446 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



the case. You could see the prints on the 

 section of this same case. Another ease 

 showed marks left by the broom as it had 

 swept along the floor. At one side there 

 was a basket of potatoes ; on the other side, 

 half a barrel of pickeled tripe. Both up- 

 per-tier cases were open, and about half 

 full of sections, some of which were lying- 

 flat, some edgewise, some crosswise, more 

 like potatoes in a basket than honey. Many 

 Oil the sectioTiS sliowed thumb and finger 

 -marks, and were badly stained. This, mind 

 ycyn, was what was considered to be a 

 "swell" grocery — in fact, the best store of 

 the kind that I visited that season. 



Then, again, I have stepped into a gro- 

 cery where the farmers were bringing in 

 comb honey in supers. The merchant would 

 lake it and set it on the counter just as they 

 left it. It was evident that no separators 

 or starters had been used, and sometimes 

 the honey was in old sections, which weie 

 then second-hand. The honey bulged in all 

 kinds of shapes, and such a mess as the 

 clerks and merchants would make in getting 

 it out ! I place the blame on the merchant 

 for accepting honey in that sliape. Is it 

 any wonder that honey has to lake a back 

 s^at, and does not move off in the local mar- 

 ket as do other goods? 



There is one thing I can not understand : 

 Why merchants who have made grocery- 

 keeping a business, and take pride in keep- 

 ing other goods neat and attractive, should 

 give honey such a black eye. They would 

 not dare to treat butter or other commod- 

 ities that way or they would soon lose their 

 butter trade. 



It is surprising to know how little people 

 in general know about the bee and the way 

 in whicii honey is made. What a field there 

 is to labor in ! I am doing what I can to 

 educate people as I have opportunity, and 

 most of them seem to appreciate it. I think 

 this matter should be bi-oright before the 

 merchants in some way, either tlu-ough the 

 columns of the newspaper or through little 

 pamphlets which will interest them until 

 they will take. at least the same interest in 

 honey that they do in other lines of goods. 



Chariton, Iowa. 



ADVERTISING UNTIL THE CUSTOMERS COME 

 TO THE HOUSE 



BY GEO. SHIBER 



On p. 632, Oct. 1, 1912, I find a very 

 readable article by Mr. C. W. Powell on 

 organization by beekeepers for the purpose 

 of better disposing of honey. I have no 

 doubt that organization is a good thing; 



but I am sorry to see him bolster up his 

 argument by saying, " A rocking-chair for 

 which 3^ou pay the dealer $5.00 costs him 

 $1..50;" and "carpets selling at retail for 

 ■ fifty per cent profit." That would be too 

 far " up in the air," for the Eastern States 

 at least. 



Now let us consider for a moment the 

 question of the best way of disposing of a 

 crop of honey. Mine is all extracted. There 

 are two or three thing's that are very nec- 

 essai-y for selling direct to the consumer. 

 I am not going to say any tiring about put- 

 ting it up in 60-lb. cans and bringing to a 

 honey-buyer. That's easy, but it doesn't 

 bring as much cash. 



The first imi:>ortant thing is to have your 

 l^roduct fancy, all sealed. 



Second, put it up in packages of about 

 ten or twelve pounds, and some sixty- 

 pound cans. Draw it off in these packages, 

 just as fast as you throw it from the combs. 

 Have the honey-tank emptied every night. 

 The sooner you can seal uj) honey air-tight 

 after the combs are taken from the bees, 

 the better. This is one thing I feel that I 

 I'tioiv about beekeei^ing. 



The next thing, let people know you have 

 it for sale. The cheapest way I have found 

 is a reading notice in the town paper like 

 this, run very week until the crop is sold : 



Honey. — I could till this paper with letters and 

 words of praise I have received in regard to its 

 quality. I have it in gallon tin cans and five-gallon 

 tin cans. Shiber's Apiary. 



Canvassing? I never canvassed a minute 

 in my life — people come after it. 



Perhaps you may think a little may be 

 sold tliis way, but not a crop that goes up 

 into the tons. Well, year before last was a 

 very poor one, and nearly 4000 lbs. was 

 sold before Thanksgiving. Last year, with 

 a crop of 8000 lbs., it was nearly half sold 

 by Oct. 1. We sell gallon cans at $1.45; 

 two-quart glass jars at 85 cts. ; one-quart 

 glass jars at 45 cts. At those prices it is a 

 cheap food. Why, last year one man bought 

 four one-gallon cans, and after New Year's 

 day he was asking for another can, but it 

 was gone. 



MERE PUBLICITY OF NO AVAIL. 



I want to say that the reason why it is 

 hard to sell honey from one's home direct 

 to the consumer is because very few people 

 know he has it for sale. Oh, yes ! I know 

 the local a^^iarist has the reputation of 

 being a beeman, and Avhenever he gets into 

 a crowd or goes into a store the hangers-on 

 usually try to start some bee-yarn about a 

 bee-tree that " Abe Baldwin cut once," and 

 how the speaker " didn't get stung once," 

 etc.; or to have the reputation of "going 

 0-:t to hive a swarm of bees without any 



Cnntiriiii'd on faye 463. 



