as 

 he must furnish his customers the same 

 article at the same price. If yon cannot 

 get sales started in this way leave crates 

 with two or three reliable grocers, seeing 

 that they keep them in a prominent place 

 where people entering the stores will be sure 

 to see it, and you will soon get a trade 

 started. 



As to the lower grades, if you have not a 

 market already established for them, I be- 

 lieve the best way is to peddle them the first 

 year, for these are the grades that sell most 

 readily to the country people. Load fifty 

 pounds each of Nos. 2 and 3, also one case of 

 No. 1, and as much extracted honey, on your 

 road wagon and start out early in the morn- 

 ing through a section where good, thrifty 

 farmers live and you will not be disappoint- 

 ed when night comes. These peddling 

 trips will advertise your honey more than 

 any other way I know of, and people will 

 come year after year to your house to get 

 these grades of honey, expecting to get a 

 dollar's worth of 10 or 12V^c. comb, and the 

 same with the extracted. 



To my mind most bee keepers should 

 raise both comb and extracted honey. I 

 usually have rather more extracted than 

 comb. That which is not sold direct to the 

 consumer in bulk at 10c. per pound is put 

 up in Mason's improved fruit cans, pints in 

 size, and nicely labeled and crated in the 

 same boxes the cans came in from the 

 manufacturer. These cases hold one dozen, 

 and I sell them to the grocers at ^2.40 per 

 dozen in small lots, and give a discount on 

 large orders. At >;2.40 per dozen the honey 

 nets the producer nearly or quite 10c. if the 

 cans were bought right. 



In conclusion I would say. prodnce a fancy 

 article, put it on the market in a neat, tasty 

 package, so that it will be taking to the eye; 

 then push it, advertise it, let people know 

 you have honey to sell, impress them that 

 your honey is fine — that they can depend 



