No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 4(;;! 



KEPORT OF THE APIARIST 



By H. C. KLINGER 



The year past has not been marked by any unusual features ex- 

 cept that of the loss of colonies in wintering. The winter stores of 

 honey in the greater part of the State were mainly honey dew. The 

 cold of the winter being long continued, the bees were unable to 

 take a cleansing flight, became sick with ''dysentery" and died. In 

 localities where there was no honey dew or where it was extracted 

 in the fall and the colonies fed on sugar syrup or good honey, the 

 winter loss was only a small per cent. Reports from all over the 

 United States confirm the statement that bees should not be win- 

 tered on honey dew or even on a poor quality of honey. The foreign 

 matter in this kind of honey being in excess causes a dysentery when 

 the bees are confined too long without flight. Bees seldom ''freeze 

 to death" when sufficient stores of good honey are within reach, and 

 the statement that "bees froze with plenty of honey" is only an evi- 

 dence that they died from being confined too long on poor winter 

 stores. 



The various reports from difl'erent parts of the State indicate that 

 the crop of honey was far below the average. This was caused to 

 some extent by droughts and failure of the main honey plants. 

 White clover, which is the source of the best grade of honey, was 

 drought killed in the summer of 1909 and made but a weak stand the 

 following spring. A few reports also were made that in several 

 localities bees were killed by spraying with arsenical poisons. Bees 

 died by the thousands and in one instance an entire apiary was wiped 

 out. It seems that it takes some fruit growers a long time to learn 

 that it is an injury, a double injury, to spray while the trees are 

 in bloom. Certain delicate parts of the flower are injured by the 

 spray when it comes in contact with them when it is open. Spray- 

 ing at such time prevents perfect pollination and also kills the bees 

 and other insects which Nature intended should assist in the form- 

 ing of fruit. The best time to spray is before the buds open and from 

 five to seven days after the blossom has dropped. 



HONEY PLANTS 



The plants upon which the honey producers of the State mostly 

 depend are White Clover, Alsike Clover and Buckwheat. There are 

 lumber regions of the State which yet produce crops of basswood 

 honey, but the denudation of our forests will make that product a 

 rarity in a very few years. 



White clover carries first honors as a honey plant both in value 

 as a source and an extra quality of honey. It yields a clear, finely 

 flavored product and when nicely capped makes a gilt-edged article 

 for the market. Alsike clover is coming more into prominence than 

 formerly. Many farmers are discovering that it is profitable to sow 



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