46 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



the truth than your 5 Yz , but I shall be 

 glad to make the correction if I find I atn 

 in error. 



Marengo, 111. Jan. 27, 1899, 

 DEALING IN HONEY. 



How to buy it, Prepare it for the Market, 

 and Secure its Sale by Grocerymen. 



w. D. SOPER. 



^nHE editor of the Review has asked 

 ^i-^ nie to give my experience in selling 

 honey; so, for the benefit, and perhaps 

 the amusement, of his readers, I will tell 

 how I dispose of a good bit of honey each 

 season. In fact, the people of Jackson 

 have dubbed me the "honey man." 

 Should any one wish to find me, just in- 

 quire at any grocery store in Jackson. 

 Already, this season, I have purchased 

 15,000 pounds of honey; a part of which 

 is in stock. 



I start with my honey wagon as soon 

 as cool weather comes, and fruit is out of 

 the way. I carry both comb and extract- 

 ed. The extracted is put up in one quart 

 pails which weigh three pounds, pail in- 

 cluded. These pails wholesale at twenty- 

 five cents. I place my honey in the stores, 

 telling each proprietor that if he does not 

 sell it I will take it away. I found verv 

 few places that I had to take it away. 

 The next week I drive around again, get 

 my pay for what has been sold, and leave 

 more. Some accounts I trade out — but 

 not very often. This is the way I man- 

 age with the small, outside grocers; the 

 large principal stores pay cash. I always 

 try to have an extra nice article for the 

 hotels. 



For the pails I use a honey label which 

 reads: "Warranted Pure Honey. W. D. 

 Soper, Jackson, Mich." On the opposite 

 side of the pail is a label which reads: 



"The Honey Contained in this Package 

 is Absolutely pure and I'nadulterated, 

 and Complies with the Pure Food Laws 

 of the State of Michigan." I always see 

 that the stores are suplied with comb hon- 

 ey the year around. 



I always buy direct from bee-keepers, 

 usually taking a man's entire crop. I 

 pay an average price for both white and 

 dark; and specify akuays, that the honey 

 shall run alike all through the cases; not 

 be faced. There is nothing so annoying 

 as to sell a case of honey, and, on its be- 

 ing opened, to find all kinds of stuff; that 

 is, sections not properly filled, dark hon- 

 ey, etc. I don't wish to be obliged to 

 open every case at the store, when I have 

 so manyjwith me, and I always sell accord- 

 ing to the looks through the glass, and 

 guarantee it to be all alike. I always send 

 grading rules to the bee-keeper of whom 

 I buy; and if I receive poor honey he has 

 to look elsewhere to sell his honey next 

 year. Any one who will take the trouble 

 to think, will, I know, bear me out in the 

 stand I have taken in regard to facing 

 honey. Honesty and reliability, with a 

 good deal of energy, will sell large quan- 

 ities of honey; and if one hasn't these re- 

 quirements, especially energy, there may 

 be failure. We have to meet the ever 

 present cry of mixture and adulteration; 

 and the denseness of some people in re- 

 gard to candied honey would fill a book. 

 Why, one woman threw her honey away 

 because she found it candied. She thought 

 it had been "mixed;" and I suppose no 

 amount of arguing would convince her to 

 the contrary. Another time, the hired 

 girl thought the candied honey was lard; 

 and took it to make her pie crust. I leave 

 the rest to your imagination. 



Jackson, Mich., Dec. 13, 1898. 



[Friend Soper, you ought to have one 

 more label on your honey-pails; and that is, 

 one explaining in regard to the candying 

 of honey and how to liquefy it. Un- 

 less I am greatly mistaken, the A. I. 

 Root Co. keeps in stock a label of this 

 kind, gummed already for use.— Ed.] 



