18 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



not know how the other half lives." It is 

 equally true that one-half is always inter- 

 ested in knowint; something of the life of 

 the other lialf. You have become so accus- 

 tomed to the every-day sights of your life 

 that they do not strike you as interesting. 

 When I came to turn my attention to the 

 matter I was surprised to find how many 

 things there were that might be of interest 

 to people in other parts of the country, or in 

 the large cities. For instance there is the 

 process of brick making : " From Clay to 

 the Finished Brick," as I would head my ar- 

 ticle. Then there is the manufacture of 

 lumber. The great mills of Saginaw are in- 

 teresting objects to one who has never seen 

 one ill operation. Then there is the i)rocess 

 of salt making, seen by comparatively few 

 people, winch may be seen at Saginaw, in 

 all of its details. Even the matter of clear- 

 ing a field of pine stumps is not without in- 

 terest. I have seen many fields that were 

 almost completely covered with the removed 

 stumps, the great number of octopus-like 

 roots forming a picturesque scene for a pho- 

 tograph. Then I have seen these fields after 

 the roots had been cut from the stumps, and 

 the bodies of the stumps rolled into line, 

 making a fence that is '' horse high " and 

 " bull strong," although it re(iuires consider- 

 able work and ingenuity to make it "hog 

 tight." Before the winter is over I expect 

 to photograph and write up •' fishing througii 

 the ice," describing the catching of min- 

 nows for bait, their preservation alive 

 until wanted, the manner of setting the 

 hooks, etc., etc. I mention these things 

 simply to show whatai)parently trivial things 

 may be of interest to those who have never 

 seen them. When on my way to Canada, 

 next summer, my first stopping place will 

 probably be at Port Huron, where the tun- 

 nel under the St. (^lair river, the engine used 

 to draw the cars through the tunnel, etc., 

 will receive the attention of myself and 

 camera. < )f course, I shall be glad to hear 

 from subscribers in regard to objects of in- 

 terest in their localities. Don't think this or 

 that is not worth mentioning. It may be the 

 very thing that 1 would most desire to see. 



THK MICUIOAN STATE CONVENTION. 



The attendance at the State convention 

 just held in this city was a little better than 

 that of last year at Lansing, ('onsideriug 

 the short time that has elapsed since the 



grand gathering at Chicago, and the " hard 

 times," it is not surprising that the crowd 

 was not a large one. 



SELLING HONEY WITHOUT EMPLOYING COM 

 MISSION MEN. 



For several years Mr. Byron Walker, of 

 Evart, Michigan, has made quite a business 

 of selling honey direct to retailers. He has 

 had sufficient experience to enable him to 

 profitably sell not only his own honey, but to 

 buy and sell honey at a profit. He admits 

 that not every one is adapted to the business 

 of salesman. He had one man in his em- 

 ploy a month without his making a sale. A 

 salesman must be able to convince buyers 

 that his goods are better or cheaper, or both 

 better or cheaper, than can be bought else- 

 where. Grocerymen are usually busy, and 

 it requires tact and patience to talk with 

 them and secure orders. He admitted that 

 some commission men were honest and hon- 

 orable, but his experience with them had 

 been such that he believed that many of 

 them secured 10 or 1.') per cent, instead of 

 the customary .') per cent. He stated that he 

 could usually buy honey cheaper of commis- 

 sion men than of producers. He had tried 

 to buy honey of some man and failed. Later 

 he thought the same honey of a commission 

 man for less money. From this price must 

 then come freight and commission. In one 

 instance he bought fine white comb honey 

 for only V2 cents, and was allowed to go 

 through tlie cases and select only such sec- 

 tions as suited him, leaving the second class 

 to be sold to some other customer. The 

 commission man has not the incentive to 

 get a good price as has the producer. In 

 selling a crate of honey the odd ounces are 

 sometimes disregarded, and for this reason 

 it is advisable to change some of the sections 

 for heavier or lighter ones until each crate 

 contains an exact number of pounds, (^uite 

 a number reported the getting of good prices 

 when selling honey through commission 

 men, and some advised the limiting of the 

 price when consigning the honey. 



FIONKY KLOKA OF NOUTHERN MIOHKiAN. 



According to a paper from the Hon. Geo. 

 E. Hilton, the Northern portion of Michigan 

 furnishes excellent locations for the raising 

 of honey. The willow, maple, raspberry, 

 clover, basswood, willow herb, aster, and 

 golden rod, furnish an almost continual How 

 from early spring to frost. There is also to 



