Vol. XII. 



MAY 1, 1884. 



No. 9. 



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NOTES FROITI THE BANNER APIARY. 



KO. 54. 



SELLING HONEY. 



fjjHE one who teaches bee-keepers how to sell 

 their honey at remunerative prices, performs 

 ' fully as important a service as he who teaches 

 them how to secure large crops. I know that the 

 subject has been worn threadbare; but I do think 

 that bee-keepers neglect that best of markets, the 

 home market; or, if they do attempt its develop- 

 ment, they go at it in a "halfhearted "manner. Aft- 

 er having induced some grocer to buy their honey, 

 or to sell it on commission, many bee-keepers seem 

 to think that their regponsibility is at an end; if 

 they have effected a sale, their thoughts are apt to 

 flow something like this: 



"There! that is off mjj hands, and I have my pay 

 for it; I don't know what success he will have in 

 selling it, but that is his lookout, not mine." 



Never was there made a greater mistake. Busi- 

 ness transactions are seldom long continued be- 

 tween two parties, unless there is satisfaction at 

 both ends; and I tell you that these grocers who 

 have never handled much honey need some looking 

 after, or there will be some dissatisfaction. Let me 

 illustrate. I once left four dozen pint and quart 

 pails of honey with a grocer, to be sold on commis- 

 sion. The pails were bright and shining, and the 

 labels neat and clean. When I called, two weeks 

 later, about one-third of the honey had been sold, 

 and every thing appeafed to be passing otf satisfac- 

 torily. A month passed, and I called again. Not 

 geeing the honey, I said: 



" Why, is that honey all sold?" 



"No," was the reply; "it doesn't seem to iell so 

 well as it did." 



Just then my eye caught sight of it; the pails were 

 stacked up on the floor, at one end of the counter. 

 Each time when the floor had been sprinkled, pre- 

 paratory to sweeping, a fewdrops of water had been 

 accidentally thrown upon the pails, the dust had 

 been allowed to accumulate upon them, and I didn't 

 wonder that " honey didn't sell as well as it did." 



Now, had I "spoken my mind," [ should have said, 

 " My dear sir, have you kept grocery as long as you 

 have, and not yet learned that goods must be kept 

 neat, clean, and attractive if you expect to sell? Or 

 is it because the goods are not yours that you treat 

 them as you do?" But I have learned that it is best 

 not to find fault in such cases, so I simply said: 



"These labels arc becoming soiled; when I come 

 again, I think I had better bring some new ones, 

 and re-label them." 



He looked at the pails musingly, and finally said: 

 "They do look a little soiled, that's so; we were 

 crowded for room, and I didn't know where else to 

 put them." 



The ne.Yt week I called with the new labels, and 

 asked for a damp cloth with which to clean off tho 

 dust, and a clerk was directed to get a dish of water 

 and a cloth, and to help mc. While the clerk washed 

 up the pails, and I stuck on the new labels, wo had 

 quite a chat; and I improved the opportunity by 

 giving him the best instructions that I could in re- 

 gard to tho care and sale of honey. When tho work 

 was flnished, and the pails neatly arranged on a 

 shelf near the door, the proprietor came forward 

 and said: 



