1904 



GLEANINGS IN RF.E CULTIRR. 



697 



the bees. There is an offer of one thousand 

 dollars at Medina, Ohio, to any man who 

 will produce one pound of artificial comb 

 honey. The offer has been open for 3'ears, 

 and never taken, because it can not be 

 done. ' ' 



When I started in on the extracted honey, 

 that was almost another thing. They were 

 sure that was adulterated. 



I had some trouble to find a jar to suit 

 me all right. I first tried Mason quarts, 

 but they were too heavy. Then I tried the 

 pints; but they did not suit. I finally 

 found a clear-glass jar, made by the Fed- 

 eral Glass Co., with a screw cap, costing 

 30 cts. per dozen, which I could sell for 25 

 cts., which seems to suit all around. This 

 company sells only in carload lots; but they 

 let me have what 1 wanted, and I have 

 come to the conclusion that the best way to 

 get what 3'ou want is never to want what 

 3 ou can't get. 



The first thing I did was to give a jar to 

 the State C/iemist, which he analysed and 

 made a record cf. 



For a label I had the words 

 "Honey, Frank McGlade, Pataskala,0.," 

 printed on white paper. It looks nice and 

 clean. Then I went at it again. They 

 would ask why I had it in that shape. 

 Then I would explain the cost of comb, that 

 certain conditions prevailed in an apiary 

 during a honey-flow that made it profitable 

 to extract it. One asked, " How did you 

 ret the comb out of this honey? " I replied, 

 " We don't take the comb out of the honey, 

 but take the honey out of the comb by cen- 

 trifugal force, and return the combs to the 

 hives to be refilled by the bees." 



I worked at it all winter in the stores and 

 offices. It was too cold to make a house-to- 

 house canvass, but I could go into one of 

 those large buildings and work for hours, 

 ;ind be comfortable. I met the smartest 

 men in the cit3', and was always treated 

 courteously. I wrapped each jar in clean 

 paper, and folded the ends neatly, as I had 

 seen druggists do. The average business 

 man dislikes to be seen carrying a pack- 

 age; but most of them will do it if it is in a 

 neat shape. I dressed neatl3', which at- 

 tracted attention, and gave me audience 

 many times. Sometimes I would enter an 

 < ftice, and, softly approaching the nearest 

 man, would say, " Did 3 ou say you wanted 

 some pure white-clover honey? " 



He would look around, and I would watch 

 his face to see him; thinking if he had told 

 any one he did he would finally get togeth- 

 er with "No, I didn't." Then 1 would go 

 to work. 



Another time I would enter an office in 

 which a dczen or more would be working, 

 and begin talking in a low voice, until 

 finally some one would look around and 

 say, " What have 3'ou got? " Then I would 

 say out loud, "Honey! the sweetest thing 

 in the world — except my wife." That 

 would cause the girls to smile, and take a 

 second look at me, and — buy some honey. 



In an architect's office where half a doz- 



en men were bending over their work, too 

 busy to look at me, I watched them a few 

 minutes, when I said, "Gentlemen, straight- 

 en up: take a long breath and a moment's 

 rest while I show you a structure that, for 

 architectural design and econom3' of space, 

 the builders have never been excelled." Of 

 course they listened to me and bought some 

 honey. 



One thing I heard so much it got to be 

 old, was, " Don't you feed the bees glucose 

 and such things, and then sell it for hon- 

 ey?" which always brought forth a snap- 

 py "No, sirl " Some would insist it was 

 done, when I would challenge them for the 

 proof; and if they weie too insinuating I 

 would den3' it, for the simple reason that 

 those who could do such a thing wouldnH; 

 and those who would, canH. Then I would 

 explain the process of feeding bees, show- 

 ing them why and what we fed for; that a 

 bee-keeper's professional pride led him to 

 produce pure honey rather than the accu- 

 mulation of money in a fraudulent way ; that 

 they were " honest," " and," as Bro. Gar- 

 dener, of the Limekiln Club said, "conse- 

 quently very poor." 



Another question I was often a-ked, 

 " Did you make this honey? " I would ans- 

 wer, " No, sir; the Lord made it, and made 

 the bees to gather it, and gave me sense 

 enough to get it. How many jars did 30U 

 say you wanted? " 



I learned some things as I went along. 

 One was, the lack of knowledge of bees and 

 honey. I met only two persons who had 

 read a work on bee-keeping, and they had 

 read "Maeterlinck." 



I am convinced that honey is not a com 

 mercial article, such as sugar, beans, and 

 corn, but is a specialty requiring different 

 methods for its sale. It is more of a luxu- 

 ry which would be indulged in more if men 

 were sure it was pure honej'. Whenever I 

 could sell a jar to a man my labors were 

 over, as he would usually greet me the next 

 time with " Say, bring me another jar of 

 that honev," and nearly every mail brings 

 requests for it. One postal lies before me, 

 received to day, asking for 6 jars. I sold 

 hundreds of pounds, and collected every 

 cent. Some paid in advance. The Hart- 

 man Sanitarium took 40 lbs. ; a hotel 50 lbs. 

 Barbers bought more liberally than any 

 other trade. 



A traveling salesman overheard me talk- 

 ing in a piano store. He bought 6 jars, 

 which I put up in a box and shipped to him 

 to his home in New York city. Another 

 had 4 jars sent to his home in Pittsburg, 

 and so I might go on, but this is enough. 



I should like to say something about com- 

 mission men, but hardly know how to say 

 it. All winter I had my e3'e on the honey 

 displayed by them. It was all comb. If 

 there was any extracted I failed to see it. 

 I have come to this conclusioa: I would 

 rather have my honey at home than to have 

 it there. I believe I could take better care 

 of it, sell it quicker, and get more for it. 

 Commission men do not create a dem nd — 



