1U 



GLEANINGS IK BEE CULTURE. 



Feb. 



a good many ways. Little annoyances of which 

 you can hardly complain may make every visit to 

 be dreaded; whereas, with the right people, and 

 the right behavior onyour part, every visit will be 

 anticipated with pleasure on both sides. 



You may happen on a location otherwise suitable, 

 only that it may be used as a pasture for farm 

 stock, as many orchards are. Beyond the occasion- 

 al displacing of a hive, 1 never knew any harm to 

 come from this; and E.France says, " All five of 

 our out-apiaries are used by owners of the land for 

 pasture for farm stock, horses, cattle, pigs, sheep, 

 etc., including poultry." 



Marengo, 111. C. C. Miller. 



Friend M., may I suggest the importance 

 of being " nice people " yourself ? and, in 

 fact, I do not believe that anybody ought to 

 think of starting out-apiaries unless they 

 are of the class that " thinketh no evil," 

 " suffer long," etc. 



HOW TO SELL HONEY, AND HOW TO 

 MAKE MONEY. 



VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS TO PRODUCERS. 



N my last letter to Gleanings I promised to 

 write an article on the above subject. What I 

 shall say at this time will refer to making sales 

 direct to consumers. As I have succeeded so 

 well in this, it may be due me to say that, 

 whatever I may write on this subject, can not but 

 be an advantage to many. 



Here, we are not often blessed with good crops of 

 honey; but even in seasons of bountiful yields, 

 when choice comb honey is offered at 12% cts. per 

 lb., and 11 lbs. of finest extracted given for $1.00, 1 

 never had to sell my honey at such low figures. 



When seasons do occur where large crops of sur- 

 plus have been secured, it is bad policy to force it 

 all on the market the same year at unpaying prices, 

 as it is altogether probable that the crop will be a 

 light one the succeeding year. It is true, that comb 

 honey looks its best when new, and should find a 

 market at the earliest opportunity ; but extract- 

 ed honey, when properly cared for, will keep per- 

 fectly for years. If the price will not justify this 

 year, it is sure to do so another. Here let us score 

 one more point in favor of extracted honey; and so 

 long as I can sell it at the same price I can get for 

 honey in the comb, I'll keep on scoring points in its 

 favor. I shall produce but little more comb honey; 

 and as my purchases of honey in this shape 

 generally result in loss from breakage by careless 

 handling of the transportation companies, I have 

 decided to have no more shipped to me at my own 

 risk. 



It may be urged, that it requires more time and 

 greater effort to sell liquid honey. I think not; but 

 even if this is true, it is a good thing. I can make 

 twice the money producing it, or on that which I 

 purchase, that I can on comb honey. The majority 

 of those who make a specialty of producing honey 

 have ample time to devote to making sales of their 

 honey during the fall and winters, which time they 

 would be glad to have profitably employed. Why, 

 this unoccupied time is the chief trouble to many 

 of the craft; then why not employ profitably to 

 ourselves this time in selling our product at pay- 

 ing prices, direct to consumers, rather than suffer 

 that which justly belongs to us to go into the hands 



of speculators who may not— often do not— pay the 

 shipper any thing? I have strong suspicions- 

 judging from a complaiut that was made recently 

 in one of our bee-journals -that several barrels of 

 honey which I bought of a certain commission 

 dealer was obtained from a bee-keeper who receiv- 

 ed no pay for his honey. 



Having secured a crop of honey, remuneration 

 for toil depends entirely on the price the apiarist 

 obtains from it. To those who have hitherto sold 

 their honey at prices which have failed to satisfy 

 you, I will now offer a few hints on " how to sell 

 honey." 



The great crop of honey obtained in 1886 filled 

 this country to overflowing, and the bottom fell 

 clear out of prices, as you all know. Well, I got 

 out all right, and made money. I started a peddling 

 wagon, driving through the country, selling to 

 farmers and villagers, and my honey was all gone 

 at good prices, almost before I was aware of it. 

 This season I had no surplus, but have bought tons 

 and tons of it at low enough figures, from dealers 

 to whom some good bee-keepers had sent it for a 

 " big price." Some changes have been made in my 

 tactics this season; and as they have pleased me, I 

 will give them to the reader. I have two sons, 

 aged 17 and 19 respectively. These young fellows 

 have learned how to sell honey too. Provided with 

 order-books and samples of honey in small glass 

 jars, they are ready to solicit orders in any town or 

 city. Taking streets in regular order, every family 

 is offered an opportunity to buy. Usually a few 

 names of the first families of the town are secured, 

 which serve well as leaders. 



It is surprising, when these names are shown, 

 how readily others fall in line with their orders. 

 When a town is to be worked for the first time, the 

 boys will say, " Papa, you had better tackle that 

 place, as you can work the racket on 'em better 

 than we can." 



To become an expert in the art of selling liquid 

 honey, tact, as well as experience, plays an impor- 

 tant part. One must not talk as a drummer fresh 

 from a commercial house would, but just as a 

 farmer having a little honey to sell. Success in 

 making sales depends largely on the manner of 

 presenting the case. As a help, I will give an ex- 

 ample. 



Should the lady of the house answer our call, we 

 would, with some dignity and a pleasantness of 

 manner, bid her the time of day. At once the im- 

 pression is made that a gentleman, not a tramp, is 

 present, and an invitation is given to "come in." 

 This is what we want, as it gives us an opportunity 

 to become somewhat acquainted with our custom- 

 er; and then we can give the baby and all a taste of 

 honey, which is sure to get the children to say, 

 " Mamma, do buy some, it's so nice." At this j unc- 

 ture we say, "Oh, yes! you see" (exhibiting the 

 long list of names on the order-book) " nearly all 

 the folks in town are giving me orders." This will 

 generally " bring down the house; " but if the case 

 requires more talking, we fill in the chinks by ex- 

 plaining the medicinal qualities of honey— how 

 good it is for colds, coughs, often saving doctors' 

 bills, etc. If this doesn't do the work, you'd better 

 waste no more time. We never take orders for less 

 than one dollar's worth, as we find it doesn't pay. 



When orders for a few thousand pounds have 

 been taken, we begin at the starting-point to deliv- 

 er: If roads are good, and distance not too great, 



