Publisht Weekly at 118 Michigan St. 



George W. York, Editor. 



tl.OO a Year— Sample Copy Free. 



38th Year. 



CHICAGO, ILL., SEPTEMBER 8, 1898. 



No. 36. 



No. 6.— The A B C of Marketing Honey. 



[Continued from page 549.1 



While we were In Toledo we took occasion to run out to 

 see Dr. A. B. Mason, well known to all bee-keepers. I had 

 some misgivings lest the genial Doctor would think I was in- 

 truding upon his " preserves," but he assured me that my sys- 

 tematic drumming up of the honey consumers of Toledo 

 would inure to his benefit, for I would, no doubt, get many 

 people to using honey who never had before, and when I was 

 gone they would come to him for further supply. 



I think in general the producers of honey need feel no 

 jealousy of each other for the " harvest [of buyers] is great 

 and the laborers are few," speaking generally. 



In almost any part of the country you will dnd unoccupied 

 territory, if you look for It, and where your work will bring a 

 good return. 



If by chance two or more of you are occupying ground so 

 near that your interests seem to conflict, get together and 

 agree upon your shares of the territory, and also on prices 

 alike as nearly as possible. 



In case you are unable to agree, never try to injure a com- 

 petitor, but compete in an honorable manner, charging fair 

 prices, and giving better stuff than any one else, if possible. 



Never slander your rivals in business, and a good business 

 man has said, '* Don't advertise them In any way." If you cut 

 prices or abuse your competitors, you will injure yourself 

 more than them. 



There is an advantage you will find in working the large 

 towns in your locality more closely than the small ones. You 

 can generally get more per pound for your honey, and can 

 deliver larger amounts at a time with less travel. Also, you 

 will be more likely to find in large towns and small cities 

 wholesale dealers in everything you may need in glass or tin 

 ware, and they will usually give you the same low prices 

 they give to grocers and tradesmen. You will need to intro- 

 duce yourself, and explain that you are buying to sell again, 

 and as a rule you will have no trouble In getting almost the 

 lowest wholesale prices on everything. This matter of buying 

 such things as you need as cheap as possible is very important. 



In the cities the great stores pay large salaries to their 

 buyers, and can well afford to do so, for a good buyer can save 

 several times his pay In a single year. 



If possible buy 100 or more at a time, of any article you 

 may need, as by so doing you are more likely to get a low 

 price. Business men and dealers don't always tell the truth 

 about articles they sell, but you can call upon different dealers 

 in the same line, and you will very soon find out the facts in 

 any case where you are interested. 



After several months of pretty thorough work In Toledo, 

 we began to feel as if pastures new might pay better for a 

 time. So trips were made to Zanesville, Columbus, Canton, 

 Akron, Massillon, Cleveland, and later on Ft. Wayne, Lafay- 



ette, Logansport, Indianapolis, in Indiana. I believe In Ft. 

 Wayne was the only place that I was requested to pay a 

 license. You will remember our method of selling honey 

 could not be correctly described as peddling, but selling by 

 sample for future delivery, usually called soliciting. Under 

 the laws of most of the States those who sell by sample are ex- 

 empt from license charges, but Ft. Wayne was a law unto 

 itself in this case, I believe. 



The best course in such cases is to pay the license. You 

 cannot afford to spend your time and money contesting their 

 right to tax you ; and you can rest assured that no great time 

 will pass before some one with plenty of money and fighting 

 qualities will test such a law if there is an opportunity to do so. 



Right here it may occur to you to ask, " What shall I do 

 about adulterated honey found In retail grocery stores ?" If 

 your own good only is in view — I mean your own selfish in- 

 terest — I say, do nothing ; for the more poor stuff the grocers 

 sell under the name of honey, the better your trade will be, 

 and the more sure you are of lastiug success. 



I think three-fourths of my trade has been from people 

 who were afraid of buying impure honey from the store. 



You may ask, "What is best for the producers of honey 

 as a class in regard to this matter of selling impure honey by 

 the dealers ?" My judgment is that if it were possible to sup- 



Heriiuiti F. Muurc. 



ply all honey for use on the table directly from the producer 

 to the consumer, that there seems no doubt but that the adul- 

 teration of honey must cease entirely. There seems no doubt 

 but the poor quality of store honey as a rule works directly 

 Into your hands as producers, if you sell your crop to the 

 family trade alone. 



In your travels selling honey It will be a constant surprise 

 to you how much you have to learn. When you start out 

 your bump of self-esteem may be quite well developt, but the 

 longer you deal with the great public the more modest you 

 will become if you are the right sort. In fact, you will find 

 that a teachable disposition and a willing mind are necessary 

 to success in this as in many other undertakings. If on 

 searching yourself you are unable to find these qualities, there 



