ALEXANDER'S WRITINGS ON PRACTICAL BEE CULTURE 59 



Some years ago we made this mistake, and lost a customer who had 

 for several years bought quite a large amount. This time he paid us 

 one-fourth cent per pound more for nearly five tons than he could 

 get for it, losing about $25.00 thereby, where he expected to make that 

 amount, and we lost a customer who at that time was worth nearly 

 as much annually to us. If you can sell your crop in a small retail 

 way I can see no reason why you should not have the same price as any 

 other retailer. But when you sell in large quantities to parties who sell 

 to those who have to retail it out in small packages, then remember 

 that they must have a margin of profit to induce them to invest their 

 money in it. This matter of holding a customer is well worth our con- 

 sideration. 



No man in business can afford to lose one if he can help it. Since 

 we have given this part of our business especial attention we have had 

 no trouble in selling our honey at a fair price early in the season. We 

 think this a better way, and have the money soon on interest, than to 

 hang on trying to squeeze out the last cent from a dealer who will never 

 buy from you again if he can help it. I always like to have a pleased 

 customer, for such are sure to buy another year. We have been censured 

 many times by some honey-producers for selling our honey at the price 

 we do; but I like to see the summer work all finished up before bad 

 weather comes, and know that every thing is prepared for winter; then 

 we can turn our attention to other matters for a few months. 



During this winter season is a fine time to visit distant friends and 

 make our plans for the coming summer. I think it does man good to 

 have a rest from hard labor and mental anxiety. In natural law nearly 

 every thing has a rest during part of the year except poor man, and he 

 toils on until the worn-out body is lowered into the grave. But I will 

 stop my sermonizing, and call your attention to another part of our 

 business. 



It is the caring for the cappings when extracting. I see many rec- 

 ommend rinsing them so as to save the honey that will not drain out, 

 and then make this sweet water into vinegar. I used to try this plan, 

 but I could never make a vinegar but that had an unpleasant odor and 

 taste, and was nowhere when compared to cider vinegar. Then later 

 we used to let the bees clean them up; but this had its bad features, 

 and we were glad to adopt the following way of handling them: We 

 now use an old honey-extractor with the baskets and reel taken out for 

 an uncapping-can. We put in the bottom a screen of coarse open wire 

 cloth for the honey to drain through, which keeps the cappings back 

 while the honey goes out at the open faucet into the same pipe that 

 conveys our honey from the extractor to the tanks. When this can 

 is full we empty the cappings into a tight barrel and set them away 

 until spring; then when we wish to feed our bees we turn boiling 

 water on to these cappings until they are melted, and the wax rises 

 to the top, which we remove, and then use the sweetened water to 

 feed. Sometimes we add a little granulated sugar if we have used 



