1909 GLEANPNGS IN BEE CULTURE. 15 



AS THE ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT SEES IT 



While it isn't always pleasant to be told that our efforts in behalf of advertisers are 

 in vain, and that our paper is away below par when results are checked, it is sometimes 

 possible to remedy the difficulty, and turn defeat into triumph, if we know just what 

 the trouble is. It isn't always, however, that an advertiser who has been especially 

 pleased with results will take the trouble to tell us so, alihough in many cases the in- 

 formation would be invaluable to the publisher. We are always glad to hear of good 

 results, even from our smallest advertiser. For instance, just a day or two ago a sub- 

 scriber from West Virginia, who had a two-line advertisement of second-hand hives in 

 the classified colomns wrote us an enthusiastic report of 25 inquiries received, and a good 

 sale made. We presume this advertiser may have had these hives for some time, and 

 not considered them much of an asset, as he had no need for them, although as a mat- 

 ter of fact they were really good hives. The expenditure for advertising them was very 

 small, say fifty cents, and he probably realized $lo or $20 from the sale. Advertising 

 was wonh while in his case, wasn't it.? Such information as this gives us a greater con- 

 fidence in our powers and enables us to solicit new business with assurance. 



Oar recent effort to purge our advertising columns of undesirable copy, and justify 

 ourselves in the face of our subscribers, came very near breaking the ties of old friend- 

 ship, in one instance at least. One of our good friends, an old subscriber and adver- 

 tiser, for some unaccountable reason felt that the remarks in our last issue were direct- 

 ed to his copy, and naturally thought that we were altogether too severe. Now, as a 

 matter of fact, we were not referring to any current advertising, nor is it our purpose 

 to tread on any one's toes unnecessarily. In the course of the year we are obliged to 

 refuse some very attractive contracts, simply because we do not consider the copy suit- 

 able for Gleanings, and we simply explained this position to subscribers that they 

 might understand our effort in this line and have greater confidence in the advertising 

 we do carry. There are cases of mistakes and misunderstandings between advertisers 

 and subscribers, and usually these may be adjusted by a little explanation, but sub- 

 scribers may deal with any advertiser occupying space in Gleanings, with confidence 

 that they will get a "square deal " every time. 



Even in these days of quick transportation and accessibility of commercial centers, it 

 isn't always possible for the busy housewife to make frequent trips to the city to shop. 

 To such the advertising columns of our magazines are a veritable storehouse of knowl- 

 edge. With a few magazines in hand she may examine the best that the shops have to 

 offer. P'rom catalogs and descriptive matter, sent for the asking, she may purchase the 

 latest in wearing apparel and house furnishings. It is wonderful, too, what an educa- 

 tive power advertisements have. There are now so many devices for lessening house- 

 hold labor that machinery may be made to do a great deal of the harder tasks, and at a 

 saving of time and expense. If it were not for modern advertising, many of us would 

 be entirely ignorant of the progress made in this direction, and would never know the 

 immense benefit to be derived from the purchase of some of these devices. It is no 

 longer necessary for housework to make such a slave of a woman that she has no time 

 for other things. She will be a more companionable wife and mother if she has a little 

 leisure for development along other lines, and has a little time each day for something 

 outside of the mere routire of household tasks. 



