1884 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



769 



opened in the shops without the knowledge of the 

 customer. 



THIRD— ADVERTISING. 



Advertising honey by means of lithogram circu- 

 lars is one of the best methods of so doing; next to 

 it might be ranked pointed notices in the local 

 columns of the town paper. Well-dressed cases and 

 stands in retailers' shops is a form of advertising 

 which as a rule pays in proportion to the amount of 

 care and taste expended in getting up the same. 

 Judiciously distributed samples is an excellent 

 method of gaining increase of custom. 



FOURTH— PRICE. 



The apiarist should reserve his lowest prices for 

 his own locality. 



FIFTH— PEDDLING. 



As a method of disposing of a honey croj), i)ed- 

 dling is the most i-apid of any. 



SIXTH— EDUCATION OF PUBLIC. 



It is the very best policy, in seeking to establish a 

 honey trade in a locality, to educate the public by 

 every possible means concerning honej- in its vari- 

 ous forms and uses. Whilst so doing, the facts re- 

 garding the adulteration of table syrups, sugars, 

 confectionery, etc., can be made an important fac- 

 tor in advancing the interests of the trade. 



SEVENTH— FAIRS. 



Local fairs can be made useful in disposing of 

 large quantities of honey, besides gaining future 

 customers. 



These are the points stated in biief : we shall now 

 comment on each in the order which they have 

 been given. 



Honey should be graded, and priced accordingly. 

 Ist, Because honesty demands that an inferior ar- 

 ticle shall not be classed with a better; 2nd, Because 

 it is safe trade-policy for two reasons: 1st. On ac- 

 count of causing the appreciation of a better ar- 

 ticle, with a better price as a consequent; 2nd, On 

 account of the cultivation of the public taste, the 

 trade of the established apiarist is safer from the 

 encroachments of others who do not take the same 

 trouble as himself to supply the demand of the 

 market, hence he has greater control of the trade in 

 his own neighborhood. 



Point 2. Nothing is more likely to inculcate a 

 hearty disgust for the whole business, in the mind 

 of dealers, than consignments of bottles, tumblers, 

 or tins, whose chief mission seems to be to stick 

 themselves and every thing about them; and from 

 their appearance in this condition, nothing is more 

 apt to spoil their chances for sale, in the eyes of the 

 consumer. This state of affairs may be remedied 

 by pasting a strip of tin foil about ia in. wide all 

 around over the crack underneath the stopper, top, 

 or cover. New season's honej', after being thor- 

 oughly ripened, and whilst clear and ungranulated, 

 sells best in white-glass self-sealing fruit-jars; its 

 beautiful appearance in this is very attractive. It is 

 good policy to let the customer know that he is at 

 liberty to return the bottle after using the honej^ 

 therefrom, and the full price of the same will be re- 

 mitted on so doing. Not one in a dozen will take 

 the trouble to do so, and it is a satisfactory arrange- 

 ment for all. 



If the producer desires to gain for himself a good 

 reputation in his business, and the possession of 

 this is of more value to him than money in the 

 bank, he must take an unflinching stand on the 

 matter of quality, purity, and weight of all goods 

 issuing from his apiary. To fulfill the first, let it be 



carefully seen to that no extracted honey leaves • 

 the apiary in any other than a thoroughly ripened 

 condition; and as regards the second and third, let 

 all the honey for retailing purposes be properly 

 weighed by the apiarist into every bottle, tin, or jar, 

 and then after having secured the same from leakr-: : 

 ing by placing the tin-foil strip in position, next- 

 put two strips of good strong colored paper over: 

 the top of the vessel, pasting one across the other; • 

 and bring the ends of the same down over the sidiB?.. 

 so that, when the label is put on, it will cover theih, 

 lower extremities. Now paste a label bearing the 

 following notice on the cover over the part where 

 I the strips cross: 



"We guarantee this honey to be of full weight and 

 purity, so long as this strip remains unbroken." 



The strip may be about fs in. wide. It is practic 

 ally impossible for packages to be tampered with 

 J when thus prepai'ed, and the fact remain undiscov- 

 , ered, and few would have the hardihood to attempt 

 I it. Another value which the striiis have wheii 

 j placed over the cover of ■ tumblers is, that they giv(* 

 additional aid in keeping such as are loose-fitting iii 

 j their place. ' * 



Point 3. Advertising in connection with the hon- 

 ey business can be accomplished in a varietj' of,: 

 ways, but most effectually, in our opinion, -by th^ 

 combination of several, and these may be stated as 

 • follows: 1. By getting up lithogram circular8j:de- , 

 scribing the facts concerning the quantity, quality, . 

 i purity, price, and by whom sold, and mailing one to ■ 

 I the lady of every house within a radius of 7 or 8 

 miles from where the apiary is located. -2. By in"-. 

 serting pointed notices in the local column of thie 

 town paper, changing them as often- as possible.. 

 3. By giving the honey as tempting an appeai'ancfe; 

 as possible in the shops of the consignees. This j 

 may be accomplished by employing some Style-of 

 glass show-case, with stand combined. 4. By send- 

 ing small sample lots to influential persons, such a.s 

 hotel and boarding-house keepers, heads of lai-ge 

 families, editors, etc., with a polite noteaccompanj*- 

 ' ing each, requesting the favor of ti-ial, and stating 

 price, etc. 



Point 4. It is advantageous to the produce!', for 

 several reasons, to sell his honey at as low a flgui-e 

 as possible in his own locality. 1. Because the di- 

 rect tendency of the ability to give a good article at 

 a close price is to keep other specalists out of the 

 ' field where this state of matter exists, for it is evi- 

 dent that no other party would seek to locate in a 

 i neighborhood which was already occupied by an 

 apiarist who ran a sufficiently large apiary to sup- 

 I ply the demand for 6 or 8 miles around, and at bed- 

 1 rock figures in the bargain. But not only has a low 

 price a tendency to keep out opposition, but on ac- 

 count of its comparing favorablj' with that of ordi- 

 nary table syrup, butter, etc., many who would oth- 

 erwise be hindered from using it are able to do sb, 

 whilst such as have begun its use soon look upon it 

 as a sort of necessity which must be rarely absent 

 from the house; hence, a low price serves to make 

 and retain custom. It is a good plan, when dealing 

 with farmers, to make the offer of exchanging hon- 

 ey for readily salable produce, such as butter, eggs, 

 etc. Many would do business in this way when they 

 would not pay out the ready cash. ' 



Point .5. If peddling is not objected to, this is 

 without a doubt the most rapid method of disposing 

 of a honey crop. With his wagon standing at the 

 door, and the influence of the personal presence of 



