THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



There is one factor that I wish- 

 ed very much to discuss with the 

 associated bodies, and that is the 

 selling end of our business. I had 

 written several letters to producers 

 and dealers before my illness and 

 received many suggestions and re- 

 sults of great value, but lately I 

 have been so busy that I have been 

 compelled to forego the pleasure of 

 a personal correspondence. But we 

 still have the little corner in the 

 Review. It is our own paper, any- 

 way, and we should make the most 



of 'it. 



* * * * 



For some time I have given 

 the matter of advertising honey 

 considerable thought, endeavoring to 

 find the way best adapted to the 

 peculiar conditions surrounding the 

 business, and suited to the psycho- 

 logical attitude of the beekeepers 

 themselves. 



^ :;: ^ :i: 



The average beekeeper has been 

 satisfied to produce his honey and 

 has paid but little or no attention 

 to developing the market. As a 

 consequence the price of honey is 

 lower than other food products of in- 

 ferior value, but better advertised. 



We find here and there men, 

 who have developed their local 

 markets, sold their own honey, 

 good prices, and are drawing on 

 other producers to fill their increa- 

 sing orders. These men are the 

 ones who are making the money 

 in the ee business. Invariably 

 we find the hustlers, talking 

 honey, writing about it in their 

 local papers, and giving bee and 

 honey demonstrations at the fairs 

 and grocery stores. This persistent 

 effort gives them results in the 

 ratio of their efforts. 



If you do not already have them, 

 procure some observation hives and 

 set them in the stores with your 

 honey, and be around occasionally 

 and give "bee talks" and get a cage 

 and give live bee demonstrations at 

 your department stores and county 

 fairs. They want sensational stunts, 

 and will pay well for them. Give 

 your newspapers all the bee and 

 honey news you know, when your 

 state Secretary calls on you for co- 

 operation, give him your best ef- 

 forts — push HONEY always and 

 everywhere. The hands of the Na- 

 tional Association are tied by red 

 tape and otherwise, and it is up 



to the individual to do the "Boos- 

 ting." 



* * * * 



I received a letter some days 

 ago, from a prominent producer, 

 and he began it as follows: "Why 

 are you so much interested in 

 'Boosting Honey?' He knew that 

 I had every pound of my honey 

 sold before it was produced, and 

 doubtless was puzzled to account 

 for it. When I accepted the office 

 of Secretary, my friends asked me 

 to ascertain if anything could be 

 done to assist in disposing of the 

 finished product, and suggest some 

 plans to "boost" prices and sales. 

 I have earnestly endeavored to do 

 this and I find that the most suc- 

 cessful plans are to use persistent 

 personal effort as hinted above, and 

 to make honey and live bee demour 

 strations at the stores. E. R. Root 

 tells me they increased their sales 

 in one city alone $70.00 per month 

 by this means alone. You can 

 double your local sales this way at 

 no cost at all except a little extra 

 time. We cannot at present raise 

 the money to advertise extensively 

 in the papers of wide circulation, 

 as this is very expensive, and in 

 our case of very doubtful value. 

 But each one of us can with slight 

 expense very easily increase his 

 sales wonderfully by these demon- 

 strations. 



But by all means, give your cus- 

 tomers a really good article, so they 

 will come again. This is one 

 prime requisite. 



^ j^ ^fc ^ 



I wish I could give you all of 

 the splendid letters I got about 

 this matter, but they would fill this 

 number of the Review, and at that 

 there might be worse reading. 



What They Say 



Georg-e W. Williams, 



iRedkey, Ind., 

 Dear Sir: 



Your interest in the plans for the 

 advancement of sales and consumption 

 of honey cannot but he felt by the 

 producer and dealer. It surely will liave 

 an inspiring- anu helnful effect. 



We most certainly favor the obser- 

 vance of a "Honey Uay", along- about 

 October, but I am afraid the assess- 

 ment plan will give you trf)iible in col- 

 lecting- from some beekeepers. 



Instill into your members the per- 

 sonal pride of doing the local advertis- 

 ing as you did in Indiana last winter. 

 We know from experience that the 

 ne.vspdpeis are glad to give reading- 

 space to bee and honey news, and will 



