THE BEEKEEPERS' REVIEW 221 



they probably have troubles enough of their own without taking on 

 ours. 



We are going to take off our coats and do it ourselves. We may 

 not do it as artistically as a $75,000 publicity agent but beekeepers 

 are persistent fellows, and expect to get "stung" occasionally any- 

 way — we are used to it. We may not know much else, but we do 

 know the good qualities of honey, and we are going to make 

 the other fellows recognize them. We want a market that will ab- 

 sorb our present production plus the future increase, and do it at 

 living prices. 



We can get this market if we will, and we must do it if we 

 keep in the business and make any money. 



We must do it too, by advertising our goods. It has been dem- 

 onstrated in hundreds of instances that any given market can be 

 cultivated sufficiently to absorb a large amount of honey in addition 

 to the normal. In fact there is apparently no limit to the amount 

 that can be sold if properly pushed. New uses must be found for 

 the cheaper grades, and the table grades kept up to the standard. 



Efforts have been made at different times to raise a big fund 

 for general advertising. These have failed because the beekeeper's 

 good judgment saw that it would be money wasted. But they rea- 

 lize that we must advertise, and do it extensively. We must spend 

 a great deal of money or its equivalent in special effort in doing it, 

 but not in the way proposed. Each beekeeper must spend his 

 money himself, for himself, and develop his own home market to 

 its full capacity. Sell all his honey at home and then buy and sell 

 all he can of those who are not so fortunate as to have a home mar- 

 ket. 



This is the key to the whole situation. There are hundreds of 

 beekeepers who are doing this and making money at it. A well 

 established honey route is better than an old age pension, and gives 

 a sound self-respect that the pension does not give. 



Maybe you have developed some selling "kink" that will help 

 the other fellow and maybe he knows one that will help you. Get 

 together and get busy. If you have made a success of selling, tell 

 us how you do it. I am going to give what energy and time I can 

 spare in the endeavor to get the beekeepers and bee journals to give 

 publicity, and especially local publicity the attention it merits. Last 

 month I proposed that we raise a purse of $50.00 to be offered for 

 the best articles relating to selling honey and opening new markets 

 for it. I have not yet received any contributions to this fund, but 

 doubtless will later. If you feel that this is a good thing, we will 



