48 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Jan. lo 



centage in profits of big and small dealers. 

 Taken all in all, the Pollock suggestion 

 seems in principle to be a good one; and, if 

 properly carried out, might go far in settling 

 the vexing question of the j^rice of honey. 

 Franklin, Tenn. 



OPPORTUNITIES IN PEDDLING HONEY. 



BY THOMAS P. HALLOCK. 



[While the author of this article, who is the Ad- 

 vertising Man for Gleani>'GS. has always been in 

 the ranks of the consumers rather than of the pro- 

 ducers of honey, his enthusiasm over the possibili- 

 ties of honey-peddling for bee-keepers who have the 

 time and inclination to follow this practice is to be 

 excused in the face of a knowledge of facts. Mr. 

 Ilallock is an experienced salesman, and has gained 

 a wide acquaintance with practical bee-keepers 

 through his connection with the publishers of this 

 journal. — Ed.] 



One of the most sensible suggestions on 

 how to create a larger and more appreciative 

 market for honey which I have ever read or 

 heard is contained in a leaflet distributed by 

 the publishers of (tleanings in Bee Cul- 

 ture, entitled "Peddling Honey." Doubt- 

 less many of the readers of Gleanings 

 have read this little story by Dan White, a 

 plain, practical farmer who built up a valu- 

 able honey-business; but for the benefit of 

 all I want to repeat the following, which 

 embodies the best of his several suggestions: 



1 got into the town just before dinner time: and 

 after eating a good meal at a boarding-house I filled 

 my pockets with the Root honey leaflets and took 

 one honey-can and commenced business. I started 

 down a street and called at every house. After 

 ringing the bell, or rapping, a lady would open the 

 door and look at me with more or less suspicion. I 

 would say, " I made the call to ask you if your fam- 

 ily were fond of honey." 



They would generally answer yes, but believed 

 they would not buy any. 



"Well.'" I would answer, "but I am not selling 

 honey to-day. I am giving it away, and should be 

 glad to give you some in a sauce-dish." 



Some would look astonished; others would smile 

 and say. "That's funny," but iwerery instance I was 

 invited in. I would pour out the honey, then hand 

 out a leaflet, telling them to read every word of it. 

 " You will tind it very interesting; it will tell you 

 all about honey — how and why we extract it, etc. 

 Then here is a postal addressed to me; and should 

 you decide to want a 12-pound can. put your name, 

 street, and number, on the card, drop it in the of- 

 fice; and when I deliver in about ten days you will 

 get a can of honey." 



Well, there were enough cards put in the mail 

 within five days to take thirty cans of honey. I 

 promptly made the delivery on time, taking along 

 twenty extra cans that sold about as fast as 1 could 

 hand them out; and since then I have received or- 

 ders for 50 more cans from the same town. 



There, Mr. Beekeeper, is a plan for build- 

 ing up a honey business, and a thoroughly 

 good and practical plan it is. 



If I were going into the business of pro- 

 ducing honey I believe I should endeavor to 

 be both the honey-producer and the middle- 

 man. I would sell my honey, in so far as I 

 possibly could, on the " Hive-to-Home" 

 plan, and I would cultivate a substantial 

 class of patronage too, and get the top prices 

 for my first-class product. 



One way I believe I should try, if you are 

 interested to know, is this: I would get a 

 first-class, down-to-date wagon of the milk- 

 wagon type — easy to get in and out — well 



pain led and nicely arranged for carrying my 

 comb and extracted honey in good condi- 

 tion, and with my name and address paint- 

 ed on either side and on the back of the 

 wagon. Then I would start out to build a 

 busines-^ on practically the same lines as 

 suggested by our friend White. 



^lay be it would be a good plan sometimes 

 to carry a small observation hive with me 

 in the wagon at the start, until my custom- 

 ers come to appreciate the connection be- 

 tween my honey and real bees. I would 

 want them to trust me — to feel that I was 

 Felling them the purest honey bees can 

 make, and to save their honey orders for 

 me. I would have labeled packages and 

 jars, and a leaflet telling a brief story of my 

 apiary, showing a picture of it, and contain- 

 ing several honey recipes as well. I believe 

 that, by following such plans, and watching 

 conditions, and persevering, I could estab- 

 lish a honey route which would bring a con- 

 siderable revenue to me — more, without 

 question, than I could expect to derive from 

 the sale of my honey through any easier 

 method. 



Other opportunities — some of them of 

 broader scope — are suggested in this plan. 

 In the large cities an experienced bee-keep- 

 er who knows honey and has some capital 

 to start could maintain several honey-routes 

 and supplement the sale of honey produced 

 in his own a])iary with that obtained from 

 other bee-keepers in the same and (iistant 

 communities. This could be done at a good 

 proHt; and that the plan is entirely feasible 

 none will deny after comparing the prospec- 

 tive profits with those to be made on the 

 distribution of milk peddled in large cities 

 by hundreds of independent milkmen as 

 well as by the dairy companies. 



THE EASTERN NEW YORK BEE-KEEPERS' 

 ASSOCIATION. 



BY STEPHEN DAVENPORT, SEC. 



The third annual convention of the East- 

 ern New York Bee-keepers' Association was 

 held Dec. 8, at Albany. President ^V. D. 

 Wright occupied the chair. 



Owing to the recent National convention 

 at Albany the attendance was not as large 

 as otherwise would be expected. Many w^ho 

 are usually present, and who attended the 

 National convention, were absent at this 

 time; and yet there was a larger attendance 

 than at the last annual convention. 



The secretary's report showed an enroll- 

 ment of U5 bee-keeiDers as members, 34 of 

 whom had joined during the year. 



The treasurer's report showed a favorable 

 condition of the treasury, with a handsome 

 balance on hand. 



On motion of C. B. Loomis, of Albany, 

 the secretary was directed to address a com- 

 munication to Colliers^ Weekly to refute j 

 the canard concerning artificial comb hon- 

 ey- 



W. D. Wright, of Altamont, as president; 



