GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Conversations Avith Doolittle 



At Borodino, New York. 



THE APIARIST HONEY PEDDLER. 



" I have more extracted honey than I 

 shall use this winter; and as the bees have 

 an abundant supply I should like to dispose 

 of it. Do you tliink that it would pay me 

 to go out into the suiTounding country and 

 villages peddling this honey?" 



In 1869, when I first commenced to keep 

 bees, the demand for honey was in excess of 

 the supply, and even strained honey sold 

 readily at high prices. But with the seven- 

 ties came movable frames quite generally, 

 then the honey-extractor, comb foundation, 

 etc. Bee journals multiplied, and through 

 these things the industry was given such a 

 boom that large quantities of honey were 

 produced, and prices began to tumble till 

 the disposal of honey became a more serious 

 problem than the question of production. 

 A little later on, the tide changed from 

 comb-honey production to extracted, as the 

 extracted readily brought fifteen, eighteen, 

 and in some instances twenty cents, when 

 shipped in barrels holding 500 lbs. Up to 

 this time all comb honey was shipped by 

 express, and the high rates and numerous 

 breakages laid heavily on the minds of the 

 producers. Hence, the cheaper freight rates 

 with no danger from breakage revolution- 

 ized matters, and much more extracted 

 honey was produced than comb. Then arose 

 the question asked by our correspondent, 

 and many beekeepers went out into the 

 " lanes and byways " selling honey from 

 house to house at a lower price than was 

 realized in the early seventies in 500-pound 

 packages delivered at the railroad station. 

 I was never given to peddling; in fact, I 

 hated such a thing, but the taxes had to be 

 paid and the family supported, so I was 

 driven to that wliich it seemed to me I was 

 never fitted for. And, strange as it may 

 appear, I found that I could sell an average 

 of 100 pounds a day in any good farming 

 community, while in villages I could do even 

 better. 



First in importance is having good thor- 

 oughly ripened Iwney, no matter whether it 

 is clover, basswood, or buclrwheat. The 

 latter should sell at about three cents less 

 per pound than the white honey. When 

 ready, take a sample in one of the five-gal- 

 lon cans, and a half -gallon Dover measure. 

 This measure has a funnel attachment so 

 that as little or as much may be poured out 

 as desired without the dripping or smearing 

 of tilings generally, as is the case with dip- 

 pers and such like, generally used for sam- 



pling honey. If the honey is granulated it 

 should be liquefied; and if the weather is 

 cold one of the numerous heaters should be 

 taken along so that the honey in the measure 

 can be kept warm enough to pour readily. 



There are two ways of finding buyers. 

 The way I used, and the preferable one, 

 where time is not too limited, is, with 

 measure half or two-thirds full, to call at 

 every house — do not skip one; and when 

 the door is opened, say to the one opening 

 it, " I have some very nice honey ; and if 

 you will bring me a sauce-dish I should like 

 to leave a little sample of it for a taste for 

 you and the children," putting the emphasis 

 on the children, if you see any, for a child's 

 t.aste for honey is a better advertisement for 

 you than a hundred printed advertisements. 

 When the sauce-dish is brought, pour in till 

 it is two-thirds full, and leave a printed 

 slip, telling that you will be around with 

 honey like the sample in two or three days. 

 Give the price per pound, making the price 

 one cent a pound less where one or more 

 dollars' worth is taken. 



The second day, if the weather is favor- 

 able, load on your honey-extractor can, 

 filled with honey, and fill all orders, even to 

 as little as one pound ; for a small sale often 

 paves the way for a larger one, leading to 

 a steady customer for years to come. It 

 always pays to be accommodating and oblig- 

 ing. Do not annoy people by urging them 

 to buy when they do not want to, and be 

 invariably polite and pleasant, no matter 

 whether they buy or not. In this way 

 friends can be easily made who will be glad 

 to see you come again. Follow the same 

 route each year, and your sales will increase 

 each time, especially if you keep your honey 

 up to the same standard of perfection. 



If a wet poor year comes when the honev 

 is not so well ripened, or gets mixed in with 

 other honeys owing to the slowness of the 

 gathering, explain the matter, and put the 

 price accordingly. It is the most satisfac- 

 tory to let the purchaser furnish the dish, 

 then there is no package to pay for or be 

 returned. However, it is well to have a few 

 filled five-pound pails with you to meet any 

 demand that may be made for such. 



The second plan is to take the big can of 

 honey right along with you, and upon enter- 

 ing each house let whoever meets you sam- 

 ple the honey, and then sell at the same call ; 

 but if you have the time the former plan 

 will give much the better results. 



